At Dinner, Fewer Drink Orders

Level 4 Lesson by: Aron Thode Source: nytimes.com

Warm-up → Read & Listen → Check Understanding → Language → Use It

A street-level photo of a recently closed restaurant with dark windows, stacked chairs inside, a closed sign, and a handmade cardboard “out of business” notice taped to the glass door.
A restaurant that has gone out of business.

American restaurants are facing a new pressure at dinner time: fewer customers are ordering alcohol. A 2025 Gallup poll found that only 54 percent of U.S. adults said they drink, the lowest rate on record. For many restaurants, that shift is reducing profits while other business costs keep rising.

Owners say food brings in guests, but drinks often support the business. Cooking needs skilled labor and fresh ingredients that can spoil quickly. By contrast, alcohol can be stored for a long time and is easier to serve, so profit margins are usually stronger. As rent, wages, and ingredient prices increase, that high-margin part of the menu is getting smaller.

Nonalcoholic options are growing, but many restaurant managers say they cannot make up the lost profit. New York chef-owner Marco Canora said his alcohol sales in 2025 were about 7 percent lower than the year before. He added that quality juices and teas can cost a lot to prepare, yet many guests resist paying cocktail prices for alcohol-free drinks.

A 2026 report on drinking habits said adults aged 31 to 45 were still the most likely to order alcohol at restaurants. However, many millennials are now drinking less as they get older and drink less than before. Owners expected younger adults to replace them, but many say Gen Z guests often stay briefly, take photos, and leave without drink orders.

Another possible factor is the spread of weight-loss drugs, which are now used by millions of Americans and may also reduce drinking. Restaurant managers cannot prove these drugs are driving sales declines, but many suspect they play a role.

Restaurants are expanding alcohol-free menus, yet many say lower drink sales are making it harder to stay in business.

Vocab List

  • poll (n.) — A survey that asks people questions to find out what they think or do.
  • profit margin (n. phrase) — The amount of money earned after costs are paid.
  • ingredient (n.) — A food item used to make a dish.
  • spoil (v.) — To go bad and no longer be good to eat or use.
  • nonalcoholic (adj.) — Not containing alcohol.
  • cocktail (n.) — A mixed drink, often with alcohol.
  • millennial (n.) — A person from the generation born around the 1980s and 1990s.
  • Gen Z (n. phrase) — The generation born after millennials.
  • weight-loss drug (n. phrase) — A medicine used to help people lose weight.
  • sales decline (n. phrase) — A drop in the number or value of items sold.

Speaker: American Female  Duration: 1:59

YouTube link

Listen and fill the gaps below:

Listen and Fill Gaps

Listen to the audio and complete the gaps below:

American restaurants are facing a new (1) __________ at dinner time: fewer customers are ordering alcohol. A 2025 Gallup poll found that only 54 percent of U.S. adults said they drink, the lowest rate on record. For many restaurants, that shift is reducing profits while other business costs keep rising. Owners say food brings in guests, but drinks often support the business. Cooking needs skilled labor and fresh ingredients that can spoil quickly. By contrast, alcohol can be (2) __________ for a long time and is easier to serve, so profit margins are usually stronger. As rent, wages, and ingredient prices increase, that high-margin part of the menu is getting smaller. Nonalcoholic options are growing, but many restaurant managers say they cannot make up the lost profit. New York chef-owner Marco Canora said his alcohol sales in 2025 were about (3) __________ lower than the year before. He added that quality juices and teas can cost a lot to prepare, yet many guests resist paying cocktail prices for alcohol-free drinks. A 2026 report on drinking habits said adults aged 31 to 45 were still the most likely to order alcohol at restaurants. However, many (4) __________ are now drinking less as they get older and drink less than before. Owners expected younger adults to replace them, but many say (5) __________ guests often stay briefly, take photos, and leave without drink orders. Another possible factor is the spread of weight-loss drugs, which are now used by millions of Americans and may also reduce (6) __________. Restaurant managers cannot prove these drugs are driving sales declines, but many suspect they play a role. Restaurants are expanding alcohol-free menus, yet many say lower drink sales are making it harder to stay in (7) __________.
Main Idea

Choose one answer, then click CHECK to see your result.

Main Idea

  • Restaurants are raising menu prices to deal with rent, wages, and ingredient costs.
  • Restaurants are losing a key source of profit as fewer Americans order alcohol.
  • Younger adults now buy more alcohol than older adults when they eat out.
True or False

Answer each question by selecting True or False, then click CHECK to see your results.

