In today's episode of Mocktails With Marina, we're closing out the Department in a Box™ Series with one of the most important and most overlooked pillars of a profitable non-alcoholic business: Menu & Product Management.

Whether you run a kava bar, non-alcoholic bar, bottle shop, kombucha taproom, sober lounge, or functional beverage café, your menu is not just a list of drinks. It's a financial engine. A marketing strategy. And the #1 driver of your customer experience and business profitability.

Inside this episode, you'll learn:

Most business owners rely on vibes, taste, and creativity but without a system, you lose money on COGS, vendor errors, ingredient waste, and inconsistent pricing. We break down the difference between a hobby menu and a high-performing menu strategy.

You'll hear how to build one Notion-based product catalog that tracks ingredients, vendors, seasonals, costs, margins, substitutions, and pricing decisions so you can update your menu in minutes instead of reinventing the wheel every quarter.

No more guessing, running out of ingredients, or launching specials that secretly drain your margins. Learn the workflow real non-alc bars use to cost drinks, approve recipes, and roll out seasonal updates with confidence.

We talk about margin tracking, cost formulas, COGS transparency, and how to make pricing decisions based on actual data not emotion or fear of customer backlash.

From recipe approval to staff training to POS updates, you'll hear the full 360° process that makes menu changes smooth, consistent, and stress-free.

This episode is perfect for anyone managing non-alcoholic menus, kava drink menus, botanical beverage offerings, sober bars, NA bottle shops, and wellness cafés who wants to keep their menu fresh, cost-effective, and fully optimized.

Grab the Menu & Product Management Box™ (part of the Department in a Box™ Series) to get the exact Notion dashboards, costing calculators, vendor trackers, and seasonal planning systems I build for my private clients: https://themodernmocktail.thrivecart.com/the-menu-mgmt-box/

In this episode of Mocktails with Marina, we dive into one of the most powerful and misunderstood growth engines in the non-alcoholic industry: Event Planning & Event Management.

If you run a non-alc bar, kava bar, bottle shop, sober lounge, or third space, you already know that events drive everything: foot traffic, community-building, customer retention, brand visibility, and revenue spikes. But most business owners treat events like last-minute ideas instead of what they really are: a core department inside your business.

In Part 5 of the Department in a Box™ Series, Marina breaks down:

• why events must function as an internal department, not a chaotic side project

• the three pillars of an effective event system: Planning, Management, and Debriefing

• the most common mistakes businesses make when hosting events (and why they keep happening)

• how to reduce stress, eliminate last-minute scrambling, and turn events into predictable revenue drivers

• the templates, SOPs, timelines, checklists, and systems behind high-performing event programs

• how the right structures can help you scale community events, vendor activations, tastings, pop-ups, sober meetups, live music, workshops, menu launches, and more

If you want the plug-and-play tools Marina uses with top NA bars and kava bars across the country, grab The Event Planner Box™, which includes ready-to-use event workflows, run-of-show templates, vendor coordination guides, permit checklists, marketing rollout calendars, Notion event databases, and full department SOPs.

🎁 Get instant access to The Event Planner Box™:
https://themodernmocktail.thrivecart.com/the-event-planner-box/

This episode is essential for any founder or operator who wants to host smoother events, drive consistent traffic, and build a real community around their business without burning out.

In today's episode, we're diving into the department most founders avoid until it becomes a problem: Employee Manuals + SOPs, the backbone of consistency, culture, and operational sanity inside any non-alcoholic bar, bottle shop, or third place.

If you've ever felt like you're repeating yourself every day, constantly correcting the same issues, or carrying the entire business in your head, this episode will be a breath of relief. We break down why your manual isn't just a "rules document," but your team's source of clarity, empowerment, and protection. And we talk about how SOPs go far beyond checklists; they create accountability, reduce training time, and stabilize the customer experience no matter who's on shift.

Inside this episode, you'll learn:

• Why "chill vibes" still require structure

• What a great employee manual actually includes

• How SOPs remove friction from your leadership

• The hidden staff retention benefits of clarity

• The difference between policies, expectations, and step-by-step procedures

• The real reason things fall apart when you're not there

If you're ready to stop running your business on oral tradition and start building a team that's confident, consistent, and self-sufficient, this is the department that will change everything.

Get instant access to The Employee Manual + SOPs Box™ here:
(The same templates and frameworks we use with clients to build professional, plug-and-play manuals and procedures.)
https://themodernmocktail.thrivecart.com/the-employee-manual-box/

In today's episode, we're breaking down one of the most important (and most misunderstood) departments in every non-alc bar, bottle shop, or third space: Interviewing, Hiring & Onboarding.

