Even though the wound was a little fresh when Andy Cohen said it at the season 8 Summer House reunion, I think everyone on planet earth (and the aliens in space, TBH) can agree Lindsay and Carl are better off after a breakup so dramatic that Bravo picked the cameras backup. Lindsay has moved on with a new man and an adorable baby, while Carl is finally free to bring his certainly business dream to life! Carl planted the seed for Soft Bar when he was musing to his then-fiancée about a sports bar for sober people. Lindsay wasn’t too into the idea of entering the cutthroat restaurant industry as new parents, but now that Carl is single as a Pringle, he’s moved forward with his alcohol-free bar concept. Or, wait, has he?! Here’s the latest update on Carl Radke’s Soft Bar NYC.
When is Carl opening Soft Bar?
View this post on Instagram
Currently, Soft Bar’s latest update is that they plan to open in the summer of 2025. According to Google Maps, that opening is set for June, specifically. Soft Bar’s IG originally proclaimed it was opening in “early 2025” (which Carl also reiterated at their soft launch filmed during the summer of 2024), but turns out Soft Bar is still a ways away. Hey, that’s the restaurant business.
The delayed opening tracks since Carl shared pictures in March 2025, showing his Brooklyn abode for “no booze, just buzz,” was just entering construction. The photo dump included shots of a barren space, floor plans, and design options, to keep fans’ hope alive for Carl’s upcoming venture and, apparently, recruit new investors. That’s right, Soft Bar has opted to crowd fund to get the doors open. They’re also pre-selling merch. Okay, scrappy!
Does Carl actually own Soft Bar?
Carl has put in $100K to co-found Soft Bar, as he shared on Summer House. His partner is Brian McNamee (as shared on their crowdfunding site), who has extensive experience in the digital marketing world, though Brian’s LinkedIn doesn’t show signs of hospitality expertise — yet!
Kyle Cooke is an “advisor to the business,” who envisions “collabs” and “activations” with Soft Bar down the road.” Not to sound like Hubb House, but that’s a pretty loose label they may want to DTR (when Soft Bar is more than pre-order merch).
Soft Bar Full Drink Menu
View this post on Instagram
Soft Bar’s whole MO is that guests can “come as you are” to enjoy “drinks with benefits,” the main benefit being the lack of hangover the next day, IMO. The difference between this cafe and other cafes or places with mocktails is the “elevated experience” and “premium functional coffee and non-alcoholic cocktails.”
The preview menu shown on Summer House included four cocktails. The Garden Party includes farmhouse flavors like tomato, basil, and lemon. The Soft Spritz reads like a classic Euro summer bevvy, but with zero alc. The High Road (which the show didn’t do the best job of clarifying that the drink doesn’t actually get you high) is made with Everleaf, an aromatic non-alc spirit. The summer shandy is a watermelon flavored Shandy with, you guessed it, 0% alc beer.
View this post on Instagram
They’ve also introduced a “matcha pina,” which is a carbonated pina colada with a matcha twist, for the adventurous drinkers. The June in January is made with the Peach Mango Hiyo, an adaptogen+ (but CBD-free) drink.
Each of these drinks includes a special “blend” of additives for the aforementioned benefits, like electrolytes for hydration and magnesium for a calming effect.
Where is Soft Bar?
Soft Bar is located in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and yes, they’ve already dropped their pin on Google Maps.
