Alcohol-free pub

Zippie84

New alcohol-free pub opening in Glasgow

http://www.mindwavesnews.com/new-alcohol-free-pub-opening-in-glasgow/

We caught up with Donna Campbell, who has set up Cafe GRO, a new alcohol-free venue opening on the City’s Saltmarket this month.

The venue will offer food, drink, acoustic nights, a pub quiz: everything you’d expect to find at your local, except the alcohol.

Donna explained why she decided to open the pub.

“I’m in recovery myself, I have been for a long time, and it’s really hard to find somewhere that’s not all about alcohol. Most of the coffee shops in the city close at tea time.

It’s not just about people in recovery. Lots of people want to avoid alcohol, whether it’s for religious reasons, because they want somewhere they can bring their family or because they’re that wee bit too young to go to pubs.”

Interesting idea and hope it works for them.

A google search shows that it's not the first alcohol-free pub, but it's not an idea I've heard of before.

I wonder if it's something we'll see more of in the coming years.

I drink alcohol but can take or leave it, and would definitely be happy to go to an alcohol-free pub. For me, a night out is as much about the banter, atmosphere etc than the drink.

Just thinking also, one of the regular mid-week nights out me and my friends (weekly pub quiz) go to I'm pretty sure there's nights that none of us are drinking alcohol, so chances are they'd also be happy enough with an alcohol-free pub.

Hans Bricks

Suppose it's a nice alternative for pioneers. As a drinker I vividly remember the night I went out completely sober.

Horrific.

Akrasia

I'd love to go with the naggin of vodka hidden under the shirt, just for old times sake:)

For Forks Sake

Akrasia wrote: »

I'd love to go with the naggin of vodka hidden under the shirt, just for old times sake:)

Puts me in mind of this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otuxEIHl1QY

Duckworth_Luas

We had one of those in my home town

It was called a cafe

libelula

Duckworth_Luas wrote: »

We had one of those in my home town

It was called a cafe

And did it open until all hours and hold the events that pubs do?

iDave

Will it serve alcohol free beer?

Zippie84

Duckworth_Luas wrote: »

We had one of those in my home town

It was called a cafe

So a cafe that offered everything that a pub does (bar alcohol)? Opened pub opening hours etc?

Not had one of those around my way. Would say all the local cafes stay open until 9pm at the very latest, and I'm in a city.

Also never had a pub quiz in any of my local cafes as far as I know. Or live music. Or a juke box. Or a wee dance floor. None of that kinda stuff in my local cafes.

Where's this pub-style cafe you mention out of interest?

Hope it works out for them, I'm quite into the idea of free alcohol!:pac:



















Serious answer - isn't an alcohol-free pub basically just a cafe/restaurant that doesn't have a liquor licence?

The Moldy Gowl

So it's a cafe with late opening hours?? Why dosent she just stop being so pretentious and just open a cafe until late. Nothing stopping her, except her holier than thou attitude

Zippie84

Deleted User wrote: »

Serious answer - isn't an alcohol-free pub basically just a cafe/restaurant that doesn't have a liquor licence?

I would say that a pub was literally just a room that people come together and buy and consume alcohol then yes.

But most pubs do a lot more than that, and do a lot more than what cafes / restaurants too, and seems from the article linked that that's the case here too.

Shenshen

I really like the idea.

One thing I've always missed here is a place you can go to after 6pm with a nice menu of different kinds of non-alcoholic drinks (as in, juices, maybe a smoothie, non-acoholic cocktails). Best of luck to her, and I do hope it catches on.

Zippie84

Gowlasauras Rex wrote: »

So it's a cafe with late opening hours?? Why dosent she just stop being so pretentious and just open a cafe until late. Nothing stopping her, except her holier than thou attitude

which bit was it that made you conclude that it's just a cafe with late opening hours?

Duckworth_Luas

libelula wrote: »

And did it open until all hours and hold the events that pubs do?

It went out of business

jimgoose

I'm not surprised. They don't need booze in Glesgae, have you ever heard one of them try to pronounce "burglar alarm"?? :pac:

Zippie84

Duckworth_Luas wrote: »

It went out of business

Pretty sure the poster was asking whether it opened late hours and did all the other things that pubs do before it went out of business...

The Moldy Gowl

Zippie84 wrote: »

which bit was it that made you conclude that it's just a cafe with late opening hours?

Ammmmmm the whole thing? What will people be drinking? Tea and coffee of course? Juice? Fizzy drinks?

