Our Story

The Little Sober Bar was originally a boat idea stemming from a conversation between two friends who wanted to take control of their lives. Becoming passionate about a sober curious lifestyle was a perk.

A little backstory, my name is Bryttany, and I am the CEO of The Little Sober Bar. I've been the epitome of an entrepreneur for years, constantly learning from every business I have been a part of. This story is really about my desire to live a more aligned lifestyle alongside my closest friends. Throughout the years my closest friends and I struggled with life. But we always had each other and really interesting discussions trying to discover the why of it all. Recently discovering our individual neurodivergences has definitely opened the door to some really amazing conversations! 

That's where this story, our story, comes in. Personally, I had been trying to cut down on my alcohol intake. Firstly due to resuming my medications but ultimately because I just wasn't able to thrive. I noticed my recovery time was much longer than others. I slept late (still do) and just overall my motivation was lacking. As I started this journey, I found out a lot about myself. Neurodivergence, mental health issues, an eating disorder, and the fact that I was truly passionate about the flavors associated with drinking. 

Staying sober for me meant distancing from social activities that I was used to. My social anxiety peaked without alcohol. I was happy being invited but without the alcohol as a buffer my "neurospicy behavior" shown through. As I settled into my new normal, embracing what made me different, I lost a lot of what I had grown accustomed to. That's where the bar came from, a conversation about how many of us feel the same way! Embracing who we are mindful of what we intake but still seeking socialization.

We thought how cool it would be to have a place we could go with an abundance of non-alcoholic options. Being summertime we joked, "what if we had a boat and sold mocktails off the boat?" If you know me, my wheels were spinning out of control. I worked up a logo, a brief business plan, mocktail recipes, and bought the domain name. By the time my friend picked up the phone next, I had a full fledged plan for the boat but without the financial ability to put it into practice. 

Fast forward the next year, I developed an idea for The Little Sober Bar and started putting the minibar into practice. I quickly realized we needed a better option and so did everyone else. The universe aligned and another friend was selling her camper for a price we actually could afford. With the help of Sponsors and a private investor the dream came to life, and did so quickly. 

About a week after purchasing the camper, I was let go from my fulltime job. It was like my life was aligning along this year long journey of sobriety and neurodivergent acceptance. (medication helps too) So, without a fulltime job I dedicated every second to this Little Sober Bar idea. In 43 days we not only renovated our 1965 Shasta Compact we developed the business idea, began marketing, and booked our first event. 

Our first event with the R.O.C.C. was unbelievably affirming. Being around people who understood the need for non-alcoholic options. There were people who had friends who were strictly sober but personally wanted to our Kava options. So many people interested in having an option at their event. 

The next two months we would spend at vendor events, private events, introducing the concept to Cherokee County, and winning a pitch contest in Fayette County. Yea, we were busy AF. But what we were trying to accomplish was the need for our services, gauge the market, and prepare for everyone to catch onto the sober curious wave. 

Now, not only am I sober curious for over 12 months but our business is expanding. We now have our pop-up packages where we bring 30+ exceptional non-alcoholic beverages to events and created Sober Bar Certified. 

Sober Bar Certified is a collection of establishments that provide exceptional non-alcoholic options. We evaluate them based on a few different factors but the biggest one is that they provide something more complex. We are looking for a true adult beverage but without the alcohol. 

All of this to say, this bar was made for people like me. People looking for something different, something exceptional, with as many options as others have. Because people deserve options not only in their beverages but in life as well. Settling is a choice but we choose to stay curious.