Zilch Market: A non-alcoholic, pop-up bar in Atlanta

savannah rainey lissa eubanks zilch
Savannah Rainey (left) and Lissa Eubanks (right) are the co-owners of Zilch Market and Bar. (Courtesy of Zilch Market and Bar)

What if there were a place to enjoy a non-alcoholic beverage in a fun environment? We live in a society that often focuses on social gatherings around alcohol, whether getting some beers at a brewery, a brunch outing, happy hour or meeting for evening cocktails at a bar. Zilch Market and Bar provides this safe space for non-drinkers with many non-alcoholic offerings. The creators of this pop-up experience, Lissa Eubanks and Savannah Rainey, joined “City Lights” host Lois Reitzes via Zoom to talk about how their new venture can allow the sober to enjoy an evening out without compromise.

Rainey, who’s three years sober now, said, “I stopped drinking because I obviously came to the realization, when I was 25, that I was an alcoholic … Even though I was young, I realized that my mental and physical and emotional health was just suffering from using alcohol, and it was just the best decision for me at the time.” Eubanks recently hit her one-year mark, having quit drinking after realizing “it was not doing me any favors.”

The two friends met after working together at a restaurant and bonded over their shared lifestyle adjustments. “When I stopped drinking, the first thing I noticed was that all of my drink options and restaurants just kind of went away,” said Eubanks. “Savannah and I started talking, and we wanted to provide a way to still have that atmosphere, the social setting, and trying fun new beverages without alcohol.”