Sober Bar will open next month in downtown Gulfport | Sober Bar

A new café and bar is coming soon to Beach Boulevard in downtown Gulfport.

Sober Bar, serving specialty coffee, zero-proof cocktails, kava, and other functional beverages, is preparing to open next month at 3062 Beach Boulevard South.

Owners Sean Hawthorne and Collin Horton have spent the past several months renovating the roughly 1,400-square-foot space, the former home of Anani Bistro, into a moody, New Orleans speakeasy-inspired lounge.

The concept combines elements of a traditional bar with a menu that skips alcohol altogether, instead leaning into functional drinks and a more social, lounge-style atmosphere.

The idea first started as a pop-up in 2025, with Hawthorne and Horton serving drinks at markets across Tampa Bay.

Gulfport’s Tuesday Fresh Market quickly became one of their regular spots, and it didn’t take long to see the demand was there for a permanent storefront.

“With the name Sober Bar, we want it to elicit some curiosity with our customers because the words ‘sober’ and ‘bar’ seem like two conflating ideas,” Hawthorne said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “I discovered the kava industry about five years ago when I decided to go sober for a while. I was looking for some sense of community and I found it at these kava bars.”

The bar will have a New Orleans speakeasy-style vibe with black walls with gold accents, chandeliers, banquet seating, and vinyl jazz records | Sober Bar

While Gulfport already has an established kava bar downtown in Low Tide, Sober Bar is carving out a slightly different niche.

Hawthorne said the goal is to have the communal feel of traditional kava bars with a more elevated bar-style atmosphere and presentation.

During the day, Sober Bar will operate more like a coffee bar, serving espresso drinks, matcha, kava, and botantical teas.

After a quick midday break, the space will reopen in the afternoon as a low-lit lounge, shifting into a more elevated evening vibe built around nonalcoholic cocktails.

Guests can order zero-proof cocktails made with alcohol alternatives from brands like Ritual and Free Spirits, along with kava-based drinks, botanical teas, and nonalcoholic beer and wine.

Some of the more unique offerings come from the duo’s market days, where they experimented with combinations like iced Thai kava coffee, matcha kava, green jasmine ketum tea, and even a seasonal “kava nog.”

That experimentation will carry over into the permanent space.

Customers can also add adaptogens and tinctures, ingredients like lion’s mane, ashwagandha, blue lotus, and kanna, designed to support things like focus, relaxation, or stress relief.

Horton, who has worked at several local kava bars and restaurants, helped develop the menu and is focused on pushing the experience beyond what most people expect from a typical kava bar.

Owners of Sober Bar, Sean Hawthorne and Collin Horton | Sober Bar

“I really love crafting a cocktail and putting a lot of intention into someone’s drink,” Horton said. “What we’re doing is a bit more of an upscale experience… I want to bring that personalized experience to every single customer.”

The space itself is designed to match that approach.

Inside, black walls with gold accents, chandeliers, banquet seating, and vinyl jazz records spinning set the tone for a vintage, speakeasy-style feel.

The front room will house the café and bar, while a more relaxed lounge area sits in the back.

Outdoor seating will also be available on the patio and sidewalk.

Hawthorne said the goal is to create an experience that engages all five senses, from the music and lighting to the presentation of each drink.

Hawthorne and Horton plan to lean into programming as well, with live jazz musicians, game nights, and other themed events.

A small, rotating menu of New Orleans-inspired plates is also in the works, but details haven’t been ironed out yet.

After a planned soft opening around Cinco de Mayo, Sober Bar is expected to operate seven days a week.

Morning coffee service will run until midday, followed by afternoon and evening hours that could stretch as late as 1 a.m. on weekends.

Be sure to follow Sober Bar on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on grand opening plans and the latest offerings.