Welcome to Bar Talk, where we dive into the latest drinking trends. Tonight: why Gen Z refuses to open bar tabs.

Picture this: you’re at West Hollywood’s Bar Lubitsch. Scott Korinke orders two drinks, then “joking that he had ‘commitment issues,’” he closes out immediately. He’s not alone. Many 20-somethings would rather tap and go than leave their card behind the bar.

For a generation that’s drinking less and obsessed with budgets, tabs feel archaic. As 26-year-old Cameron Haluska puts it, “It increases anxiety in me when I leave a tab open.” Digital wallets and one-and-done transactions have trained them to pay per drink, just like buying a coffee.

Bartenders see it differently. Swiping cards for every round slows down service and drives up merchant fees—sometimes doubling costs for bars. Managers in hotspots like L.A. and New Orleans are even resorting to gentle shaming: “You guys all know each other? You guys not friends?” they’ll quip.

Gen Z’s pay-as-you-go style reflects bigger shifts in money habits, financial literacy and the post-pandemic world. That’s it for tonight’s Bar Talk—cheers to your next drink, tab or no tab!
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