ENS

Level-graded English lessons with reading, listening, activities, and discussion.

Lesson Info

Type
Article
Level
4 / B2
Published
Title
At Dinner, Fewer Drink Orders
Webpage
https://eslnewsstories.com/articles/2026-04-02-at-dinner-fewer-drink-orders/

Lesson Content

Warm-up, Vocab List, Reading and Audio

Understanding: Main Idea, True or False, Multiple Choice

Language: Words That Go Together

Use It: Discussion Builder, Sentence Unscramble, Discussion Questions

Answers

Think Ahead: Which detail do you think appears in this story?

a) Alcohol-free cocktails now bring in more profit than alcoholic drinks.

b) Gen Z customers usually order more alcohol than millennials.

c) Drinks often give restaurants better profit margins than food.

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.

Ask: (1) How often do you go out to eat? (2) Do you drink alcohol with meals? Why or why not?

Vocab List

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

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.

At Dinner, Fewer Drink Orders

Level 4 Article Source: nytimes.com
Warm-up → or → 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.

Speaker: American Female  Duration: 1:59  YouTube

Listen Closely

Listen and Fill Gaps

Listen to the audio on eslnewsstories.com 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) .

Listen and Fill Gaps

Loading listening activity...

Discussion Builder

  1. Q: Would you pay the same price for a nonalcoholic cocktail as for an alcoholic one? Why or why not?

    A:

  2. Q: What can small restaurants do when rent, wages, and ingredient costs rise together?

    A:

  3. Q: Why are young adults drinking less than they used to?

    A:
Use It

Discussion Builder

Choose the best phrase for each gap:

  1. Q: Would you pay the same price for a nonalcoholic cocktail as for an alcoholic one? Why or why not?

    A: a nonalcoholic drink is worth cocktail prices only if the quality is really high.

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

    To me, a nonalcoholic drink is worth cocktail prices only if the quality is really high.

  2. Q: What can small restaurants do when rent, wages, and ingredient costs rise together?

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

    and / but / because / so

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

  3. Q: Why are young adults drinking less than they used to?

    A: 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,

    Many young adults care more about health and saving money. Because of that, they may skip alcohol when they eat out.

Sentence Unscramble

Sentence Unscramble

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

    Running a restaurant seems risky to me because costs can rise faster than sales.

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

    Compared with older groups, my generation goes out less often and drinks less 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.

    I might be wrong, but weight-loss drugs could be one reason some people 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?

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 At Dinner, Fewer Drink Orders / Level 4

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.

eslnewsstories.com