Morgan Martinez plans to open an astrology-themed sober bar called Solar Intentions.
Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
Growing up in Wisconsin, drinking was a large part of Morgan Martinez’s life.
“Drinking young, drinking often, drinking socially, drinking to celebrate, drinking to cope — that was all just so normalized,” said Martinez, who moved to Chicago in 2017. “I think it’s like that for a lot of people that live in the Midwest.”
The Uptown resident said she had tried the occasional break from drinking, but the pandemic helped spur a permanent decision. Martinez said quarantine forced her to take her health and well-being seriously. She decided to become sober on Jan. 1, 2022.
“I came to this state of realizing alcohol is not something that serves my needs; it’s not something I want,” she said.
Martinez, 29, was able to connect with other like-minded individuals, but she was discouraged by the lack of sober-friendly hangouts in Chicago.
On a trip back to her hometown of Kenosha to visit family, she stopped by the sober bar Inmoxicated in Racine.
“I went and was just completely enamored,” Martinez said. “The owners were amazing. It felt like a real dive bar — it even had regulars — but everything was alcohol-free.”
Feeling inspired, she launched a Kickstarter campaign in February to bring her own sober bar concept, called Solar Intentions, to Chicago. The funding goal was $45,000, and more than 290 donors pitched in, raising $47,000.
“I think that if people have this sober space, then it becomes more normalized to have access to these spaces, and that can change the impact of the way we consume things that are harmful to us,” Martinez said. “We’re not going to change the world without starting small.”
Martinez said she’s now looking for spaces around Chicago, with an eye on Logan Square. The plan is to open the bar by the end of summer.
While she’s currently working in tech and running Hooligan Magazine, a Chicago-based arts webzine she founded, Martinez said she hopes to operate Solar Intentions full time in the near future.
Dry bar movement
Solar Intentions will join a growing scene of sober bars in Chicago, as more people reconsider their alcohol use but still seek the sense of community a local haunt often provides.
“We’re all so anxious, especially Gen Z and millennials. We’re constantly scrolling, constantly consuming, constantly building these parasocial relationships with things on the internet,” Martinez said. “We’re kind of just tired, and people don’t want to use harmful substances to battle that anymore, especially when they lived through something like COVID-19 and you’re faced with the reality of, ‘I only have one life.’”
Martinez credits Cristina Torres, founder of the Humboldt Park nonalcoholic bottle shop Bendición Dry Bar and Bottle Shop, with pioneering the sober bar movement in Chicago.
Solar Intentions will be part sober bar — serving nonalcoholic beer and wine, along with astrology-inspired mocktails — and part tarot card lounge. It will also be an eclectic storefront and music venue, Martinez said.
“As a queer person, the astrology community, especially here in Chicago, has always been super welcoming,” Martinez said. “I’ve found that it has brought a lot of people together, almost organically, as a means to understand who we are and our place in the world. When we look at sobriety, it’s the same thing in a way. I’m sitting down with myself intentionally. I’m looking at where my life is, where it’s been, where it can go.”
She’s already begun testing drink concepts for Solar Intentions though a series of pop-ups. Recently, Solar Intentions mocktails appeared at events at the Chicago Athletic Association, Latino Spirits Festival and a queer matchmaking night.
Martinez said she plans to work with local artists and vendors to curate a cozy, welcoming vibe at Solar Intentions that is LGBTQ+ friendly and mindful of COVID-19 concerns. Future programming for the sober bar will include DJs and dancing, community workshops and karaoke nights.
Martinez hopes it will help fill that third space — a sociology term referring to fulfilling social settings other than home or work — for sober-curious Chicagoans.
“I want this to feel like a home and also a pit stop for people,” she said. “I want Solar Intentions to feel like people’s genuine third space, where they will always be able to organically connect with someone without substances that used to cause them harm.”