Bartenders Have Had Enough Of This Gen Z Bar Trend

Something wicked this way comes for barflies and bartenders who are set in the drinking ways of old. Those who are well-acquainted with the phrase, "add it to my tab", might be caught off guard by the bar behavior of Gen Z. Now that Gen Z's older members are of legal drinking age, it appears they aren't at all inclined to start a tab at the bar. You might chalk it up as one of those bar etiquette rules people don't know they're breaking, but there's more to the trend. It turns out that tab avoidance amongst the young is made in a concerted effort to remain untethered to one watering hole, while still maintaining a sense of fiscal responsibility. We can hear our Millennial bar regulars booing from here.

There are lots of lovely things Gen Z is known for, but their ability to hunker down and stick with it isn't one of them. Arguably the most noncommittal generation, we're now seeing that attitude bleeding out into the minutiae of everyday life. When it comes to starting a bar tab, many Gen Z-ers see it as a hindrance to the flow of the evening. Closing out after each individual drink — even if they have several in the same locale — leaves open the possibility for a quick venue change if the mood should strike. What's more, Gen Z drinks far less alcohol than their predecessors. With greater potential for an evening of moderation, closing out just makes sense to them. 

If Gen Z's reasons for not starting a bar tab sound plausible, then why does it seem to be a thorn in the paw of our nation's professional bartenders? Closing out after every drink doesn't just mess with a bartender's workflow, it can actually have an effect on their pay. To expectant bar guests at a crowded bar, minutes and seconds can seem like an eternity. If the bartender is waiting for you to dig out your card for the third time, it can affect how others tip them.

Speaking of tips, let's talk about what happens to the tip average when unseasoned bar goers close out after every drink. It's pretty common for people to think that tipping between $1 and $2 for a $10 craft cocktail is perfectly acceptable. While the difference may not seem all that shocking, when you're talking about a singular drink, that $1 equates to a 10% tip, while the $2 tip falls safely within the U.S. standard of 20%. If you get several drinks and rack up a $50 tab, tipping your bartender $5 would indicate to them that they did a poor job. It has the same effect when you give five tiny tips. Ultimately, insisting on closing out after every drink could have an impact on your service for the evening as well. At the end of the day, stiffing your bartender is the kind of behavior that will get you ignored by the bartender every time — and that's old-school bar etiquette.