  • A 2025 Gallup poll found that only 54 percent of U.S. adults said they drink alcohol.
    The first paragraph says 54 percent of adults said they drink, which was the lowest rate on record.
  • Restaurant managers in the article say alcohol-free drinks can already replace the lost alcohol profit.
    The story says many managers feel alcohol-free drinks are growing, but they still cannot make up the lost profit.
  • Managers can clearly prove that weight-loss drugs are the main reason for lower alcohol sales.
    The article says managers suspect a connection, but they cannot prove these drugs are driving the declines.

True or False

1. A 2025 Gallup poll found that only 54 percent of U.S. adults said they drink alcohol. T / F

2. Restaurant managers in the article say alcohol-free drinks can already replace the lost alcohol profit. T / F

3. Managers can clearly prove that weight-loss drugs are the main reason for lower alcohol sales. T / F

Multiple Choice

1. Why do drinks often matter so much for restaurant profits?

   A) They are the only items with rising demand.

   B) They need more labor than food.

   C) They usually have stronger profit margins.

   D) They are sold only during dinner service.

2. What does Marco Canora say about alcohol-free cocktails?

   A) They are cheaper to make than drinks with alcohol.

   B) They take work to prepare, but guests resist high prices.

   C) They are not popular with customers in New York.

   D) They have raised his alcohol sales compared with last year.

3. What generational pattern do many owners describe?

   A) Millennials are drinking less, and Gen Z has not filled the gap.

   B) Millennials are drinking more than before, and Gen Z follows them.

   C) Adults aged 31 to 45 have stopped ordering alcohol.

   D) Gen Z is ordering more alcohol than every other age group.

Words That Go Together

Loading vocabulary activity...

Words That Go Together

Match each word with the words it goes with:

1. Face

2. Bring in

3. Order

4. Make up

5. Pay

6. Reduce

7. Expand

8. Stay

a) in business

b) alcohol-free menus

c) drinking

d) cocktail prices

e) lost profit

f) alcohol

g) guests

h) pressure

Discussion Builder

Discussion Builder

Choose the best phrase for each gap:

  1. ________ a nonalcoholic drink is worth cocktail prices only if the quality is really high.

    For example, / To me, / But, / So,

  2. Small restaurants need to adjust prices carefully ________ they can lose regular customers if prices jump too fast.

    and / but / because / so

  3. Many young adults care more about health and saving money. ________ they may skip alcohol when they eat out.

    Also, / Because of that, / For example, / But,

Sentence Unscramble

  1. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

    A. faster than B. because C. costs can rise D. sales. E. Running a restaurant F. seems risky to me

  2. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

    A. Compared with B. goes out less often C. older groups, D. my generation E. and drinks less F. at dinner.

  3. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

    A. but B. could be one reason C. I might be wrong, D. weight-loss drugs E. some people F. drink less.

Discussion Questions

  1. What's your favorite food to eat in a restaurant?
  2. What's your favorite nonalcoholic drink?
  3. Do you take photos of your food? If so, what do you do with those pictures? If not, why not?
  4. Is running a restaurant an easy or difficult way to make money? Why?
  5. Would you pay the same price for a nonalcoholic cocktail as for an alcoholic one? Why or why not?
  6. What can small restaurants do when rent, wages, and ingredient costs rise together?
  7. What generation are you a part of? How is your generation different from others?
  8. Why are young adults drinking less than they used to?
  9. Do many adults in your life drink alcohol, or not many?
  10. Are weight-loss drugs popular in your country? Which ones have you heard of?

Answers

Think Ahead: c

Listening: (1) pressure, (2) stored, (3) 7 percent, (4) millennials, (5) Gen Z, (6) drinking, (7) business

Main Idea: Restaurants are losing a key source of profit as fewer Americans order alcohol.

True or False:

  1. True. The first paragraph says 54 percent of adults said they drink, which was the lowest rate on record.
  2. False. The story says many managers feel alcohol-free drinks are growing, but they still cannot make up the lost profit.
  3. False. The article says managers suspect a connection, but they cannot prove these drugs are driving the declines.

Multiple Choice: C, B, A

Vocabulary:

  1. Face: pressure
  2. Bring in: guests
  3. Order: alcohol
  4. Make up: lost profit
  1. Pay: cocktail prices
  2. Reduce: drinking
  3. Expand: alcohol-free menus
  4. Stay: in business

Discussion Builder:

Hints: 1) Opinion. 2) Reason. 3) Result.

  1. To me,
  2. because
  3. Because of that,

Sentence Unscramble:

  1. Running a restaurant seems risky to me because costs can rise faster than sales.
  2. Compared with older groups, my generation goes out less often and drinks less at dinner.
  3. I might be wrong, but weight-loss drugs could be one reason some people drink less.

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