Nearly a year removed from our first visit, we return to the Steel City in the new location (and future lounge) of the longest-running non-alcoholic specialty retailer in the country, The Open Road. With so much happening in the local NA scene, we split our visit into a two-part episode. In Part I, we include much of our interview with The Open Road's Mel Babitz, and Katrina Tomacchio of the Loaded Food Group (also known as The Northeast Ginger on IG), who share their thoughts on everything from raising funds as a small business, to the growth in popularity in food and non-alcoholic drink pairings, as more people embrace and understand the category.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Open Road

Loaded Food Group

The Northeast Ginger

The Mocktail Mixer (happening 7/28/25)

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