Carl Radke Celebrates 1 Year of Soft Bar After Turning a Dream Born from Sobriety Into a Thriving Community (Exclusive)

The 'Summer House' star tells PEOPLE about the lessons he's learned in his non-alcoholic bar's first year, the customers who have made him feel 'seen' and his plans to eventually expand beyond Brooklyn NEED TO KNOW Carl Radke celebrated the first anniversary of Soft Bar, his non-alcoholic bar and café in Brooklyn, on Sept. 3 The Summer House star tells PEOPLE the milestone feels "surreal" after spending years turning an idea inspired by his own sobriety into a reality Radke says he hopes to eventually bring Soft Bar to other cities, develop canned non-alcoholic cocktails and explore locations in airports, hotels and casinos Carl Radke is taking a moment to savor a milestone he once wasn't sure he'd ever reach. One year after opening the doors to Soft Bar, his non-alcoholic bar and café in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, the Summer House star celebrated the venue's first anniversary on Sept. 3 — and admitted to PEOPLE that seeing his dream survive its first year still doesn't quite feel real. "I honestly can't believe it," Radke, 41, says. "To even be here one year in, it's kind of surreal. It doesn't even almost feel like it has been a year in a weird way." It's a milestone PEOPLE has watched Radke work toward for more than two years. When he first opened up to PEOPLE about his plans for Soft Bar in August 2024, the reality star was still testing the concept through pop-ups and events out of a branded Mercedes Sprinter van. Inspired by his own experience getting sober from alcohol and cocaine in January 2021, Radke envisioned a place where people could socialize without drinking — but was adamant he wasn't creating a "sober bar." "This is a space for everyone," he said at the time, specifically naming pregnant women, sober and sober-curious people and those simply looking to embrace a healthier lifestyle among the customers he hoped would eventually walk through the doors. By August 2025, that vision had taken physical form at 200 Banker Street in Brooklyn's Greenpoint neighborhood, where PEOPLE got an exclusive first look at the finished space ahead of its September opening. Now Radke has had a year to discover whether the place he imagined was one people actually wanted. "I've seen people firsthand come here and realize they can have a good time without alcohol," he told PEOPLE at the anniversary celebration. Some of those customers are exactly the people Radke hoped Soft Bar would reach when it was still just an idea. The space now hosts a moms group and a Brooklyn stroller club for dads, alongside run clubs, game nights, DJ nights and panels on sobriety and mental health. At one recent event, Radke joined Summer House castmate KJ Dillard and members of the nonprofit Bigvision for a discussion that brought together different perspectives on sobriety, loss and mental health. "Where else are you getting that level of community, conversation?" Radke said. "It's serious, meaningful, but then loose and fun and just be yourself." It's part of what Radke has come to see as Soft Bar's role as a "third space" — a gathering place outside of home and work where people can connect. And on the morning of his anniversary celebration, Radke saw perhaps the clearest example yet of the mission he described to PEOPLE two years ago coming to life: two pregnant women were sitting at his bar enjoying non-alcoholic drinks. "It just makes me so happy because they feel seen, they feel welcome," he said. One of the women was accompanied by her husband, who thanked Radke for creating somewhere his wife could comfortably socialize during her pregnancy. "She has been pregnant for six months and we just don't really have [a place]," Radke recalled the man telling him, explaining that going out together had begun to feel "weird" for them both. "To see a woman like that feel so comfortable here ... it was beautiful." There have also been surprises — including the unexpected transformation of Soft Bar into a destination for Summer House fans. When the Bravo hit began airing its latest season in February, Radke's staff noticed Tuesday nights were typically slow and decided to experiment with a weekly watch party. Radke hadn't planned to screen his own reality show at his business, but the idea quickly caught on — especially as the romance between costars Amanda Batula and West Wilson began making headlines. "The first night it was pretty busy, but the word got out every week after that," he recalled. "By literally the fifth week of doing it, I had to install projectors in here because the TV in the back wasn't supporting everybody visiting." His castmates have rallied around the business, too. Radke singled out longtime friend Kyle Cooke, who DJed a run club at Soft Bar on the morning of the anniversary celebration, and said ex-fiancée Lindsay Hubbard has also been "incredibly supportive." "Even today when we were getting the event started, she was asking really nice questions about the business and where I'm taking it," he said. "It's really cool for her to be that supportive." That encouragement comes after Radke's plans for Soft Bar were met with skepticism from Hubbard and Bravo fans as the business took shape on Summer House. Though he tries to tune out the criticism, he believes some of that perception has changed now that people can experience the concept for themselves. "The noise can get loud," he acknowledged. "But honestly, I think the shift has happened because people can see it, feel it, smell it, touch it." The first year hasn't been without growing pains. Radke said staffing has been among the biggest challenges, particularly because working at a non-alcoholic bar comes with different customer behaviors, tipping and drink consumption than a traditional bar. But he also sees the team that's emerged from that learning curve as one of the biggest changes at Soft Bar over the past year. "The energy of the space has gotten better because my team has gotten more comfortable with what we do," he said, noting that his bartenders and baristas have become more cohesive. "It feels like a real family we're building and a real community." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. His biggest lesson? "Be patient." "Ups and downs, making some mistakes, growing, learning, evolving, but still kind of sticking to our mission," Radke said of the first year. Looking at other successful businesses in the neighborhood, he realized, "It took them time, so it's going to take us a little time." Soft Bar itself has evolved, too. Food has been added since opening, while the beverage menu rotates seasonally around fresh ingredients. Radke said the bar's best-selling Golden Hour remains a staple, and he's particularly excited about an upcoming non-alcoholic hot toddy featuring functional ingredients and electrolytes — a drink he said he's been dreaming about since getting sober. Radke has also turned Soft Bar into the home of his podcast, More Life, recording conversations in a content studio he intentionally incorporated into the space. There, he's invited guests to talk about difficult experiences including grief, sobriety and career setbacks — and what helped them move forward. "I love talking to people and giving them the room, but I also selfishly, I'm learning from my guests," he said. "I'm trying to become a better person and learn and understand how people get through stuff, how they navigate life." That desire to connect extends downstairs, too, where Radke spent much of his anniversary celebration greeting the people who had come to mark the milestone with him. It's the same energy he brings to every interaction he has with Soft Bar customers. "If I can spend a minute or two to talk to someone and make them feel seen, less alone, or we can relate in some way, that's why we're here," he said. "We're human beings and we all want to connect with each other." And one Soft Bar may eventually become many. Radke said he's interested in opening additional locations, developing canned versions of Soft Bar's functional non-alcoholic cocktails for grocery stores and licensing the concept for airports, hotels and casinos. "I would love to take this to another city," he said. "However, I want to be slow and strategic and build this the right way." "We've only been open a year," he added. "I want to take our learning, I want to get better and then take it to another place." For now, though, Radke is appreciating what has already grown from an idea he once described to PEOPLE as his "calling." Back in 2024, before Soft Bar had a permanent home, Radke stressed that the business wasn't supposed to be about him. "This isn't Carl Radke's Soft Bar," he said then. Two years later, that part of his vision hasn't changed. "This is not Carl's Soft Bar, it's for everybody," Radke said at the anniversary celebration. "The vision I have, it has taken on a life of its own in a way, because what I originally ... came up with, where we are now, it's better than I thought." Read the original article on People