Crystal Lake's 'Sober Bar' Prepares for Saturday Grand Opening

Word has spread about the impending opening of Crystal Lake's non-alcoholic nightclub, The Other Side.

In fact, the buzz about the "sober bar" has been so great its creators are expecting over 500 people to attend the 8 p.m. grand opening this Saturday at 94 E. Berkshire Dr. Unit G., next to J.T.'s Framing.

Chris Reed, 22, president of the New Directions Addiction Recovery Services Board, said his non-for-profit group has applied for a temporary use permit from the city to allow the grand opening to spill over into the adjacent parking lot.

The Other Side, located in the back warehouse of Reed's construction company offices, has a maximum capacity of 189 people.

Crystal Lake city officials plan to meet with Reed and other members of the board this week to outline a set of "typical" conditions The Other Side must follow to obtain the permit, said Michell Rentzsch, director of planning and economic development for Crystal Lake.

"These are the typical requirements we ask of everyone," Rentzsch said. "We just want to make sure there is adequate parking, and that they're not impacting the other tenants and their parking."

Reed, his friends, and other members of the New Directions Board have been working to improve the warehouse space since Nov. 4, when the Crystal Lake City Council adopted an ordinance granting a special-use permit to allow the nightclub.

The inspiration for the sober bar came quite easily, he said.

A 2008 graduate of Jacobs High School, Reed is a recovered heroin addict. Sober for more than three years, he and his friends began gathering in his warehouse to play cards, listen to music and hang out.

Last October, they decided to host a band at the site and drew about 200 people. That caught the attention of city officials, who instructed them to acquire the proper special-use permit to hold such gatherings.

But the party also served as a wake-up call.

The young men realized there was a huge desire among young adults, particularly those recovering from substance abuse, to have a safe, non-alcoholic atmosphere where they could hang out, visit and dance with friends.

"I went out to Los Angeles and visited a similar sober bar that's doing what we're doing, although only once a month, and they are getting as many as 1,000 people at one time," Reed said.

Once up and running, The Other Side will open Thursdays through Sundays.

Reed has been joined by other members of the New Directions Board in transforming the warehouse into a sober bar. Those people include Joe Bongiovanni, 25, director of marketing for New Directions, and Reed's younger brother, Adam, 19.

Over the past several months, the group has built a band stage, a DJ stand, bathrooms, an upper level bar loft and additional lighting. The bar has a ping-pong table and dart boards.

When featuring live bands, patrons may have to pay entrance fees. Organizers hope to acquire sponsorships for some shows to eliminate admission fees.

"Ideally, we want this to be free for the community," Bongiovanni said.

Cover charge for this weekend's grand opening is $10. Two Chicago bands, "The Three Beards" and "DJ Scarecro," will play cover songs. A DJ will spin dance songs between band performances.

More information is available on The Other Side website.