Getting Drunk For A Good Cause; Australia Opens Its First Nonprofit Bar

A new bar in Australia is making its patrons feel far less guilty about ordering another one.

Melbourne-based bar Shebeen, established by Simon Griffiths, is the first nonprofit bar outside of the U.S. and only the third in the world designed to help needy organizations worldwide. The watering hole opened its doors two months ago and all profits from the bar will be distributed equally to seven nonprofit organizations, The seven nonprofits that Shebeen will help support include Australian-based AIDS group Mothers2mothers, eyeglass charity Vision Spring, in India, and San Francisco-based Room To Read. 

The bar's beer and liquor selection is highly international as well. Shebeen serves 25 brands of alcohol from 10 different countries including Dashen Beer from Ethiopia, Windhoek Lager from Namibia and Boschendal Chenin Blanc from South Africa.

"The bar has been really popular which means that we're already profitable, but constantly facing supply problems. We have drunk Australia out of its Ethiopian, Kenyan, and Laotian beers," said Griffiths.

Griffiths, a former investment banker, initially worked on the concept with college friend Zanna McComish. However, McComish moved overseas and allowed Griffiths to take on the project entirely. 

"As a 20-something year old, I fell in love with the concept of doing something good whilst doing something that I loved--going to a bar," said Griffiths.

The bar itself is designed to be both no-frills and environmental. The bar itself is made out of recycled tin cladding (sourced from an old police station) and framed by a picket fence, while the furniture and walls are adorned with a mix of textiles 

The Aussie entrepreneur is hoping to raise $200,000 this year to split among the seven organizations and has set a goal for Shebeen to raise $800,000 within three years. He is also hoping to open other similar bars in the future.

The other two non-profit bars currently established are both in the U.S., the Oregon Public House and Washington's Philanthropub.

"Shebeen" originally meant an illegal Irish bar, but more recently, the term has been adopted in South Africa and Zimbabwe.