Sweet Sippin' at Shirley's Temple

*Photo by Bowie De La Peña* *@bowie_stop*

Growing up, nothing sated our curiosity better than a bubbly, sugary beverage that looked akin to the “adult drinks” our parents would sip at the dinner table. Former bartender turned entrepreneur, Stephanie "Essie" Evans, shares why she opened Shirley's Temple, the first and only mocktail bar in Long Beach, and what to expect as her business grows.

What inspired you to create a space with elaborate, alcohol-free drinks?

I think a lot of people are limiting their consumption of alcohol, but they still want to have the experience of drinking – going out, being with their friends, listening to music and having something in a cute glass that tastes good. I just wanted to provide a safe space for that.

What was the inspiration behind the names of the mocktails on your menu?

I came up with the name of our bar as a double entendre. It [Shirley’s Temple] is an iconic non-alcoholic drink, but also a “temple”, or safe haven where non-drinkers can be themselves and not feel any pressure to consume alcohol. Then, I decided to develop the theme of the drinks and decor to showcase the 1940s Hollywood era that Shirley is from, which is why we have names like Vintage Violet and Retro Rose.

Nobody has ever opened a mocktail bar in Long Beach before. Did that create any doubts or nerves when opening the business?

Yeah, definitely. I mean, it’s the first in L.A. county overall, and seeing that nobody else had done it before in all of L.A. was a little bit odd to me. I thought “Oh my god, there must be such a risk or maybe nobody's into it,” but then I was really inspired because I came across so many different people who were looking forward to it... A lot of places don't have a full mocktail menu, so there were very limited options before this.

What are some challenges you faced when starting your business?

Finding a location. So, you know, being able to find a space and having all the money to start it, but I made it work and saved up my own money… I also had a lot of resources and people that helped me.

Do you want to shout-out anyone in particular that supported you along the way?

I had an amazing group of people that have supported me along the way: Anthony Santos (in recovery), Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, my mom and many friends and family who still continue to be MY temple. Thank you.

How has your background as a bartender helped you?

I definitely took my experience from bartending. I had to know what flavors work well together, what type of measurements and things like that. Being able to get creative and take the alcohol out and realizing that you can still have a great, amazing tasting drink… or something that's unique and different without having the alcohol there.

Since opening Shirley’s Temple in September, what have you learned about sobriety?

Everybody is different. You don't have to be 100% fully committed to not drinking just to come and have a mocktail. Maybe you just want to take a break for a weekend, or maybe you're pregnant, or maybe you have health complications, or maybe you're focused on, you know, feeling better in the morning. There are so many different reasons that people could not be drinking and I want to be the space for them.

Are there any new plans you're working on?

I'm working on having more events here. Now that we're open and we see what the flow is like, we're definitely going to have music and DJs, themed nights giveaways and things like that. There will be lots of events in the books.

Where do you see your business in the future?

I'm really hoping to expand. Right now we’re just in Long Beach and we’re small, but I'm hoping to get a bigger space and maybe move into other cities – even outside the state if we need to.

Sweet Sippin’ at Shirley’s Temple