A Bar Without The Booze Opening In The Burbs
By Anthony Todd in Food on Apr 16, 2013 7:20PM
The other side won't have any of these. Photo via shutterstock.
Would you go to a bar that didn't serve booze? Do you long for a place to go where you won't get any vomit on your shoes? The Other Side, a new bar in Crystal Lake, tests the definition of what a "bar" is — they will serve no alcohol when they open on April 27.
The news of the opening comes from Counsel & Heal (not normally a site of Chicago food news, but there's a first time for everything), which reports that the bar is a project of the non-profit New Directions Addiction Recovery Center. The bar won't serve alcohol, but it'll have every other bar like thing you could want.
There will be pool tables, televisions and sometimes live bands and disc jockeys that people can dance along to. However, when patrons visit, the strongest drink that a person can order is an energy drink.
The founder, Chris Reed, points out that you can't have large groups of people in a small apartment or private home, and just because people are sober doesn't mean they don't want to hang out. The Tribune reported that Reed originally started hosting events and concerts (sans alcohol) in his own warehouse, but city authorities informed him that he needed to get a zoning variance and make improvements. The club will allow patrons as young as 17.
The founders were inspired to create the bar after a friend died of a heroin overdose, and the walls will be adorned with photos of those lost to addictions. Might put kind of a damper on your Saturday night, but a safe space for non-drinkers is worth applauding.
The Other Side is located at 93 East Berkshire Drive, Crystal Lake, Ill.