For “Summer House” star Carl Radke, Soft Bar & Cafe is more than just a “sober bar” — it’s an invitation to come as you are.
Radke, who helped friends and co-stars Kyle Cooke and Amanda Batula get their alcohol brand Loverboy off the ground in 2018, had a transformative experience in 2020 that led him to stop drinking.
Though he remained involved with Loverboy — even helping to develop a non-alcoholic option — Radke recognized something was missing from the market. While bars and restaurants flaunt extensive drink menus and coffee shops offer quick pick-me-ups, Radke realized there isn’t really a place for people to enjoy premium, non-alcoholic beverages in a safe space — unless they want to stay home.
Radke, who chronicles his journey to sobriety in his upcoming memoir, “Cake Eater,” was inspired by a non-alcoholic bottle shop called Boisson (French for “beverage”).
“They opened up a bottle shop that only sold non-alcoholic beverages,” he told Brooklyn Paper.
And while Boisson became a safe space for Radke to explore, he said, the adventure stopped at the door.
“It’s a really cool thing, but it was me shopping at that store,” he said. “I had this epiphany — I’m like, you buy product and you leave. You can’t sit down there. I said to myself, ‘This is silly. I love this store — why am I walking home to drink non-alcoholic drinks by myself in my apartment? This is not the experience I’m looking for.’”
Alternative spaces like cafes can be just as limited, Radke said — be it by the early hours they keep, or their offerings.
“I don’t drink coffee either,” he laughed. “So I go to these places and the offerings are just so limited — maybe there’s a Topo Chico, or a tea option, which is great, but I’m looking for something more.”
Then came the idea for Soft Bar & Cafe.
“I wanted to create a destination — a four-wall, brick-and-mortar space where you can come any time of day and enjoy an amazing non-alcoholic drink,” Radke said.
The Bravo star and Brooklyn resident enlisted a team of experts — in architecture, non-alc mixology, and Kings County itself — to bring his vision to life. He’s since turned to crowdfunding, a move that he says was inspired by the overwhelming support from his followers and the community.
Working with the crowdfunding platform Republic, Radke is offering people the opportunity to invest in Soft Bar & Cafe with as little as $250.
“We’re really excited to bring people into this journey with us,” he said. “The crowdfunding isn’t just about raising money; it’s about building a community from day one. We want our supporters to feel like they’re part of something bigger, that they’re helping create a space that truly reflects this movement toward mindful drinking and better-for-you beverages.”
Leaning local
While investors have already come from far and wide, Soft Bar & Cafe will stay grounded in Brooklyn and its roots, Radke said.
“I want to lean into the local community here in Brooklyn, but the response we’ve gotten from people who have never even been to the city is amazing,” he said. “It feels like we’re creating something really special, and I want to continue building off that momentum.”
A Greenpoint resident for the last two years, Radke — who previously lived in the Big Apple and famously spends his summers out in the Hamptons — says he’s fallen in love with the unique charm of Brooklyn.
“There’s another level to it,” he said, adding that he particularly values the area’s historic architecture, especially in comparison to some of the newer, high-rise developments in Manhattan. The space he found in Greenpoint — a 2,300-square-foot industrial garage near the corner of Banker and Dobbin streets — is unique.
“Because we don’t serve alcohol, it actually gave me a lot of interesting opportunities real estate-wise,” Radke said, adding that he hopes to honor the rich history of the space, once an auto body shop, with the design.
“It was glass, it was metal, so really all of these like elements of Greenpoint, which is very industrial, we’re going to honor some of that inside the space,” he said.
This includes exposed brick elements and a massive garage door, which will be replaced with glass to allow passersby to see inside. Radke is working with Bolt, a local design and fabrication firm based in Greenpoint, which has extensive experience building restaurants and bars in Brooklyn and NYC.
“The best part is they are actually our neighbors,” he said. “They know this space inside and out.”
Radke emphasized the importance of making the space feel authentic to the neighborhood.
“If it’s not authentic, people are going to know,” he said.
