When the Bandbox first opened in Orlando in 2022, it was one of the first bars in the market to be fully spirits-free.
The playful speakeasy-themed concept offered the full bar experience, with specialty cocktails made with alcohol alternatives. It was fun, lively spot, with a vintage décor, like walking into the 1920s. It catered to a growing young clientele looking for a place to gather and drink—just not alcohol.
“More and more young folks are just not drinking at all. They have no interest in drinking, and they don’t feel it’s a healthy option for them. And more and more restaurants and bars are going to have to cater to that,” said owner Kevin Zepf.
Bandbox, it seems, struck a chord. Now Zepf is planning to grow it, with three locations scheduled to open by the end of next year.
Except the future Bandbox iterations will have a key difference:
They will offer alcohol.
To those who might have attempted Dry January (and, by now, perhaps failed) this may seem like caving in, or a break in willpower.
But Zepf explains that the move is really more a reflection of the success and growth in the no- and low-alcohol movement.
More and more people are still cutting back on alcohol, particularly young folks, but maybe not giving it up entirely, he said.
And the no-alcohol products catering to those drinkers has grown tremendously in number and sophistication. Now, sober consumers can walk into pretty much any bar or restaurant and find an alternative that isn’t just a soda or tonic with lime.
So Bandbox wants to offer more options for everyone, Zapf said.
The original Bandbox had a vintage 1920s theme with photo booths and dress up hats. | Photo courtesy of Bandbox.
The brand will continue to be the place that will be known for its wide selection of adult beverages with little or no alcohol. But it will also a place where a sober person can go have a drink with someone who prefers a traditional (alcoholic) tipple.
Or a guest who wants to drink less alcohol can find more options for “zebra striping,” or alternating spirits with beverages without spirits.
Zapf still believes consumers are moving away from alcohol. But they certainly want more in the way of beverages more broadly, and they want a place to enjoy a drink.
“I think the continuing trend is going to be on the non-alcoholic side,” said Zepf, who chooses not to drink because he feels so much healthier since he stopped. But it’s a transition that will take time.
“It’s like a scale. Right now, must food-and-beverage menus have always been tipped on the one side with heavy alcoholic options, and the other side tipped low for non-alcohol. And now it’s shifting to go the other direction,” he said. “I think within maybe 10 to 15 years, you’re going to see maybe half-and-half ratio of non-alcoholic to alcoholic drinks, and maybe we’ll eventually see it surpass it.”
This spring, Zepf plans to open the Bandbox Café & Taproom in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, between Daytona and Cocoa Beach on the Atlantic Coast.
Bandbox acquired the restaurant DeKine Hawaiian Kitchen there, along with a 3,000-square-foot space next to it with an 800-square-foot patio.
During the day, Bandbox will be a café, serving food from DeKine that can be ordered by QR code, like poké, ahi tuna nachos, or tacos and dips. The tap room will feature a self-pour tap wall, with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options, including kombucha, cold brew and beverages with CBD or THC.
Bandbox will also feature live entertainment, a game room with a dartboard, and a photo booth. The bar will host open mic nights, trivia, video bingo and maybe classes for making non-alcoholic craft cocktails.
With a beach vibe catering to vacationers, it’ll be a place to hang out and enjoy a drink, with or without alcohol.
Then, later this year, Bandbox will take over an outdoor food park in Tampa, a large lot with a bit of indoor space, designed mostly for outdoor dining, with a playground and dog park.
Zepf plans to open a Bandbox there, offering beverages, along with DeKine Hawaiian Kitchen. The space will also host other vendors.
In 2027, Bandbox will return to Orlando.
The original Bandbox sign. | Photo courtesy of Bandbox.
The original speakeasy there had to close because the street it was on was under construction. Zepf has a new, larger space in the city to recreate the original concept, with its 1920s theme. (Orlando loves its themed restaurants.)
There, Zepf hopes to also offer a bottle shop to showcase that growing variety of spirit-free alternatives now on the market. There are versions of gin, rum and tequila that are quite popular, he said (though whisky alternatives are “not there yet.”)
And as Bandbox grows beyond these three, there will be options to fit with the location, whether it’s a café, bar with taproom or bottle shop, or some combination, he said.
Zepf sees the next few projects as a bit of an experiment. But he is convinced of the need for bars that recognize the shifting winds.
“We were once seen as the red-headed stepchild. ‘Why would you ever want to go to a non-alcohol bar?’” Zepf said. “Now it’s been a complete shift. People are saying, ‘Maybe I need to do that.’
“Now we’re seeing more and more breweries and traditional bars closing because they haven’t been able to adapt to the changes in people’s drinking preferences.”