City’s first sober bar to open as next generation shuns alcohol

NEW sober bar is opening in Bristol city centre serving up alcohol-free drinks and providing an “inclusive safe space”.

- ALEX SEABROOK Local Democracy Reporter

Arc, on Broad Street, pictured, was granted a premises licence by Bristol City Council despite not actually selling any alcohol.

The bar's menu includes alcohol-free beers from local brewery Wiper and True, kombuchas, iced teas and CBD sodas. The licence allows the bar to stay open until 11pm every night, with live music permitted four nights a week.

Running the bar is Francisco Serrano Garcia, who previously ran a nightclub in Madrid for three years. He told councillors at a licensing hearing on Thursday, October 9, that Arc aims to provide a space for people who don’t want to drink, but still want to enjoy Bristol's nightlife.

He said: “There's evidence that younger generations are less into alcohol. We want to build a community premises, and we have intentions to work with the Bristol Drugs Project and Bristol Sober Spaces to support what they do citywide. We understand the importance and inheritance of electronic music and club culture in Bristol, and we're trying to keep this alive in another way.”