An Inclusive Neighborhood Watering Hole

Words by Guadalupe Triana Photos by Shelby Bella

Despite his lack of business experience, limited drink knowledge, and $200 in startup capital, Sans Bar founder Chris Marshall decided to move forward with his business idea anyway. Now, four years later, Sans Bar has become a prime example of what it means to create community with inclusivity at the forefront.  

In 2017, Chris launched Sans Bar—an alcohol-free neighborhood bar located on the corner of East 12th and Chicon. With Sans Bar, Chris’s goal has always been to create an inclusive, welcoming space that encourages meaningful connections. 

At first, Chris never expected his idea to take off the way it did; he thought it would perhaps become popular on the Eastside and possibly gain traction throughout the city. Despite his humble beginnings, the Sans Bar concept has now been featured in multiple national outlets, such as NPR and The New York Times, proving his novel idea a success. “Sans Bar is a big idea, and I think people are willing to give it a chance,” Chris says enthusiastically.

Prior to Sans Bar, Chris worked as a substance abuse counselor for eight years with Integral Care through Travis County. As a counselor, Chris realized that there were many young people who were excelling in every part of their lives, except for one: the social aspect.

That’s when the idea for Sans Bar was born. He quickly learned that there was a strong, vibrant community who wanted to mingle and partake in social activities just like everyone else—but without the booze.

As he began looking for a venue, Chris decided to create this space in East Austin. After all, it was important to find a place that was “in the heart of everything, but not wrapped up in everything,” he says.

While Sans Bar might be the only alcohol-free bar in the city right now, it won’t be the only one of its kind for long. Chris has inspired 14 individuals across the country to start their own alcohol-free establishments. Through the Sans Bar Academy, a two-month course created by Chris, those 14 individuals will learn all about what it takes to create and run an alcohol-free bar based on Chris’s acquired knowledge. “The best part about this project is forging a community,” he emphasizes.

As business at Sans Bar starts picking up to pre-pandemic levels, he notes that Sans Bar is not a prohibitionist space nor is the goal to exclude people who do happen to enjoy alcohol. At Sans Bar, the mission is to welcome everyone and anyone to come as they are. Chris summarizes, “You cannot be inclusive if you’re not advocating for everyone to have a seat at the table.”  

 When: Fridays, 7pm-1am
 Where: 1818 E 12^th St. | thesansbar.com | @sans_bar