Global Bar Report 2025: North America
Running a bar can be a challenge every day, but one the industry in the region is well up for after a testing few years.
*This feature was originally published in the November 2025 issue of The Spirits Business magazine.
“There’s a whole generation of bar-goers who haven’t spent time in bars, and, in their formative years, didn’t leave the house much,” says Bo Shuff, executive director of the United States Bartenders’ Guild, of the generation gap after the Covid-19 pandemic.
“For bars to continue to thrive, the importance of prioritising creating safe, inclusive spaces is as important now as it ever was,” he adds, emphasising the return to a focus on hospitality and guests.
Washington DC-based Shuff says the US government shutdown on 1 October – which came after Republican and Democratic officials failed to reach a funding agreement before the start of the new fiscal year – is “having an adverse effect” on the city’s hospitality industry.
Speaking of instability, Neal Bodenheimer, managing partner of bar group CureCo, feels national trade policies are some of the biggest issues North America’s bars are facing. “Or should I say lack of cohesive policies are destabilising our industry and our standing in the world,” he says. “Tourism from other countries is down. Domestic spending is down. The price of products is way up. In business, you always want stability, and we are not living in a particularly stable time.”
In New York, Jack McGarry, co-founder of The Dead Rabbit, says the market remains healthy, “though rising costs from tariffs and broader inflationary pressures are starting to bite”. He says the squeeze is also caused by a younger generation drinking less, but “people are still drinking – they’re just drinking better. That shift will have a range of impacts on the sector in the months and years ahead.”
Moe Aljaff, co-founder of Schmuck in New York, is on the same wavelength. He says: “It’s healthier than it looks from the outside, but also tougher than it’s ever been to make it work. Costs are insane – labour, produce, rent, insurance – everything’s gone up, but guests’ expectations are higher too.”
With that said, Aljaff sees an upside in a stronger sense of community. “After Covid, people are done with transactional service. They want connection, authenticity, and identity, so bars that have a clear soul, story, or purpose are the ones thriving.”
Mariena Mercer Boarini, master mixologist for Wynn Resorts – North America, who is based in Las Vegas, views these industry challenges as opportunities for reinvention. She explains that difficulties with staffing, for instance, “remind us to invest more deeply in people to nurture creativity, mentorship, and longevity behind the bar. Costs and supply fluctuations can actually spark innovation,” she adds, noting the venue has responded by “developing our own in-house ingredients and practices, turning necessity into artistry”.
Aljaff is impressed by the level of creativity in the US bar scene. “Bartenders, designers, and owners are collaborating like never before – across cities, countries, even mediums,” he enthuses. “You see fashion crossovers, art installations, bars doing pop-ups in galleries or retail spaces. The industry’s expanding its cultural footprint.”
Boarini notes the energy, too. “It feels electric,” she says. “There’s so much collaboration, innovation, and optimism. Guests are more engaged than ever; they ask questions, they celebrate craftsmanship, and they genuinely care about the stories behind their drinks.”
Shuff believes some of this creativity stems from the younger generation’s drinking habits. “We’re starting to see trends of creativity that are reacting to Gen Z drinking less. Non-alcoholic cocktail menus have moved out of specific locations and into a far broader number of establishments.”
McGarry feels this is an area that venues can take advantage of, which means “meeting customers where they are” – whether that’s through no- and low-alcohol options, coffee, or nootropic beverages.
Diving into trends, Aljaff perceives two sides in the US. On one hand, he notes a movement towards smaller, more personal cocktail programmes – “bars that feel intimate, story-driven, with strong brand identity rather than just ‘fancy drinks’”.
On the other, he observes “a wave of big experiential venues”, with places that combine nightlife, dining and entertainment.
Design is changing too, with Aljaff noting that “bars are looking more like galleries, studios, or restaurants” and “people are realising the atmosphere and design sell as much as what’s in the glass.”
In Mexico City, Handshake Speakeasy co-owner Eric Van Beek believes a lot of trends come and go. But he has noticed a rise in minimalistic presentation in recent years, as well as the increased use of lab equipment.
There’s also the small matter of the Fifa World Cup on the horizon. The world’s biggest sporting event will take place next summer in North America, with football fans from all over the globe visiting, and delivering a healthy boost to business.
Read the Global Bar Report overview and region report on Europe.
Bars to watch in 2026
Seed Library, New York, US
It’s always an exciting time to be a barfly in New York, but November took it up a notch with news that Ryan Chetiyawardana had rolled into town. The acclaimed bartender – also known as Mr Lyan – has replicated his London cocktail hideout Seed Library, marking his first venue in the Big Apple and fifth overall. London’s Seed Library has nurtured a stellar reputation for creative cocktails, intriguing flavour combinations, and warm hospitality. New Yorkers can expect more of the same, based on the lower ground floor of Hotel Park Ave in the heart of the Nomad neighbourhood.
San Patricios, New Jersey, US
The Irish pub and the Mexican cantina – two of the world’s great drinking establishments – meet at Jack McGarry’s new venue, San Patricios, in Jersey City. McGarry, who is the co-founder of The Dead Rabbit, and knows a thing or two about the Irish pub, has enlisted a pro team with Mexican heritage to ensure the bar’s story is “authentically told on both sides”. Live Irish sessions and Mexican folk bands lead the entertainment, and Irish whiskey and Tequila sit side by side on the back bar. The famed Irish Coffee get a San Patricios spin – with Patrón Tequila, Teeling Irish Whiskey, coffee, café de olla, and whipped cream.
Bar Bambi, Chicago, US
A veteran of the Chicago scene, Katie Renshaw has been in the cocktail game for a while, counting 2019 US World Class Bartender of the Year among her accolades, but 2025 might be her defining year, culminating in the opening of her first owned-and-operated bar: Bar Bambi. She says: “I want it to feel comfortable but a bit surreal, like you’ve stepped into a dream that still somehow feels at home in the big city of Chicago.” That means a mirrored back bar with a neon glow, backed by drinks that lean into her “signature creativity” – for instance, an Old Fashioned transformed into a clarified Whisky Sour.
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