R e st a ur a n ts a r e ge tt ing mo r e c r e a t i v e w i t h t hei r boo z e - f r ee men us . B y R eg a n S t e p hen s | P u bli s hed on Ma r ch 24 , 2025
I n 2023 , t he F o ur S e a s on s H o t el P hil a del p hi a st a rt ed st ocking d r ink s like z e r o - pr oof A t hle t ic B ee r a nd L yr e ’ s non a lcoholic sp i r i ts fo r g u e sts w ho r e qu e st ed t hem . B ut i t w a s n ’ t u n t il mid w a y t h r o u gh t he follo w ing y e a r w hen be v e r a ge di r ec t o r D a w n T r a bing m a de t he deci s ion t o pr in t a men u w i t h t he ne w o pt ion s . W i t hin fi v e mon t h s of a dding a non a lcoholic s ec t ion t o t he ho t el ’ s r e st a ur a n t men us in 2024 , s a le s do u bled f r om t he en t i r e pr e v io us y e a r .
“ I t w a s inc r edible ,” s he s a ys . “ I w a s surpr i s ed b y ho w m u ch i t boomed .”
A t t hi s r a t e , T r a bing pr edic ts s a le s of non a lcoholic d r ink s , w hich incl u de cock t a il s like t he ho us e - m a de bl a ck c urr a n t a nd t onic , w ill o utp e r fo r m bee r s a le s in 2025 . I t ’ s a tr end echoing a c r o ss t he U . S . I n 2024 , a lcohol s a le s s l u m p ed s ignific a n t l y — glob a l be v e r a ge gi a n t D i a geo r e p o rt ed i ts fi rst decline s ince t he p a ndemic , a nd on - pr emi s e s a lcohol s a le s a t r e st a ur a n ts h a v e di pp ed . I n t he r e st a ur a n t ind ustry , pr ofi ts of t en de p end on a lcohol s a le s , w hile food migh t b a r el y b r e a k e v en ( e sp eci a ll y d ur ing r ecen t y e a rs of sur ging infl a t ion ).
S l u m p ing a lcohol s a le s c a n be a ch a llenge fo r r e st a ur a n t o p e r a t o rs — b ut a l s o a n o pp o rtu ni ty . S ome a r e z e r oing in on z e r o - pr oof o pt ion s , c r e a t ing non a lcoholic men us t h a t a r e mo r e in t e r e st ing — a nd in s ome c a s e s , r e v en u e - gene r a t ing — t h a n e v e r befo r e . A me r ic a n s a r e d r inking le ss fo r a n u mbe r of r e a s on s . H e a l t h conce r n s t o p t he li st , highligh t ed b y t he S ur geon G ene r a l ' s w a r ning a bo ut inc r e a s ed c a nce r r i s k s pu bli s hed in Ja n u a ry . T he p o pu l a r i ty of G LP - 1 d ru g s like O z em p ic , w hich c a n c ur b t he c r a v ing t o d r ink , c a n a l s o infl u ence d r inking beh a v io r . T o r e a d t he com p le t e st o ry C lick he r e
H OSP I T A L I TY N E WS A PR | Pa ge 27
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