When STAY. “Zero-Proof” Bar opened in Los Angeles in January, it seemed to mark a sign of the sober-curious times: An entire establishment dedicated to serving elevated adult beverages without any alcohol on the menu. While the NA adult beverage industry is thriving right now, perhaps it’s a ritual that consumers in LA prefer to enjoy in the comfort of their own homes or at a party, because STAY. is not staying around.
Owners Summer Phoenix and Stacey Mann said in a statement, “We are immensely proud of what we’ve built at STAY. and the role we’ve played in championing this movement here in LA. This has been a labor of love, and every person who walked through our doors became part of that mission.”
STAY. became the first NA-only cocktail lounge in the city when it opened in LA’s Chinatown eight months ago today. The renovated space had an upscale and sophisticated vibe and paid homage to elements of Chinese culture. I spoke with Mann in May, when she described STAY. as “a sophisticated chic, dark, sexy space where you can lounge around and have that atmosphere to connect.” Its menu was created by NA mixologist Derek Brown using NA spirits to make complex drinks that resembled the likes of old fashioneds and margaritas. STAY. also carried NA beers and wines from brands like Naughty, Sovi and Surely.
The specific reason for closing was not disclosed, although Mann previously told me “while it’s on the rise, it is a struggle to get people in the door. It’s an extremely challenging project…the jury’s still out.”
Some NA bars are still standing in cities including New York City and Austin, TX. Chris Marshall, owner of Sans Bar and Sans Bar Academy in Austin, which claims to be the first NA bar in North America when it opened in 2017, tells me that it’s crucial for NA bars to have another revenue source in addition to selling drinks. “For us, that’s renting out our space, consulting with traditional bars, educating them and writing cocktails for their menu,“ he says.
Some of his former students from his academy are just starting to open their NA bars years after graduating from his program. “You just have to build that community of people who are not drinking,” says Marshall. “It takes a little bit more time than a traditional bar…people seeing themselves in that space is a harder thing. That part doesn’t sell itself.”
“I think there is a future where there’s a chain of nonalcoholic bars, but we’re still at least five years away from that happening,” Marshall adds. “Right now, the best businesses in the NA game are bottle shops.”
STAY. will have one final service on Saturday, September 14.
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