Latest news with #drinkinghabits
New York Times
4 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Gen Z Doesn't Want to Start a Bar Tab
Late one Saturday night at Bar Lubitsch, a West Hollywood cocktail bar known for its kitschy, Soviet-era décor and frosty vodka drinks, Scott Korinke and Nolan Marks wriggled themselves from the sweat-drenched dance floor and made their way to the bar counter. Mr. Korinke, 26, ordered a martini for himself and a vodka Red Bull for his friend Mr. Marks, 25. As he fished a Visa credit card out of his green leather wallet, the bartender yelled out a question over the music: 'Do you want to start a tab?' Mr. Korinke shook his head no and swiftly closed out. The pair might order more drinks later on, but the prospect of opening a tab was verboten. 'Why leave a credit card with the bar? I don't know if I'm going to be here that long, so I don't want to leave a tab open,' Mr. Korinke said, joking that he had 'commitment issues.' His ethos reflects a growing phenomenon among Gen Z bargoers: an aversion to opening bar tabs. Much to the dismay of bartenders, many 20-somethings prefer to close out and pay after every drink, no matter how many beverages they end up ordering. The reasons for this are myriad. For a generation that consumes less alcohol than older drinkers, opening tabs can seem exorbitant. They have become accustomed to one-and-done transactions — usually with a simple tap of their phones — and consider purchasing drinks at a bar to be no different from, say, buying a coffee at a cafe. They can feel anxious about losing track of their spending by leaving their credit cards behind the bar. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
BBC News
22-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Lincoln Beer Festival downsizes amid shift in drinking habits
A city's beer festival has moved to a smaller venue blaming falling attendances and a major shift in drinking Lincoln Beer Festival has relocated to Southside, a former church on Colegrave Street, for its 43rd year and will run from Thursday until Mark Richards said the change reflected the shift in drinking behaviours, with people going out earlier and fewer younger people socialising since the pandemic."The younger generations in their 20s aren't really going out late at night so there is a lack of footfall in pubs and venues throughout the country in that," he said. The three-day event, offering beers, real ales and alcohol-free options, was previously held at The Drill on Free School Richards said it was "a great shame to leave" but said the festival had to "adjust" to changes in society."We've had to make the decision [to change venues] because our footfall reduced as a result of that," he said. Michael Thurlby, who owns three pubs in Stamford, had also noticed a change in people's drinking habits. "We've had to adapt the hours and the style of our businesses to offer what people want today and not what they wanted 20 years ago," he pub landlord added people were opting for a healthier living by going out earlier with family and drinking more alcohol-free believed attitudes shifted as a result of the 2007 smoking ban and the coronavirus pandemic. The BBC spoke to members of the public about their drinking habits. Bowen Jones, 19, was sat in a pub with a pint of apple juice. He said: "I've never drank, I just don't like the taste of alcohol."Mr Jones said he went out the night before until 04:00 BST, did not drink alcohol, then drove home. "People don't go to the pub so much like my parents used to do," he Jones' friend, Oliver De'ath, 18, said he only drinks on special occasions."I don't really see the enjoyment in it. Sometimes we go out for food instead, I go to the gym. I think it is more socially acceptable [not to drink]," Mr De'ath said. By starting at noon and offering alcohol-free options, organisers hoped to reflect changing drinking event, sponsored by Lincoln CAMRA, will run until 23:00 BST on Thursday and Friday and until 21:00 BST on Saturday. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