Since securing the space, Radke has worked closely with Bolt on Soft Bar’s blueprint. He’s also solidified a local coffee roaster to help stock the cafe, and hopes to partner with Brooklyn businesses like Radio Bakery, Cafe Pana, Peter Pan and Upside Pizza to provide light bites.
“We’re not just a bar, we’re not just a coffee shop,” Radke explained. “My goal is for you to come for the NA drink, the coffee, the tea — but amplify it with community.”
Radke says he envisions programming that’s “a little more meaningful” than what you might find now at a local pub or coffee shop.
“I don’t want the trivia people to hate me,” he laughed. “But we don’t want to be trivia night.”
From fitness and fashion to music and art, he wants to create a space that fosters meaningful connections.
“I want to bring in wellness experts,” Radke said. “My dream is Tom Holland. We love BERO, his non-alcoholic beer — having him and his head brewmaster come in for a tasting or sampling would be amazing.”
He also hopes to host events with fitness leaders like Melissa Wood and her studio team, as well as community gatherings like the Bandit Run Club finishing their morning group runs at Soft Bar & Cafe.
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Music will also be a key part of the experience. “I’m a big music fan. We’re right down the street from The Lot Radio, so having some evening programming with good music is something I’m really excited about,” Radke said.
Soft Bar & Cafe’s loft space will also double as a creative studio, where Radke plans to record his podcast. “It’s a great way to bring people in. If you’re just grabbing a non-alcoholic drink, you might catch a recording in progress, adding to the energy of the space,” he said.
More than just a ‘sober bar’
The shift toward non-alcoholic and functional beverages isn’t just a passing trend — it’s part of a broader change in how people think about drinking, Radke said.
“The whole ‘sober-curious’ movement is really growing,” he told Brooklyn Paper. “You’re seeing Gen Z drinking less, people being more mindful of what they put in their bodies. It’s not just about cutting alcohol — it’s about healthier choices overall.”
Studies show that Generation Z (those born between 1997 and 2012), consumes less alcohol than previous generations. A 2023 Gallup survey found that the percentage of adults under 35 who reported drinking alcohol dropped by 10% over two decades. Another recent study found that Gen Z consumers accounted for just over $2.2 billion in alcohol sales in the U.S. in 2021, the lowest among all age groups.
That shift is reflected in the city’s bar scene, with more establishments expanding their mocktail menus and non-alcoholic offerings. High-end cocktail bars are now dedicating entire sections of their menus to spirit-free drinks, and spots like Mockingbird in Park Slope — a “zero-proof mocktail bar” — and Hekate Café & Elixir Lounge in the East Village are opening with a focus on creative, alcohol-free options.
“People still want the experience of going out, socializing, and having a beautifully crafted drink in their hand,” Radke said. “It just doesn’t always have to have alcohol in it.”
And while some might be quick to call the new space a “sober bar,” its founder is careful about that label.
“The biggest thing for me is I wanted everybody to feel comfortable coming,” Radke said. “When you label it as a sober bar, to me, that almost says you have to be in the program, in AA… and not everybody’s comfortable saying, ‘I have a problem.’ Some people just want to take a night off. Some people just want to take a day off.”
Instead, Soft Bar will welcome everyone, Radke said, regardless of their relationship with alcohol.
“There are thousands of reasons why people don’t drink alcohol,” he said. “So it was important to make sure everybody felt welcome.”
That inclusive approach extends to hosting events, whether for individuals, local groups or companies.
“I think the days of your boss taking you out to the nightclub on an open tab are probably changing a little bit,” Radke said. “We want to create a place where your company, your sales team, your community — whether it’s mental health initiatives, sobriety initiatives — can gather in a cool space.”
At its core, Radke sees Soft Bar & Cafe as a fresh take on existing concepts.
“I’m not necessarily inventing anything new — I’m taking amazing, beautiful ideas and flipping them a little, leaning into the no-alcohol lifestyle while amplifying it with functional ingredients and alternative options,” he said. “It’s about educating people and creating something that feels truly untapped.”
Radke aims to open Soft Bar & Cafe early this summer, offering a welcoming space where everyone can gather — no questions asked.
“You could have had a drink in the parking lot, right?” Radke said. “Come on into a safe space.”