She is gonna have gigs there too?? Yeah, cafés do that as well.

It's just a glorified cafe that opens late and has gigs and poetry reading and a few comedy nights. It's nothing special apart from having no beer which is stupid.

One of them opened in limerick last year. It's closed now and opened up in a pub. Everyone thinks the idea is great in theory. They never last.

Next thing we will hear off is a food free restaurant :rolleyes:, makes as much sense to me as a pub where you can't get a proper drink.

Eutow

jimgoose wrote: »

I'm not surprised. They don't need booze in Glesgae, have you ever heard one of them try to pronounce "burglar alarm"?? :pac:

It's a buglarulelaerm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5WFl4E8VCI

libelula

Gowlasauras Rex wrote: »

Ammmmmm the whole thing? What will people be drinking? Tea and coffee of course? Juice? Fizzy drinks?

She is gonna have gigs there too?? Yeah, cafés do that as well.

It's just a glorified cafe that opens late and has gigs and poetry reading and a few comedy nights. It's nothing special apart from having no beer which is stupid.

One of them opened in limerick last year. It's closed now and opened up in a pub. Everyone thinks the idea is great in theory. They never last.

Untwist your knickers there would ya

Zippie84

Gowlasauras Rex wrote: »

Ammmmmm the whole thing? What will people be drinking? Tea and coffee of course? Juice? Fizzy drinks?

She is gonna have gigs there too?? Yeah, cafés do that as well.

It's just a glorified cafe that opens late and has gigs and poetry reading and a few comedy nights. It's nothing special apart from having no beer which is stupid.

One of them opened in limerick last year. It's closed now and opened up in a pub. Everyone thinks the idea is great in theory. They never last.

Well I for one see what a pub does as very different to what any café I know of does. I don't know of any café local to me doing the things that pubs do, so can see a clear distinction.

And the nights that I've been out with people in pubs and we're not drinking alcohol, it is nothing like a café that I'm in.

In relation to having no alcohol (don't think it has any alcohol, not just no beer) it may be stupid to some, but I expect that to some it'll fit in quite well with their lives / needs.

Zippie84

Giuliana Limited Soap wrote: »

Next thing we will hear off is a food free restaurant :rolleyes:!

Lol well restaurants are primarily about food, for many people pubs are not primarily about alcohol. :rolleyes:

The Moldy Gowl

libelula wrote: »

Untwist your knickers there would ya

It's Monday morning and I'll be cranky if I want.

Lapin

jimgoose wrote: »

I'm not surprised. They don't need booze in Glesgae, have you ever heard one of them try to pronounce "burglar alarm"?? :pac:

Thats racialist against Scottish ****.

jimgoose

Lapin wrote: »

Thats racialist against Scottish ****.

See ye Jimmy!!

https://flic.kr/p/9oPb2U

Menas

I like the idea, even if it is unlikely I would go to such a place.

But I would have thought that for this to work you would need a sizable population of non-drinkers who are friends with other non-drinkers and who don't like going to a traditional pub.

Is there enough of that target audience to make this a success? We will have to wait and see.

Zippie84

Trigger Happy wrote: »

I like the idea, even if it is unlikely I would go to such a place.

But I would have thought that for this to work you would need a sizable population of non-drinkers who are friends with other non-drinkers and who don't like going to a traditional pub.

Is there enough of that target audience to make this a success? We will have to wait and see.

My best guess at this point would be in Glasgow city centre being a large city then quite possibly, but in many other areas then probably not.

libelula

Gowlasauras Rex wrote: »

It's Monday morning and I'll be cranky if I want.

I concur. Everybody and everything is STUPID today

The Moldy Gowl

Zippie84 wrote: »

My best guess at this point would be in Glasgow city centre being a large city then quite possibly, but in many other areas then probably not.

But in big cities there is no need to drive because of the public transport so can have a few drinks. Would probably be better in smaller towns were people drive to town an won't have to get a taxi home.

I don't think it's going to work. A novelty for 6 months then will close

Menas

Gowlasauras Rex wrote: »

I don't think it's going to work. A novelty for 6 months then will close

Or they end up shortening the hours, serving artisan coffee and rebranding as a 'Cafe'.

Zippie84

Gowlasauras Rex wrote: »

But in big cities there is no need to drive because of the public transport so can have a few drinks. Would probably be better in smaller towns were people drive to town an won't have to get a taxi home.

