Shirley’s Temple owner Essie Evans has decided to cut operating days to Thursdays through Sundays. And, unfortunately, this will be until the mocktail space’s final day on Sunday, Sept. 29.
“Its been tough running an operation as one sole owner. I gave it everything I had but the economy proved otherwise,” Essie said, who had admitted back in June that she was looking for a new space. “The location [in Signal Hill] has been a real hindrance for us. And so many of our customers urged us to be in a more predominant area like Retro Row. But I simply couldn’t find the right spot in time.”
The creations at Shirley’s Temple were wildly inventive and, more importantly, part of a larger conversation.
\While yes, many mocktails tend to go for the sweet, the revolving mocktails on the menu at Shirley’s Temple ranged from dry and spicy to even bitter and smooth—like her masterful zero-proof negroni, one of the best mocktails I’ve had.
There was a mocktini dubbed Cafe Noir made with four shots of espresso, coffee simple syrup and house-made Irish creme. Or the blood orange-based La Spicy Shirley with chile, Topo Chico, and an agave zero-proof tequila…
“It’s important for us, as an industry, to talk about what sobriety—on all levels—can achieve,” Essie said. “I was a bartender, and I just got tired of the drunk absurdity; it was exhausting. And I feel like many adults experience that and don’t want to go to a coffee shop as an alternative to a bar. That’s what Shirley’s Temple was about.”
Essie was always a part of the community—both sober and non-sober. And she wanted those to know about the role sobriety can have in someone’s life.
Essie was consistently trying to be involved in the community—whether that as supporting events that happened to have alcohol or not. She participated in Long Beach Black Restaurant Week. She hosted a revolving door of in-house events, from gaming nights to “plant’n’sip” days.
Essie was even a key player in my Long Beach Last Call event, a 10-day celebration of the bar industry. She not only hosted events that allowed those in the industry to take a break from the heavy drinking that defined the celebration but also co-hosted a talk about levels of sobriety. She joined Noah Friedman, then-head bartender at Baby Gee, who makes entire menus while sober; Khristian Berrio, a general manager for restaurants who practices “California sobriety;” and Thea Mercouffer, who owns The Wicked Wolf and requires that all her bartenders be entirely sober while working.
Various physical and mental health professionals have all agreed that the 12-step, AA/NA model approach to sobriety is not remotely fit for everyone—and for some, can even be a deterrent to seeking help. For others, it is an absolute avoidance of all substances. For yet more, it is simply not drinking or partying while working. And for some, it could very well be keeping it to the weekends or exploring long periods of sobriety in the vein of “Dry January.”
Overall, Shirley’s Temple represented a new ideal—but what does it mean for the larger zero-proof conversation?
Essie understood that the term “sober” itself can be terrifying for someone who feels that an essential part of their social life has to be stripped away in order for them to maintain solid physical and mental health statuses. Even more, when it comes to the industry, there should be little to no reason as to why someone cannot remain in the industry they love because they need larger support—something Essie always fought for.
Its closure ultimately doesn’t equate to the eradication of the zero-proof movement in Long Beach. Hummingbird Heart Co. officially extended their presence in the Shore last year. Their apothecary—located at 5241 E. 2nd St.—is now joined by a kombucha-meets-zero proof bottle shop located at 4810 E. 2nd St.
And, of course, the many bars offerings zero-proof options, from The Bungalow to Baby Gee. But that doesn’t necessarily soften the blow that is the loss of Shirley’s—but hopefully, in time, can inspire a re-opening or new concept.
Shirley’s Temple is located at 2420 E. 28th St. in Signal Hill. Its last day of operation will be Sunday, Sept. 29.
[…] Story continues […]