A UNIQUE trend is catching steam from some diners who go out for a night of fun.
It’s become so popular that some beloved restaurants are even overhauling their menus to accommodate it.
Known as “zebra striping,” many Gen Zers who are now of drinking age are focusing on moderation, per Restaurant Business.
It involves alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks throughout a night out at a restaurant or bar.
The “zebra striping” reference comes from the black and white striped pattern, with black being alcoholic and white being non-alcoholic or vice versa.
Gen Z’s decision to go along with the trend isn’t surprising, as the generation as a whole is drinking less than previous ones.
Data from IWSR, a company that leads in alcohol insights, shows that 48% of Gen Z alcohol drinkers actively choose to drink less.
That statistic goes up to 68% for those that prefer or enjoy non-alcoholic or low-alcohol beverages.
To keep up, many restaurants and bars now have a wide variety of zero-proof cocktails, wines, spirits, and beers on their menu for those who are “zebra striping” or who don’t drink at all.
SAVE, SAVE, SAVE
Not to mention, aside from the non-alcoholic factor, Gen Z consumers are reaching for the zero proof drinks because they’re cheaper, as noted in data from Technomic.
Getting tap water or a soda offers even more savings.
Non-alcoholic drink selection has become even more important than alcoholic variety, according to Technomic’s study.
All the more reason for bars and restaurants to invest in it.
“Gen Z and younger millennials are most likely to engage in both alcohol and non-alcohol bar drinks during the same restaurant occasion — to a significant degree — and mocktails/alcohol-free cocktails are the top item paired with beverage alcohol,” Robert Byrne, senior director of consumer research at Technomic, noted.
“Everything is expensive in the current inflationary environment, but that is likely a small part of the reason behind the trend.”
Byrne said that it’s less about affordability and more of “a combination of increased interest in moderation as an important component of an overall healthy lifestyle and experience-seeking behavior.”
What is alcohol?
Here's what you need to know...
- Alcohol, also known by its chemical name ethanol, is a psychoactive drug
- It’s the active ingredient in alcoholic drinks like beer, wine and distilled spirits
- Alcohol is believed to be one of the world’s oldest and most commonly used recreational substances
- Its effects include mood lifting, decreased anxiety, increased sociability, sedation, and impairment of cognitive, memory, motor and sensory functions
- Short-term negative effects include dizziness, nausea and vomiting
- It can also be addictive to humans, and have damaging long-term health effects, including liver damage, brain damage and cancer
- Alcohol has been produced and consumed by humans for its psychoactive effects for almost 10,000 years
- Drinking is socially acceptable and legal in most countries
THREE-STEP PLAN
There are also at least three specific moves that restaurants and bars can make to ensure they benefit from the “zebra striping” trend, according to Restaurant Business.
Firstly, change up the drink menu overall.
It should have a wider variety of non-alcoholic options, of course, with some mocktails that are close to original cocktails in taste and presentation.
That means using the same glassware and ensuring the quality is identical, even though there’s no alcohol.
Second, restaurants and bars should take advantage of deals and promotions around brunch, lunch, and happy hour that support “zebra striping” tendencies.
It could be something like 50% off cocktails ordered after a non-alcoholic beverage.
This could also be paired with food offerings.
Lastly, flights would be a great option.
There’s already alcoholic flights, but there could be non-alcoholic ones as well, or a mixup of both as a fun game.
A restaurant was also blasted recently for selling a $33,000 vodka cocktail, but some diners said it actually saves money because of an added perk.
Breweries have also been taking financial hits in recent years, as a bloodbath of bankruptcies continues.
