Sans Bar Contact:
Chris Marshall
512-589-1634
sansbarinfo@gmail.com
July 22, 2019 | NASHVILLE, TN – Austin based Sans Bar has plans to expand beyond Texas in 2019.
On January 16th 2019, in Seattle, Washington Founder/CEO Chris Marshall announced plans to bring a sober bar experience to 9 cities, popping up for one night only with the hope of spreading his vision of alcohol free fun from Anchorage, Alaska to NYC and all points in between. On New Years Eve of 2018, Marshall launched Sans Bar Kansas City with local businesswoman Melissa Saubers. This is the first franchise of a sober bar in the United States, and Marshall hopes this tour will help inspire others to create safe, inclusive sober establishments for Americans. “There is a growing movement of people across the country who are experimenting with periods of abstinence from alcohol. Given that, and the rising number of Americans who identify as “actively in recovery” from drug and alcohol dependence, we felt it was time to take our sober bar concept on the road,” said Marshall.
Founded in 2017, Sans Bar’s mission is to provide “the bar experience without the booze”. Open every Friday, the Austin location serves up hand crafted mocktails to individuals aged 16 and over. Guests are treated to live music, karaoke, and dancing all in a welcoming space in east Austin. Prior to founding Sans Bar, Marshall was a drug and alcohol counselor in the Austin area for 8 years. “I saw so many of my friends and clients struggle to stay sober. While they desperately wanted to live without drugs and alcohol, there wasn’t a place where they could get dressed up, and meet other sober people. No one should die because of stigma or isolation,” said Marshall.
On August 3rd the Sans Bar National Tour rolls into Tennessee. Sans Bar Nashville, to be held at the Nashville Recovery Center will be a historic evening filled with live music from local artists, and Pittsburgh based duo Dinosoul. Marshall and co-host Tyler Neumann have partnered with Nashville’s own chef Holly Darnell to create a health conscious drink and food menu that will be a welcome refresher to the early August heat. This event will also be a gathering space for the female centered recovery group SheRecovers.
Sponsored by DRY Soda Company, Portland Soda Company and Topo Chico USA, Sans Bar aims to coalesce each community around sober fun. “We are not anti-drinking, what we are saying is that everyone deserves an alternative to night life that is centered around alcohol,” Marshall said.
Future tour stops include:
Nashville 8/3
Los Angeles 9/28
