Jukebox, the nonalcoholic sparkling beverage bar that set up shop at Deerfield Towne Center billing itself as the country's first-ever custom sparkling drink studio, is closing for good. The Mason business announced its closure via social media on Aug. 30, telling customers its final day of service will be Sept. 12, 2026, after just 16 months in operation.
The studio, located at 5859 Deerfield Blvd. in Deerfield Township — a Cincinnati suburb in Warren County — cited financial difficulties as the reason for shutting down, according to Local 12 News. The closure comes after founder Jay Scherger spent years developing the concept, drawing on more than 15 years of retail innovation experience that included serving as Director of the Ecommerce Accelerator at Kroger and stints at analytics firms 84.51°, dunnhumby, and McKinsey & Company, according to Food On Demand.
Before committing to a physical storefront in June 2025, Jukebox spent over a year testing its customizable sparkling drink concept at community events around Greater Cincinnati, including Findlay Market and Covington's Oktoberfest in 2023 and early 2024, per the Gnarly Gnome. The idea, according to Cincinnati Magazine, was born from Scherger's desire for a non-coffee “third space” — a customizable social hangout for people who don't drink coffee or alcohol but still want an elevated, build-your-own beverage experience.
A Tech-Forward Menu Built On Endless Combinations
Jukebox leaned heavily into its tech-forward format, using QR-code ordering and dual digital kiosks that let customers build drinks from sparkling water, soda, or slush bases. Customers could then customize their orders with functional add-ins like protein, probiotics, caffeine, hydration boosters, and boba, the studio's report notes. The menu was split into three main categories — “Sparklers Plus” for fruit and syrup seltzers, “Pop Culture” for dirty sodas and boba drinks, and “Epic Sips” for slushies and sour blends — plus a secret “Ghost Tracks” limited-edition menu.
That level of customization was central to Jukebox's pitch as a category-defining concept, but it wasn't enough to keep the lights on in a retail environment where standalone nonalcoholic venues have struggled nationally. Consumer sales of packaged nonalcoholic beverages and zero-proof spirits surged by nearly 29% in early 2024, yet standalone nonalcoholic bars across major metro areas have frequently faced financial headwinds tied to high real estate costs and price-sensitive customers, according to a Hoodline report on similar closures in Los Angeles.
Booming Development, Tougher Competition Next Door
Jukebox's storefront sat directly adjacent to The District at Deerfield, a $150 million, 28-acre mixed-use development expanding Warren County's commercial footprint with 95,000 square feet of retail space and 362 apartment units. That growth has continued even as Jukebox exits: hospitality operator Four Entertainment Group announced plans in August to open Beeline, a $1.5 million craft cocktail-only venue, inside the nearby complex.
The same corridor has also attracted national experiential brands betting on suburban Cincinnati's growth. Miami-based JETSET Pilates signed a 10-year lease in June at the District at Deerfield, reflecting a broader trend of boutique fitness and lifestyle operators favoring suburban lifestyle hubs over urban downtown cores, as Hoodline previously reported in its piece on the Pilates studio's lease.
Why Sober-Curious Concepts Keep Struggling
Jukebox's exit fits a pattern researchers and operators have flagged nationally. Many moderation-focused consumers prefer ordering nonalcoholic options alongside standard cocktails at traditional bars rather than seeking out dedicated zero-proof establishments, according to the same Hoodline analysis of the sober-bar slowdown. That behavior makes it difficult for standalone concepts like Jukebox to build the kind of consistent daily crowd needed to cover retail overhead, even when the underlying product category is thriving on store shelves.
For now, Jukebox customers have less than two weeks left to visit the Deerfield Towne Center location before it shuts down for good on Sept. 12. No word yet on whether Scherger plans to revive the concept elsewhere, whether at future pop-up events or in a different retail format.
