The Generational Divide at the Bar: Are Zoomers Ruining Happy Hour?
America has a penchant for generational critique, a tradition as ingrained as baseball and bizarre culinary creations. Currently, Gen Z finds itself under the microscope, facing the same scrutiny previously directed at millennials, Gen X, and even the baby boomers. Every aspect of their lives is dissected, analyzed, and used as fodder for older generations to lament the supposed "waste" of youth. They are simultaneously labeled as sexually inactive and overly religious, appearing older than their chronological age suggests. They are avid users of TikTok and social media, yet paradoxically considered antisocial and among the loneliest young people in history.
Now, as they reach adulthood, Gen Z’s behavior in a new social arena – the bar – is being scrutinized. According to some bartenders, this generation seems clueless about proper bar etiquette. The primary complaints revolve around payment practices and expectations for gathering space, with bartenders claiming that this generational shift in behavior is creating genuine problems for service workers. This raises fundamental questions about how unspoken social customs are communicated and their importance in maintaining a harmonious social environment.
It is undeniably satisfying to point out the perceived flaws in others, particularly when targeting an entire demographic. It offers a sense of superiority, allowing individuals to distance themselves from the perceived chaos and discord. "Look at that person – so unlike me – behaving incorrectly!" This sentiment, while tempting, may mask a more profound issue: the actual extent of the problem and the reason behind the seemingly universal delight in uncovering it.
The main observation regarding Gen Z’s bar behavior is their tendency to close out their tabs after each round, forcing bartenders to repeatedly return to the till. "It is soul-crushing," exclaims Izzy Tulloch, a New York City bartender with over a decade of experience. For Tulloch, like most bartenders, the peak hours of their shifts come in waves. During these periods, she is constantly mixing, stirring, pouring, and serving drinks as quickly as possible. When "in the weeds," as the saying goes, closing tabs is the last thing she wants to do. This issue is compounded by another Gen Z habit: requesting separate checks.
"Closing a tab, holding it out, and asking people for the tip – that can take up to two minutes," Tulloch explains. "But imagine two minutes for eight people. That’s 16 minutes, and there are potentially 30 other customers waiting to be served. If I could simply open a tab, which is one quick action, and then focus on the other guests, I could return when the rush subsides." The benefit of an open tab and consolidated payment is that it enhances the experience for everyone. Bartending is essentially project management with alcohol, and time wasted on closing individual tabs creates bottlenecks and delays. The minutes saved on closing tabs could be spent attending to guests and fulfilling orders more efficiently. "You’re just taking away time and disrupting the bartender’s flow," adds Jelani Johnson, head bartender at Le Coucou and the Campari Academy, who has also witnessed this trend in his 12 years behind the bar.
The inefficiencies caused by closing tabs can derail the bartender. The process of giving out a round, ringing up the check, and then closing out with the customer breaks up the flow of the action. While such disruptive behavior could occur with patrons of any age, bartenders have observed that the main perpetrators of this "close-out culture" are younger, mainly those in their early twenties.
This practice is often paired with another bartender pet peeve: occupying bar space while ordering very little. "They’ll come in as a group, usually four or five or more, order a couple of drinks, and then close out," Johnson explains. These customers then linger, taking up space that could be used by paying patrons. After a while, bartenders might give them looks, subtly prompting them to order more. "Then they’ll come back up, put their two empty drinks on the bar, order another round of those two drinks, and then close it out again."
The problem of Gen Z occupying valuable bar space without spending money is common. These behaviors can negatively impact other customers, particularly those who want to sit but are forced to watch a group nursing a few drinks. Ultimately, bartenders bear the brunt of this situation, dealing with both the energetic and financial consequences. Bartenders rely on tips for their income, which is significantly reduced when groups occupy space for hours while only a few members are actively ordering drinks or food.
While acknowledging his own "old man" tendencies, Johnson points out other factors that contribute to the changing bar culture. The rise of digital payment methods like ApplePay has made transactions faster and more convenient. Many bars now offer tap-to-pay options, encouraging frequent close-outs. While digital payments offer advantages, such as eliminating manual tip input at the end of the night, they can also make the bar experience more impersonal. Bartenders become mere attachments to the payment terminal, rather than engaging figures in a social setting.
"They don’t care about where they are or what’s on the menu," Johnson observes. "They’re not sitting there getting to know who I am, or seeing how I make a martini, or asking questions about what makes the place special." The concern is that the increasing impersonality of bars diminishes their role as social hubs where everyone contributes to a shared experience. The way people act in bars increasingly resembles how they behave at movie theaters or concerts, as if they were watching TV from their own couch or consuming social media content. When a space is not perceived as a social setting, people tend to act more selfishly and with less awareness of others.
Tulloch believes that young people have lost sight of appropriate social norms and transactions. However, she does not place the blame solely on them. Pandemic lockdowns significantly altered social habits. Studies have shown that Gen Z drinks less compared to older generations, explaining why larger groups may nurse a limited number of drinks. Tulloch suggests that Gen Z, particularly those who turned 21 during the pandemic and were unable to go out, may not fully grasp the unspoken rules of bar patronage that were commonplace before 2020. There were no opportunities to learn bar etiquette through observation or experience.
Few people are willing or able to explicitly teach young people how to behave at the bar. Education is not usually a priority when people are going out. However, if the post-pandemic issue is that people view public spaces like bars as places where they need to prioritize their own needs, the solution may involve taking a step back and considering how everyone fits into the bar’s ecosystem. Recognizing and valuing the people around you, especially service staff like bartenders, is crucial. Being mindful of the space and time everyone occupies is equally important. By thinking about your behavior the next time you go out, and particularly if you keep your tab open, your bartender will be especially grateful.
