MINNEAPOLIS — Opening up a new business usually comes with nerves.
"I was uncertain as to whether or not this would be something people wanted as much as I did," Erin Flavin said.
Flavin is the owner of Honeycomb Salon in Minneapolis. She said when she decided to open up Marigold, Minneapolis' first non-alcoholic bottle shop, she said people were just as interested in NA beverages as she was.
"It doesn't surprise me for this city because there are so many cool foodies here so many people trying different things," Flavin said. "It's like a whole new world to explore for your palate, right?"
Flavin said Marigold came along because she needed it. When she decided to go alcohol-free, she said she couldn't find good alternatives at the local liquor and wine stores.
If she did find something that was interesting to her online, it was hard to access.
"Things popping up on your Instagram feed where you're like, 'I'm curious about that; I want to try it. I don't know if I want to pay for shipping or have this subscription' or whatever it is," she said. "A lot of places weren't willing to start carrying things I wanted to try so I decided to do it myself."
And like some folks, Flavin said the pandemic played a role in her self-reflection.
"It really put a mirror in front of my face as to what my personal choices were, and what my hobbies were," Flavin said. "And drinking was definitely the top hobby that I had, especially during the pandemic."
"It's hard for me to stop drinking once I am and I'm a really fun time when I drink, or at least that's what it seemed like," Flavin added. "And when I realized that I am still fun without it, it was pretty eye-opening."
With the creation of groups like Section YELLOW, a sober support group for Green Bay Packers fans, and with more NFL teams offering sober seating sections, the tides are shifting.
Flavin said she's happy to play a supporting role in it all.
"A lot of people coming in of the long-time AA world, it can feel a little bit like some things can feel triggering," Flavin said. "It could be triggering to sit at a bar. It could be triggering to shop in a store that looks like it could be a liquor store, but I want to make that comfortable for everybody and anybody. Whether you drink or not, there should be a space for people to kind of explore the different things that are out there."
It is located 3504 Nicollet Ave in Minneapolis.
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