GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — If you’re one of the many people who plan to quit drinking in the New Year, a local shop is here to help, offering a huge selection of booze-free wine, beer and spirits. The shop opened almost a year ago in Grand Rapids, but the owners are re-branding, and just in time for dry January. The shop previously known as Alt City is now More or Less.
“We're kind of very lightheartedly poking fun at the industry,” co-owner Chard Clark said. “A lot of these things are an approximation. It’s like ‘does that taste like whiskey?’ Well, more or less.”
“It's also a nod to how many people come in here that still drink alcohol,” co-owner Neil DeMeester said. “Well over half of our customers still drink alcohol, so More or Less is kind of a nod to how much alcohol consumption you want in your life.”
The reason for the name change, they said, is to clear up any confusion about who they are and where they’re located. The original name of Alt City came from a beverage company that Clark started with his brother in 2020 in a different part of Grand Rapids.
“This is an entirely different concept,” Clark said. “There was confusion between our guests, confusion between our vendors. So we just wanted to roll with a different name.”
The idea for this concept of NA wine, beer and spirits goes back a few years when Clark and DeMeester started chatting about their sobriety journeys.
“He and I were both into non-alcoholic beverages, and we kind of wondered what a space would look like that was just strictly non-alcoholic retail so we could just curate some of our favorites under one roof,” Clark said.
“It’s been great,” DeMeester said. “I've been sober for nine years, and none of these products were around nine years ago. We were limited to just a couple NA beers, and that was about it.”
More or Less has more than 500 options including a fridge full of cold, ready-to-drink bevvies.
“We've tried everything in the store, and we only carry stuff that we believe in,” DeMeester said. “We were one of the first bottle shops in the Midwest that focused solely on non-alcoholic products. There are a couple on the coasts, and they're gaining traction in some big cities, but we were really the first one in Michigan to have this type of product mix and this many products.”
“We have things that make good Christmas gifts for sure,” Clark said.
The shop, which is at 434 Leonard Street on Grand Rapids' westside, offers more than just drinks that mimic the look and taste of alcohol.
“We also have a ton of ready-to-drink and functional beverages that have adaptogens and nootropics, which is what a ton of people are looking for, whether it's for workout recovery or energy,” DeMeester said. “But yeah, we have options for a lot of different people.”
“We're very knowledgeable of all these products,” Clark said. “We generally have anywhere between 10 and 15 bottles of products open, so people can come on in and try things.”
More or Less is holding a grand re-opening celebration on Jan. 5 complete with food, drinks and giveaways. In the meantime, the shop is open daily from noon to 7 p.m.
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