The first alcohol-free bar and restaurant in the East Midlands opens today, offering a mocktail menu developed with a leading Nottingham cocktail bar.
Sobar in Friar Lane in Nottingham city centre will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as providing a full calendar of evening entertainment showcasing local artists and musicians.
It will serve locally supplied coffee, artisan pizzas and a wide range of soft drinks including fruit juices and vintage cordials.
The project is the work of Double Impact, the Nottingham-based drug and alcohol charity, after it received a grant of £340,419 from the Big Lottery fund.
It will operate as a social enterprise, where all profits generated will go back into the charity, allowing Double Impact to expand the range of recovery services on offer.
Graham Miller, chief executive of Double Impact, said: “Sobar is something completely unique. It offers a creative and amazing space for the people of Nottingham to enjoy where local talent can be showcased.
“What I am most proud of is the core objective of providing extra support for service users on the road to recovery. The bar will provide lots of opportunities for people in recovery to gain valuable experience, training and employment as they work alongside permanent and voluntary staff.”
The non-alcoholic mocktails were put together with the bar team at Boilermaker, the cocktail bar that opened in Nottingham last year.
Alex Gilmore, general manager of Sobar, said: “We have been lucky enough to receive help from the bar staff at one of Nottingham’s most popular cocktail bars.
“Henry, Polly and Christian from Boilermaker have designed the non-alcoholic mocktail menu and provided training for our staff on how to create the unique drinks.”
Alex continued: “It is really exciting to see the months of planning and hard work come together. The venue is looking great and we have been working with the new team to ensure we are ready to open our doors, offering visitors a unique city centre venue to meet, work and relax.”
The bar and restaurant is located in the old banking hall at the former headquarters of Nottingham Building Society, which agreed to lease the premises at a reduced rate to homelessness charity Framework – which already uses the rear of the building as an advice centre for people at risk of losing their homes – and Double Impact.
Sobar was launched last week by leading DJ Adamski. Pictured are Graham Miller of Double Impact, Sean Tizzard of the Big Lottery Fund, Alex Gilmore of Sobar, Adamski, David Marlow of Nottingham Building Society, and Peter Radage of Framework HA.
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