I don't think it's going to work. A novelty for 6 months then will close

I don't really see how the issue of driving comes into it. I didn't read the information on it as the target audience being people who drink and who want to drink but have to drive.

The target audience was described as non-drinkers / people who specifically want a non-drinking environment, so I don't see how the driving vs public transport comes into it, since the target audience seems to be people who wouldn't be drinking anyhow, no matter what establishment they go to...

The Moldy Gowl

Zippie84 wrote: »

I don't really see how the issue of driving comes into it. I didn't read the information on it as the target audience being people who drink and who want to drink but have to drive.

The target audience was described as non-drinkers / people who specifically want a non-drinking environment, so I don't see how the driving vs public transport comes into it, since the target audience seems to be people who wouldn't be drinking anyhow, no matter what establishment they go to...

And how big is that target audience?? Very small compared to people who like having a few cans and going to a gig and going home but don't want to pay 20 euro for a taxi so drive instead.
I know a lot more of them than non drinkers

Lapin

Trigger Happy wrote: »

But I would have thought that for this to work you would need a sizable population of non-drinkers.........

Is there enough of that target audience to make this a success?

Not in Glasgow.

Shenshen

Gowlasauras Rex wrote: »

And how big is that target audience?? Very small compared to people who like having a few cans and going to a gig and going home but don't want to pay 20 euro for a taxi so drive instead.
I know a lot more of them than non drinkers

Wouldn't those guys be more likely to simply have a designated driver? So you'd have a group of 20, 19 of whom will want alcohol, and one guy who doesn't get a choice.

I think the demographic in a city will be more likely to support a niche place like this. There simply is a much greater absolute number of people, so the small percentage of those who would be interested in an alcohol free pub will translate in a higher number overall.
I don't know enough about Glasgow to predict success of failure of this venture, but as I said before, it would be nice if there were a few such places around.

Zippie84

Seems there's an alcohol-free nightclub in Templebar called Flux

https://www.facebook.com/fluxdublin

Not sure if anyone knows much about it, but seems it's been on the go since at least early 2013.

rubadub

Duckworth_Luas wrote: »

We had one of those in my home town

It was called a cafe

and so is this...

Gowlasauras Rex wrote: »

So it's a cafe with late opening hours?? Why dosent she just stop being so pretentious and just open a cafe until late.

She calls it a cafe, the name of the place even has cafe in the title, Cafe GRO. The only person who called it a pub was the journalist.

They have had this here near me, pubs opening on good friday and serving no drink.

Zippie84

Gowlasauras Rex wrote: »

And how big is that target audience?? Very small compared to people who like having a few cans and going to a gig and going home but don't want to pay 20 euro for a taxi so drive instead.
I know a lot more of them than non drinkers

I'm obviously not gonna be in a position to know much about their target audience, not being the one who's set it up (I doubt either of our opinions would be hugely well informed compared to those behind it) - but I'd obviously hope that like any sensible business person they've done plenty of market research before going into it.

Zippie84

Slightly old article, but this gives a bit more of a background to it

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/donna-wants-to-open-scotlands-first-dry-bar-in-glasgow-134501n.21973506

The 52-year-old, from the Gorbals, said: "There are between 15,000 and 20,000 people in Glasgow alone who are in recovery from addictions and they have got nowhere to go and socialise.

"There is nowhere for them to go that is free from alcohol. There is nothing like this in Scotland.

"There is alcohol everywhere, and for a lot of people, first it could be a temptation for them going out where there is alcohol, but also, it is really boring going out with people who are drinking because you are not on the same level as them."

Glasgow's dry bar - which Donna is thinking of calling The Next Step after the well known 12-step addiction recovery programme - will follow in the footsteps of The Brink in Liverpool.

That dry bar opened two years ago and has attracted top acts and Donna hopes similar big names will perform music, theatre and spoken word at her club.

She says her venue will serve alcohol-free fruit juices and cocktails, good food, and will be open from 8am until 10pm during the week and from 8am until 3am at weekends.

Betty Bloggs

I think it's a great idea. I drink and will often get drunk too when I do, but usually only go out drinking a few times a year. So don't mind drink really, have a good bit of craic and all when I do have a few. However have no interest anymore in drinking every single week. One night out every 2-3 months is ok for me.

I would however go out more often socially if there was a place like this nearby me. It would be a nice place to go after late cinema, or after a meal where you don't feel like going home but don't fancy going to a regular pub where everybody is pissed either. They could broadcast the sporting events too for people who were interested. I also like thee idea of the quizzes and music and and a good non alcohol menu like another poster suggested and maybe some light bite meals or snacks would be good too.

