In a first for Charlotte, an alcohol-free bar comes to uptown. It stays open til 4 a.m.

It’s sobering news: Charlotte’s first booze-less bar has opened in uptown just steps away from the Spectrum Center.

Sugar Lounge at 231 N. Caldwell St. is alcohol-free, with a full menu of mocktails, along with pastries and coffee in the morning and live music and events at night.

“The trend is heading that way because of people wanting to be healthier,” co-owner Joe French told The Charlotte Observer, especially following the pandemic.

In January, local social group Counterculture Club held the first alcohol-free beverage festival in Charlotte at Camp North End.

“I’ve noticed a lot of young people rarely drink or are choosing not to drink,” said Sugar Lounge co-owner Kim Dollar. And others for personal and religious reasons who don’t want to be around it but want to be able to go out, listen to music and socialize.

“We just wanted to create a bar-like experience without alcohol,” she said.

French and Dollar also own Brooklyn Nightclub and Lounge next door. The three-floor club, which does serve alcohol, opened four years ago.

When the opportunity to lease the small white building on the corner next door came up, French said they considered extending Brooklyn but instead decided to create a non-alcoholic bar.

“Mocktails would be a great thing for people to learn that they can have a great time and have a drink that looks just like cocktail,” French said.

Sugar Lounge also gives people who have been out drinking in uptown a place to “revitalize” after nearby bars close, French said.

“Maybe have some coffee before hitting the road,” Dollar said.

Sugar Factory at Foxwoods casino in Connecticut inspired the idea for the new concept, Dollar said. She saw teens drinking lavish drinks with big presentations like lollipops and dried ice smoke.

“I realized they were mocktails,” she said. “It thought it would be good to replicate that kind of experience.”

The Mocktail menu

Sugar Lounge’s drink menu includes mocktail martinis, margaritas, teas, bellini, mule and mai tai.

Each drink lists ingredients. For example, the Dirty Sugar Martini includes lemon, lemon syrup and tonic water garnished with mint and Sugar Honey Iced Tea is made with triple sec, lime juice and garnished with salt.

Drinks start at about $8, French said. Eventually, the mocktail menu will be expanded with more extravagant drinks, Dollar said.

What else to expect at Sugar Lounge

Sugar Lounge also offers hookah, cigars and a CBD dispenser for infusing drinks.

“It’s non-alcoholic but it is a smoking bar,” French said. That also means customers must be age 21 and older.

There could be live music like slow jazz on Thursday nights, a live band playing for karaoke on Fridays plus other entertainment such as sports games like March Madness on a big screen.

The 1,478-square-foot lounge has capacity for about 75 people.

But the lounge’s “Midnight Engagements,” from midnight to 4 a.m., will have limited capacity and require a reservation, he said, for a quieter, cozy, comfortable atmosphere.

“It’s just a place people can come and know there’s a comfort zone for them,” he said.

The decor includes a floral wall, a great spot for Instagram photos, French said.

Sugar Lounge’s temporary hours are 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, and midnight-4 a.m. Wednesday-Sunday. Hours eventually will be extended throughout the day and evening with a goal to be open 24 hours, Sugar Lounge owners said.

This story was originally published March 13, 2023 at 9:35 AM with the headline "In a first for Charlotte, an alcohol-free bar comes to uptown. It stays open til 4 a.m.."