Umbrella Dry Bar

We've all seen the headlines and listened to the podcasts - the

non-alcoholic industry is having a moment. Every day, a new celebrity or

icon opens up about being sober, sober curious, or taking a break from

alcohol. The pandemic has pushed us to our limits, and we've come out on

the other side with some lessons learned: alcohol doesn't serve us as

promised, and the best investment anyone can make is in their health.

We know what you're thinking - your average non-alcoholic cocktail is fruit juice mixed with bubbly water and maybe a splash of bitters. It tastes great. It tastes like amazing fruit juice. But you want a cocktail experience. The same experience you’ve always had and loved. Umbrella cocktails are built the same way as your favorite cocktail, except the base alcohol is zero-proof.

Imagine a setting where you are surrounded by comfort, safety, and beauty ... in a cocktail bar. You are sipping on the most intriguing, delightful beverage. The best part? You know that you will wake up tomorrow morning feeling great! If this doesn't seem to add up, it's because the cocktail bar is alcohol-free. Yet, you are missing out on absolutely nothing.

No matter where you're at in your wellness journey, Umbrella exists to serve you. Because you deserve the non-triggering, comfortable space to be social while sober - whether for a short time or a long time.

Nestled in a thriving, accessible section of downtown Raleigh is where you can experience the familiarity of a craft cocktail bar and retail bottle shop - without the alcohol.

Our zero-proof menu, bottle shop, and event space welcomes you to sip + stay awhile. Together, we can mindfully consider our habits and rituals, expand our wellness journeys, and enjoy stronger connections and the vibrancy of life through clear(er) eyes.

Creating space to feel seen & respected

From the minute you walk through Umbrella's doors, you can breathe easy knowing this is a non-triggering space - no matter where you are on your path to health & wellness. Here, your choices are heard, seen, and respected because we know how deeply personal they are. We encourage self-love, creation, spark, and affirmation.

Inspiring a love for trying new things

You were created to grow and experience new things. With Umbrella, you can expand your horizons through unique, novel, and exciting products and events in a single location. Our functional configuration allows for experiences to take place around self-growth and rising passions - all while serving up zero-proof beverages, of course.

Choosing conscious consumption & connection

Mindful drinking is an umbrella term for a variety of non-linear, self-reflective choices. While our paths may differ arriving at this point in our personal wellness journeys, we share the desire for restorative habits. Want to (re)awaken your mind & body to the vibrancy of life and socialize sober for deeper, more aligned relationships? We're here for all of it.

Forward looking projections cannot be guaranteed.

Forward looking projections cannot be guaranteed.

Have you seen success? What is the test market?

Yes! We did our first pop up in late October 2022 as a complementary happy hour at a yoga studio, which created some buzz. We participated in a holiday vendor market, and sold out of cases of product. This gave us some confidence, and after that, the requests for pop up events have been coming in left and right. Our typical events generate $1-2k in 1-3 hours, and ticketed events sell out. The demand is HIGH. We've popped up at over 100 events in 2023, including private events, wellness pop ups, music festivals, tasting dinners, women's empowerment workshops, happy hours with gyms and yoga/pilates studios. Umbrella kicked off the year by serving the sips for Downtown Raleigh Alliance's First Friday in January.

Our favorite event was a menu release party at neighboring bar, Killjoy Cocktail. 150 people came out to party on a rainy Tuesday night in January. The best part was seeing everyone with an Umbrella drink in their hand - in a (stunning) bar setting. 

Currently, we have an online retail bottle shop with local pickup available. This has generated interest in zero-proof products, and sales. As a success metric, we see many repeat customers. Many events are from word of mouth referrals or engagement on social media. This is true organic growth.

I thrive on generating this growth. I'm the nexus of beverage & the consumer for the last 12 years at a market leader in bringing new products on the scene. Personally meeting people where they are on their journey and hearing customers' "why" has driven me forward to bring Umbrella to life.

......... Why Raleigh?

Downtown Raleigh has experienced exceptional growth over the past decade and is poised for more growth coming out of the pandemic. There is currently $7.1 Billion in the development pipeline of projects planned, in site preparation, under construction, or completed since 2015.

From July 2022 to June 2023, there were 64 storefront business openings or expansions and a net gain of +34 new storefront businesses. Downtown remains a popular residential market with residential occupancy at 94.1% this summer and 6,993+ new units planned or proposed for downtown currently.

Downtown Raleigh was well positioned to be one of the best-performing office markets in the nation and is the best-performing submarket in the Triangle with positive net absorption of over 320,000 square feet of Class A office space since 2020.

Downtown Raleigh’s population has grown by +96% since 2000 and is growing at a faster rate than the rest of the city and the state.

21,000+ residents live within one mile of the center of downtown

Downtown Raleigh is the most walkable part of the Triangle, is becoming a national leader in downtown greenspace, is investing in new transit for increased regional connectivity, and is home to energy efficient buildings and other urban sustainability initiatives.

Our storefront economy includes a diverse selection of retail, service, restaurant, and bar businesses that serve as amenities to downtown residents, office workers, and visitors. Downtown’s retail base has grown 83% in the last decade with 115+ retailers. We have over 165 dining establishments and over 100 nightlife establishments. We love that 90% of downtown stores are locally and independently owned.

Downtown Raleigh has become a major food destination regionally and nationally with 264 dining and nightlight establishments providing a broad range of cuisines and experiences. The Fine Dining and Nightlight scene in downtown continues to expand as 40+ new places to grab a drink or a bite have opened since July 2022.

We are known as an active city - there were 586K+ attendees to 120 outdoor events in Downtown Raleigh from July 2022 to June 2023. We welcomed 3.7M+ unique visitors to downtown in that same time frame. (Thank you Downtown Raleigh Alliance for the stats!)

We have sourced a new physical space that is 2nd generation, meaning - it's already a bar and needs minimal upfit to open. The capital raised here will allow us to take over the space and make aesthetic changes to bring the vision of Umbrella to life. Our pop up events have been highly successful, and are generating further engagement and additional event opportunities. We have validated the market and are ready to take it to brick and mortar.

Come for the consciously good sips, stay for the clearer connections at Umbrella - Raleigh's purely zero-proof bar.

Where you come in

We're seeking $150k to defray the cost of getting into a physical space. Once funded, we will do a quick aesthetic flip, and open our doors to you! The revenue share is paid out quarterly, so when we succeed, you succeed.