Franchisee Charlotte McDonald and Jody Sidle outside of Point 5 Willamsburg. (Images courtesy Jody Sidle)

A Richmond-born franchise of alcohol-free bottle shops is heading east to Hampton Roads for its second in-state location.

Point 5 expanded earlier this month to Williamsburg with a new store at the Williamsburg Premium Outlets.

Just like the original Point 5 location in Carytown, Point 5 Williamsburg offers non-alcoholic specialty beverages, mixers and bar ware.

It’s the fourth overall location for Point 5, which began franchising a few years ago. Founder Jody Sidle said the expansion is the next step in her plans to grow the business in Virginia.

Sidle, a native of the U.K. who moved to the U.S. in the early ‘90s, opened the first Point 5 location in Carytown in 2022 at 3435 W. Cary. St. She said she had the idea for the shop after quitting drinking and seeing what she described as a lack of options for non-alcoholic beverages.

The shop sells dozens of non-alcoholic aperitifs, beers, wines and syrups as well as some low-dose THC products, and hosts events as well as works with local restaurants and bars to bring more non-alcoholic drink options to the area.

“We work with a lot of the bars and restaurants in town, trying to get them to have good craft non-alcoholic options, not just a fruity, sugary mocktail,” Sidle said.

Though she hadn’t originally founded Point 5 with franchising in mind, outside interest in the concept prompted her to sign on her first franchised store in Chester, New Jersey, in 2024. Another franchisee opened a Point 5 location in Lafayette Township, New Jersey, in August of last year.

Now, Sidle has turned her attention back to Virginia with Williamsburg franchisee Charlotte McDonald, who Sidle said comes from a restaurant background.