Bartenders Can’t Stand These 4 Frugal Things Gen Z Does At The Bar
Yes, bartenders can tell if you're Gen Z.
Standret | Shutterstock Facing a terrible job market and unstable economy, Gen Z knows how to pinch pennies when necessary. Turns out, this frugality has made its way into some of the favorite spots of young adults: bars.
Seasoned bartender Brit Wolfe Wilson told The San Francisco Standard, "Bar etiquette just seems to be out the window for Gen Z. They just haven’t learned how to act." She blames it partially on the COVID pandemic, when young adults had no opportunities to watch or experience the drinking culture of their elders.
Here are 4 frugal things Gen Z does at the bar that bartenders can't stand:
1. Splitting drinks
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One bartender, Savannah Hall, said she's seen groups of five people come into the bar she works at and share two (sometimes non-alcoholic) drinks. She explains, "I'm totally cool with people not drinking. But our nonalcoholic beers are $4. You can all afford your own."
Basic etiquette says you shouldn't go to a restaurant and hang out without ordering any food, and the same is true for a bar. Gen Z tends to take up tables and not order a single drink.
"You have to go up and explain that they have to buy something. It’s embarrassing," bartender Benny Davis shares. "I don’t think they’re aware that they can’t just hang out. Sometimes after I talk to them, they just leave."
2. Tipping less than 20%
This isn't necessarily true for all of Gen Z, but a recent Bankrate survey found that Gen Z is the least frequent tippers out of all age groups. Wolfe Wilson thinks it's hardly to do with a lack of funds, because she claims, "This is even Gen Zs that are dropping platinum AmExes — it’s not like they’re giving me a Wells Fargo debit card."
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Many young adults now pre-game before going out, taking shots and having drinks at home, so they don't have to spend so much money at the bar. It sounds like a smart financial practice to Gen Z, but it really just ensures bartenders have to deal with drunker patrons and make less money.
3. Not drinking at all
Gone are the days of ripping tequila shots back to back. Now, Gen Z orders more mocktails, non-alcoholic beer, and drinks with a low ABV. They also like aesthetically pleasing drinks that look good on a Snapchat or Instagram story, and they tend to pick up on whatever drink trends are going around on TikTok.
Research shows that Gen Z is slowly transitioning to drinking less. There's no definitive answer as to why this is happening, but researchers have some theories. Gen Z may be more aware of mental health strategies, making them less likely to use alcohol as a coping strategy. They have also embraced the "clean lifestyle," where young adults prioritize making healthier choices when eating and drinking.
4. Not starting a bar tab
Maybe they have commitment issues, or maybe they just don't realize how inconvenient and costly it can be to swipe one person's card multiple times, but Gen Z prefers not to start a tab or leave a card at the bar. This means bartenders have to do more work to complete a transaction for each drink, and each swipe means that bars themselves pay more credit card processing fees.
This could definitely be attributed to Gen Z's frugality, because buying drinks individually makes it easier to keep track of how much you're spending. Increasing drink prices is also making them move away from buying rounds for the group.
"If you’re in a group of five, you might get your boy’s drink, but you’re not buying for everyone," another bartender named Elliot Rightmire claims. "That never happens."
Kayla Asbach is a writer currently working on her bachelor's degree at the University of Central Florida. She covers relationships, psychology, self-help, pop culture, and human interest topics.
