Sober Bars: how this owner is making $800k+

GM. This is Work "After" Work, the newsletter that gives you the inside scoop on the latest business trends with tasty ideas to act on.

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It's Friday, let's boogie:

• 🍻 The Sober Curious Movement

• 😂 Meme of the day

CRACK OPEN THAT BEER NON-ALCOHOLIC BEER

Our society is becoming extremely health conscious - I guess that’s what a widespread pandemic will do.

A trend that existed in the 19th century is now making a roaring comeback coined the ‘Sober Curious Movement’.

What is this movement?People are becoming aware of how much drinking is negatively affecting their lives and health. When you drink you’re generally heavier, less productive the next day because you’re hungover, and it has lasting impacts on your body (liver, heart, throat, and colon)

Drinking at social events has become so normalized that people find it weird when someone chooses not to drink.

The social pressure is on, and everyone's giving in to it.

That's what this movement is about. Questioning why you drink in the first place and how it makes you feel. Is it just to fit in?

If you often feel this pressure and wish there was an alternative, you're not alone.

The subreddit r/sobercurious is gaining popularity even though it's still in its infancy stage at a little over 3k members.

Even a quick Instagram search for #sobercurious has over 495k posts and #sobercuriousmovement has close to 30k.

No Booze Babes, an online community that helps people rethink their relationship with alcohol has 38k followers on Instagram and hosts get-togethers for the growing “sober curious” community.

Even celebrities like Katy Perry are speaking up about how they’re opting for an alcohol-free lifestyle and launching non-alcoholic spirits that “savor the flavor and lose the booze”

Who's at the forefront of this movement?Gen Z, followed by millennials. Meaning you're likely looking at a future of younger generations opting for a healthier lifestyle.

It's clear, this is a huge trend and there's multiple ways to make money from it. Here are 4 quick fire ones:

1. Open your own sober bar

There are 2 big benefits to opening a sober bar:

#1 You don't have to buy a liquor license - something that is extremely hard to come by and can run you $300,000 depending on where you're located.

#2 Other religions may venture in who want to socialize but don’t drink alcohol due to their religion - Buddhism and Islam are great examples

Here's how Chris Marshall, a recovering alcoholic, turned this idea into a reality.

Chris wanted to create an environment where people could have a good time with friends, without the booze.

So he built Sans Bar, an alcohol-free bar in Austin. He started by hosting pop-ups in 2017 with an investment of just $1,000 and today is making $821k!

He charges a $15 cover for unlimited snacks and never denies anyone recovering from addiction. If they only have $5, he’ll let them in - good guy!

Pro tip - If you go down this route, consider spicing your bar up with activities.

A cool idea is a bar in Chicago called Spin - they have ping pong tables, foosball tables, and pool tables all over to keep customers movin and groovin!

2. Create an app or website for finding sober bars

Finding a restaurant? Easy. Finding a gas station? Easy. Finding a “bar” bar? Very Easy.

Finding a sober bar? Not so easy :(

One website that has taken advantage of this need is soberbarsnearme.com

How would you make money with this site?Just like they do - through ads. If you can drive traffic to your site, advertisers will pay to be on your website.

3. Create an app for people who want to go out to sober bars

Ever been in an uncomfortable situation with your friends where all of them drink alcohol but you don't?

For all the people that deal with this create an app that connects non-alcoholic drinkers who are looking for a fun time! Seems like a great way to meet like-minded people who share your values.

Market it as "the pressure free app". No peer-pressuring you into having that ‘one drink that won’t do you any harm’.

4. Create your own non-alcoholic drinks

This might seem way out of this world but it could really just be great packaging.

A great example of this is Liquid Death.

It looks like a beer but it's just water and they:

• Made $23 million last year

• Captured $200 million in funding

• Have 1.5 million followers on Instagram

Another example is The Athletic Brewing Company who makes a variety of non-alcoholic beer flavors and secured over $225 million in funding with 140k Instagram followers.

Many brands like these are growing rapidly. People want to socialize, have fun, and be a part of the experience without drinking.

MEME OF THE DAY

That's a wrap for today folks! Enjoy the weekend :)

DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research.