A popular NC pizzeria is going sober. Why restaurant is taking alcohol off drink list
In restaurant speak, a beverage program generally means booze — the play of wines with certain dishes, creative cocktails, beers for savoring and for crushing.
But a popular pizzeria in Carrboro is switching things up and aiming to prove there’s more to a glass than its alcohol by volume percentage.
Last week, Coronato announced that its drinks list would be entirely free of alcohol. There will be sodas and zero proof cocktails and other concoctions — some with bubbles, but none with a buzz.
Owner and chef Teddy Diggs opened Coronato about two years ago, inspired by thin crust pizzas he found traveling in Rome.
“Big news,” the restaurant wrote on social media. “Coronato is going sober! In a sincere effort to make the most inclusive, mindful, and high vibe environment for our guests and staff, we will no longer be serving alcohol.”
Celebrating sobriety
Coronato’s move follows a growing interest in restaurants making space for non-alcoholic drinks. The variety of non-alcoholic beer is growing rapidly, with giants like Budweiser and Heinekin joining craft breweries like Brooklyn Brewery and Athletic in offering beer without booze.
But while many restaurants carve out space for non-alcoholic drinks on menus, Coronato is a rarity in removing alcohol completely.
Diggs said he recently celebrated his third year of sobriety. The move away from alcohol at Coronato came in part from reflecting on that milestone, he said.
“That’s been a big important journey in my life,” Diggs said. “It’s something I’m happy and proud about.”
Two weeks before the pandemic started shutting down local restaurants, Diggs said Coronato launched a small list of zero-proof cocktails. They got lost in the chaos of the past year, he said, but the idea continued to stay with him.
The pandemic, with restaurants offering takeout but not alcohol, made the financial prospect of staying in business all the more difficult. Even now with the endpoint of COVID still uncertain, Diggs said he’s comfortable taking the risk.
“It’s not a business decision, it’s a lifestyle decision,” Diggs said. “I know that’s uncomfortable to think about. I know it’s going to be uncomfortable for some guests and I understand that. ... Four or five years ago I wouldn’t have wanted to go to Coronato if they didn’t serve alcohol. I needed alcohol and that was part of my life.”
Diggs said multiple employees have become sober while working at Coronato. He said his idea of inclusive means everyone — workers, children, sober people and imbibers.
“When I opened Coronato I saw it as a larger purpose than just opening a restaurant,” Diggs said. “I wanted it to be a unique contribution to the industry and community. This decision follows that lead.”
‘Unique in this industry’
When Coronato announced its plans on social media, the general reaction was supportive, but some comments zeroed in on the word “inclusive,” arguing that the restaurant’s booze-less policy didn’t fit that description.
Diggs said “inclusive” means more than something for everyone.
“When we say ‘inclusive’ it’s not only what we’re offering guests, it goes much further than that,” Diggs said. “It’s for the guest and the community outwardly, but also the immediate community of our team members. We’re creating a space that’s unique in this industry, which has often been a difficult place for people who are in recovery.”
The new beverage program aims at pairing flavors and textures in drinks just like any other cocktail, only leaving out the booze. Among the new options will be Italian sodas, CBD waters, non-alcoholic aperitifs, cocktails made with peach puree, muddled basil and balsamic vinegar, and a spicy ginger and cherry cocktail topped with coconut foam.
Diggs said that dining out can sometimes feel like it keeps sober people at arms’ length or treat non-alcoholic drinks as an afterthought. Coronato aims to be a refuge in that scene, he said.
For diners who seek out Coronato for pizza, its zero-proof drink list, or both, Diggs said he feels a greater responsibility to create food and drinks that nurture beyond the hour people spend in the restaurant.
“We love our guests that come here, and we feel a responsibility to deliver more than immediate satisfaction,” Diggs said. “We’re trying to extend positivity beyond our restaurant.”
