When Carl Radke told his then-fiancée, Lindsay Hubbard, that he wanted to open a sober bar in New York City, Summer House fans were flabbergasted. The man was struggling at best to find a job. And had been out of work for almost a full year. Now, I’m all about the gap year that most young adults take in Europe to help find themselves. But for Carl, we were long past that right of passage.
Carl Radke’s career struggles were not sexy, but relatable
During Season 8 of Summer House, Lindsay made it crystal clear that Carl’s lack of work ethic did not turn her on. Lindsay told Carl he “wasn’t crushing it at life” because he was sitting around their $10,000 apartment, not doing anything. Carl did try to explain that he was sensitive to his job struggles. The fact remains that he was all over the nap when it came to figuring out his life. Also relatable.
Carl even hired a business coach that set him back 20K. The coach reminded him of his love for sobriety and pushed him to go into non-alcohol. But Carl always brought it back to Lindsay’s lack of support. It was hard to forget how Lindsay basically laughed in his face during Episode 3 after he told her, “I’m proud to be a voice for things that I’ve been through and hopefully help other people. So I’ve been thinking about a sports bar, non-alcoholic. A sober sports bar.”
Lindsay shut his idea down, stating, “Sorry, I’m gonna have to say no to that one. Working in the hospitality industry my entire life, representing every single lounge, bar, club, hotel, and restaurant. I don’t want that for our future family.” Say less, Linds!
Carl Radke launches Soft
Gone are the days when Carl had to hear Lindsay question his sobriety. Now the 39-year-old is making moves as he announced he has opened his sober bar, Soft. During part two of the Summer House reunion, Carl revealed he planned to open “a cafe and bar that only serves non-alcoholic drinks.” I bet Dollars to Donuts Loverboy non-alcoholic will sneak its way behind the bar. Carl took to his Instagram Story this week to announce the name of his eatery, Soft Bar + Cafe, proclaiming, “It’s officially happening!” (Insert Scheana Shay’s arm tattoo here.)
According to Soft Bar’s Instagram Bio, the brick-and-mortar will be in Brooklyn, NY. But fans can expect a few pop-ups over the summer. The premise of Soft Bar + Cafe is to have a place for “mindful consumption.” Another IG post shared, “From daily operations to ambiance to individual drinks, we do it all with much thought and the best intentions.”
What’s in a name?
The name overshadowed the news of Carl’s bar. But Carl has defended his branding choice on Page Six. Carl shared that while on his European summer vacation, he was inspired by how other countries called non-alcoholic drinks “soft cocktails” or “softs.” Carl went on to say that he “wanted to define a new — and much needed — category and space, having ‘soft drinks’ or ‘softs’ be seen as functional and high-quality non-alcoholic beverages for adults.”
But Bravo fans are like elephants; we never forget. During Season 8, Carl chose the wrong wording when confronting Lindsay after a fight, telling her, “I want softness, and warmness, and strength because it’s such a big thing.” Summer House fans took to X to share their opinions. One wrote, “It feels like a failed attempt of being petty, and now you have to live with flaccid jokes about your business.” Another follower added, “Asking Lindsay to be softer to him and opening up a bar named soft. Diabolical, honestly.” That said, not everything is about Lindsay.
It’s time to move on
Carl has denied naming his bar after the convo with Lindsay. After the episode in question, Lindsay clapped back, stating, “Telling a woman who is dealing with everything in this relationship and planning everything in this relationship — for not just the present and the current, but the future — and then telling me to be softer, is me looking at you and being like, ‘Well, you need to be more of a man.’”
I am very interested in Soft and will happily put boots on the ground to check it out!
TELL US — DO YOU THINK CARL WILL HAVE SUCCESS WITH SOFT?