Most owners treat hiring like an emergency. A scramble. A reaction.

But the truth is if you don't build this department as a system, your business will always feel unstable.

Inside this episode, we look at:

• Why hiring is a department, not a task
• How to interview for values, not just resumes
• The standards that determine the quality of every hire
• The onboarding mistakes that cost businesses thousands
• What a real onboarding system looks like
• How this department reduces turnover, protects culture, and stabilizes growth

If you want the templates, the interview scripts, the hiring rubrics, and the complete onboarding system we use with clients, you can get The Hiring & Onboarding Box here:

https://themodernmocktail.thrivecart.com/the-hiring-onboarding-box/

This is Part 3 of the Department in a Box Series.

In today's episode, we're diving into the second installment of the Department in a Box Series™ and this time, we're talking about the department that keeps your non-alc bar, bottle shop, or third space alive: your Marketing Department.

This episode isn't a tutorial on content creation or how to run ads.

It's a high-level breakdown of why marketing must function as a real department inside your business, not as random posts, rushed flyers, or last-minute "I guess I should say something today" content.

We explore:

• Why marketing is your 24/7 reputation system

• How a consistent marketing engine positions you as a leader (not a noise-maker)

• Why education-driven marketing is essential in the non-alc world

• What most founders get wrong when they "do" marketing

• The difference between chaotic posting vs structured brand storytelling

• How a marketing department builds trust, demand, and community over time

If you've ever felt like you're reinventing the wheel every time you sit down to market your business, this episode will give you clarity on what's missing and what becomes possible once you have an actual system.

To get the full set of templates, frameworks, SOPs, and marketing structures mentioned in this episode, check out The Marketing Department in a Box™ here:

https://themodernmocktail.thrivecart.com/the-marketing-dept-box/

Let's build your departments one by one, so you can finally work like the business you're trying to become.

In today's episode, we kick off a six-part series designed to walk you through the core departments every non-alc bar, bottle shop, or third space needs in order to function smoothly.

This first installment focuses on the importance of Project Management & To-Do's. NOT the mechanics of setting up systems, but the deeper reason this department determines whether your business operates with clarity or chaos.

You'll learn why project management is the foundation of a sustainable, scalable company… why most founders struggle without it… how forgotten tasks quietly erode momentum… and why you can't grow a business you're still running from memory.

If you want the templates, Notion dashboards, and full plug-and-play system that goes with this episode, get instant access to The Project Management Box here:
https://themodernmocktail.thrivecart.com/the-project-management-box/

If you left the 9-to-5 to feel free but find yourself more stressed than ever on Sunday nights, this episode is for you.

In this week's Mocktails with Marina, we're unpacking the real reason entrepreneurs experience the "Sunday Scaries" (and why it has nothing to do with laziness or discipline). You'll learn how structure is the antidote to anxiety, and how to design a rhythm that actually supports your life instead of draining it.

Marina shares her personal story of breaking the weekend work cycle and building systems that let her rest without guilt. She walks you through six practical strategies to reset your week: from the Friday Close Ritual to the Sunday Power Hour, all tailored for founders, creators, and business owners in the non-alcoholic, kava, and functional beverage space.

You didn't quit your job to become your own worst boss. You left to feel peace, purpose, and possibility and it starts with how you end your week.

👉 Learn how to build a business that doesn't make you dread Mondays.

Connect: www.marinamars.com/contact

Effortless Operations: https://marinamars.notion.site/effortlessoperations

Everyone wants the secret to success but the truth is, there isn't one.

In this episode of Mocktails with Marina, we're getting brutally honest about what it actually takes to reach long-term stability and profitability as a non-alcoholic business owner. From balancing your nervous system to facing rejection head-on, Marina breaks down the five principles that separate sustainable founders from burnout-prone dreamers.

Forget the 30-day success hacks and "10K in a month" formulas; this is about the real work: emotional regulation, consistency, community, and courage.

Whether you're running a kava bar, bottle shop, non-alc beverage brand, or consulting business, this conversation will help you reframe what progress truly looks like and remind you that the path to profit is never linear but always worth it.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why "linear growth" is a myth (and what sustainable progress really looks like)

• The 5 habits of long-term stability in business

• How to recognize your "glass ceiling" moment and break through it

• The mindset shift that turns chaos into calm and burnout into balance

• Why most businesses fail within 3–5 years and how to design yours to last

If you're building a functional solo or family business in the non-alcoholic industry (bar, bottle shop, beverage brand, or coaching company) and want personalized guidance, visit www.marinamars.com/contact to start the conversation.

Because sustainability isn't about sprinting; it's about learning how to build a business that breathes with you.