I wouldn't see it the same as a regular cafe or restaurant if it had late opening hours, music sessions, quizzes, aired sporting events, and had a menu with interesting non alcohol drinks.
Pool table and darts too and I'd be quite happy.

mickstupp

I'd love a place like that near me. Cafes round here shut at 6.30 at the latest, which is utterly useless to me. Never heard of a cafe in Ireland that had live gigs or events either. I'd love to see some live music in town without having to be surrounded drink and people drinking. Or even just to get home from work and feel like I could go out for a while without it being in a pub.

Can't see that there'd be enough of a regular clientele though. Not in this country.

Gowlasauras Rex wrote: »

She is gonna have gigs there too?? Yeah, cafés do that as well.

Where? I'd love to go to a cafe that put on live gigs from local bands, no booze involved. That'd be brilliant.

Egginacup

Why does there have to be no alcohol in the place?

Why not serve low-alcohol beer as well? Not the alcohol free shit like Kaliber or Buckler but stuff that has maybe 1.5-2% instead of 5%. I have tried the alcohol free stuff and it's appalling. But the low-grade pish isn't bad and I'd happily guzzle down 7 pints of the stuff and only have the effects of 2 regular pints.

Mint Aero

Utterly stupid idea.

Zippie84

Egginacup wrote: »

Why does there have to be no alcohol in the place?

Why not serve low-alcohol beer as well? Not the alcohol free shit like Kaliber or Buckler but stuff that has maybe 1.5-2% instead of 5%. I have tried the alcohol free stuff and it's appalling. But the low-grade pish isn't bad and I'd happily guzzle down 7 pints of the stuff and only have the effects of 2 regular pints.

Well if a big part of their target market is recovering alcoholics then I guess there's part of your answer right there.

wretcheddomain

A pub is not a pub unless it has alcohol.

You can call it any of the following:

• A Pioneers Parlour
• A Late Night Café

But you may not call it:

• A Pub

bb1234567

Gowlasauras Rex wrote: »

So it's a cafe with late opening hours?? Why dosent she just stop being so pretentious and just open a cafe until late. Nothing stopping her, except her holier than thou attitude

There is a very different atmosphere in a late night cafe to a pub. Why do you think start bucks in stephens green isn't thought of as a fun nightlife place for pioneers seeing as its open 24 hours a day?

bb1234567

bb1234567 wrote: »

There is a very different atmosphere in a late night cafe to a pub. Why do you think start bucks in stephens green isn't thought of as a fun nightlife place for pioneers seeing as its open 24 hours a day?

And the reason for the different atmosphere is mostly due to people drinking so an alcohol free bar will just feel like a cafe.

Zippie84

Giuliana Limited Soap wrote: »

And the reason for the different atmosphere is mostly due to people drinking so an alcohol free bar will just feel like a cafe.

I personally don't get why. When I'm with groups of people in pubs but who aren't drinking alcohol it doesn't feel anything like a cafe.

humanji

Egginacup wrote: »

Why does there have to be no alcohol in the place?

Why not serve low-alcohol beer as well? Not the alcohol free shit like Kaliber or Buckler but stuff that has maybe 1.5-2% instead of 5%. I have tried the alcohol free stuff and it's appalling. But the low-grade pish isn't bad and I'd happily guzzle down 7 pints of the stuff and only have the effects of 2 regular pints.

You've to buy a very expensive license to sell alcohol, so that's one very good reason. And there'd be plenty of people who don't drink or don't want to a place full of drunks on a night out, that there might be a viable market for it. I can't see it lasting as an idea in Ireland, but I'd definitely give it a chance if there was one near to me.

wretcheddomain

Why don't people who don't want to drink alcohol in pubs just not drink alcohol in pubs!? Nobody is compelling them to drink alcohol, and they can enjoy all the benefits of a real pub.

humanji

wretcheddomain wrote: »

Why don't people who don't want to drink alcohol in pubs just not drink alcohol in pubs!? Nobody is compelling them to drink alcohol, and they can enjoy all the benefits of a real pub.

Because it's not always fun being sober and surrounded by drunks.

wretcheddomain

humanji wrote: »

Because it's not always fun being sober and surrounded by drunks.

There are many places in Dublin where you're not surrounded by drunks.

That's just a cheap universal slur against pubs in general.