AUGUST 2025 SMALL BUSINESS OF THE MONTH: GENERATION NA

Here for a good time: Gen NA taps into a new social scene

When a festivalgoer at the inaugural Free Spirited Festival posted online that she no longer needed alcohol to have fun, Rob Theodorow knew he had built something special. For Rob, who had cut alcohol from his own life and found the change transformative, it was confirmation that his venture, Generation NA, was striking a cultural nerve.

Founded in May 2022, Generation NA began as a side project: an Instagram account reviewing non-alcoholic beers and a pop-up tucked inside Rob’s tech agency, SFP. Today, it’s a brick-and-mortar bottle shop and taproom on Main Street in Lafayette — and the first non-alcoholic bottle shop to open in the Midwest. In just three years, it has become a notable fixture in the country’s fast-rising “sober-curious” movement.

Generation NA has 11 employees and offers a curated mix of non-alcoholic (NA) beers, wines, spirits and functional beverages. The approach appeals not only to those who identify as sober but also to anyone looking to be healthier or avoid a hangover.

The timing couldn't be better. In the U.S., the non-alcoholic beverage industry is surging. Sales of NA beer climbed more than 22% in 2025, while ready-to-drink NA cocktails and spirits are outpacing traditional alcohol in growth. Consumer research firms project the broader NA beverage market will grow steadily through the decade, fueled by younger generations who are prioritizing health and moderation.

Still, competition is fierce, with national retailers muscling into the game. Generation NA’s advantage? Soul, community and experience. The shop has amassed over 30,000 Instagram followers through humorous, unapologetically real content — something that Rob believes big-box competitors can’t replicate. “We put our fingerprint on everything we do,” he says.

The Free Spirited Festival, which took place this August, is the perfect example. Billed as the Midwest’s first fully non-alcoholic festival, it drew over 350 guests from across the country. The all-day wellness event had vendors, live music, food, yoga, drink tastings and more. “It was exactly the kind of community experience we want to create,” Rob says.

Local support has been central to that success. Generation NA products are now featured in Lafayette-area restaurants, hotels, and breweries, including People’s Brewing Company, Digby’s, Bistro 501 and Purdue University’s Marriott. Rob has also pursued collaborations with local entrepreneurs, like a new mushroom-infused nitro cold brew with Wanderlust Coffee Roasters, and he’s used events like the Free Spirited Festival to give back—such as hosting a food drive for Food Finders Food Bank.

For Rob, the formula is simple: grow the brand nationally, but root it in community. “Anybody that comes to me and asks for a sponsorship or donation, we try to do it,” he says.

Looking ahead, Rob has his sights set on creating a second “experience” near the Purdue campus. Unlike his Main Street shop, this won’t be a retail store; it will be a social space focused on draft non-alcoholic drinks

Recognition has followed with national accolades from Wine Enthusiast Magazine, Forbes and Midwest Living.

And of course, Generation NA is our Small Business of the Month for August — a distinction Rob says carries particular weight. “We get a lot of national awards, but this one means the most to me because it’s our community,” he says.