Would you eat at a restaurant that didn't serve alcohol?

[Yearn]

If a restaurant served only soft drinks and alcohol-free beers/wines/cocktails would you eat there on an evening? Even on a Friday/Saturday night. No BYOB either.

YABU - Yes, I would eat there even on a weekend night.
YANBU - No, I wouldn't eat there on an evening.

It’s a restaurant. I’m going for the food. If the food isn’t good I wouldn’t go regardless if alcohol was allowed or not or sold. If someone was upset by the lack of alcohol, it would put me off of going out with them.

Going out for dinner is usually a special occasion for us (birthday etc) so I'd want the option to drink for that reason.

I'd consider it if it was a favourite cuisine where there aren't good alternative restaurants, but it's certainly not a selling point for me.

I wouldn't have a problem. If the restaurant allowed people to bring their own alcohol, I suspect it would be fine with most people.

If it is food from an alcohol free culture,of course I would go to eat in that place.I is usually very authentic cooking too and lovely food.who would want to spoil this with a dreadful Blue nun!!!

* YABU of course that wouldn’t put me off. I don’t need alcohol to enjoy a meal.*

^This

Are you in the restaurant business?

Do I need to be, to pass comment? I mean I could say yes, to prevent you saying 'well how would you know about P&L of restaurants then' but equally I could say no but be an accountant and still know the ins and outs of many restaurants P&L. If it helps, at the moment I'm not working at all, but my comment isn't any less because of that.

A good example is the many mentions of BYOB just on this thread alone, are none of them making any money at all?

I'd quite like it. I am weak willed so an excuse not to have a drink when out for a meal would be welcome! But I doubt DH would go anywhere near it. I'd go with friends or DS2 who is adult but doesn't much like drinking.

I have done, and would do again. If I’m out to eat with friends or family, I’m there for food and company, not booze. I’m not entrenched in the British habit of making everything about alcohol though.

I guess one argument for a dry restaurant is that people only have to stay long enough to eat and there are plenty of bars and pubs to go to before and after.

Are you going to the restaurant to drink or eat their food, that's the bigger question?
I'd say if good reviews and food you'll eat, go. You can alway have a pre /post dinner drink else where. I'd never pick anywhere to eat based solely on if it sold alcohol or not, that's why you have bars and pubs.

I think it completely depends on the context in which you are dining. If you are meeting a friend for lunch and a coffee during the day then alcohol would not be an issue - many cafes etc don’t serve it and doubt it is a problem.

However if you are going out for an evening meal at the weekend with your husband or friends then I would tend to sit on and enjoy a wine and make it more of a night out therefore I wouldn’t choose somewhere that didn’t sell alcohol.

But if I was out with my son at an activity and went for dinner I would be driving and wouldn’t be drinking anyways

There is too many variables in my opinion

Yes. I do like a glass of wine with a restaurant meal, but I wouldn't refuse to go because they didn't have wine - I'd mind more if they didn't have coffee!

Yes is go to a dry restaurant even if its a one off try and see what the food is like, I've been to a dry Asian restaurant a few times and it was fine

Yes, I’d definitely go. I love to pair alcohol with food but it’s not a necessity.

@Ducksurprise

Honestly, it's fine, you'll survive, the food is still delicious. Really not sure why it'd be a deal-breaker.

But when I pay I don't want to survive, I want to pay for something that brings me pleasure, I don't like to pay to eat things I can cook better at home or pay for soft drinks that I do not like. I drink water at home, if paying out I like a glass of wine.

Well it's you missing out on potentially amazing food because you have to have your glass of wine and can't enjoy a meal without it. No skin off my nose.

Depends on the cuisine and the calibre of restaurants. I eat out a lot, frequently with my non-drinking older teens. I wouldn't plan to drink alcohol at a quick family pre-theatre/post-movie meal for example. Likewise I'm happy to drink tea or mineral water with a good Chinese/ Japanese/ Korean meal. Given the choice between Indian with a beer and Korean with fizzy water I'd always go with Korean.

But for a destination European romantic meal out for two, or a get together in a restaurant with friends I'd not choose a dry restaurant because the wine specifically tastes good with the food and helps you relax, in moderation.

However this is a generational thing. I'm Gen X but Millennials and especially Gen Z are far less likely to see alcohol as a necessary part of an evening out. Restaurants which have built their operating model around that assumptions will gradually have to change.

MN is full of people who think more than a thimbleful of Sherry at Christmas makes you an alcoholic.

In the real world most people have an alcoholic drink with a restaurant dinner. People would have to choose the dry restaurant over all the other options and in most groups there will be at least one person who objects. Basically, it will limit your clientele.

MN is full of people who think more than a thimbleful of Sherry at Christmas makes you an alcoholic.

It's also full of posters who state this.

This feels like market research or a journo request.

Absolutely, but then I very rarely drink and certainly don't need alcohol to enjoy a meal.

Well it's you missing out on potentially amazing food because you have to have your glass of wine and can't enjoy a meal without it. No skin off my nose.

@gannett if you actually read what @Ducksurprise wrote, it’s not about ‘can’t enjoy’ it’s about ‘don’t want to pay for an experience I don’t want’. It’s no skin off anyone’s nose.

Occasionally, depending on cuisine, but not that often.

For me an evening meal out is relatively rare, I've shelled out for a sitter etc so its usually a special occasion and I want to enjoy it with being restricted about what I can drink.

OP, Mumsnet is the wrong place to ask this, as it's packed full of people who never drink/think that someone who wants a nice bottle of wine with a nice meal is an alcoholic.

I rarely get the chance to eat out, so when I do, I would always choose somewhere that had a decent wine list as well as decent food. The two things go together so far as I'm concerned.

Having a drink somewhere else afterwards wouldn't interest me at all. By then I'd be ready to go home.

I hate puddings, though (including chocolate), whereas some people would feel put out if there were nothing sweet on the menu.

Are you planning to open an alcohol-free restaurant, OP?

@ThanksItHasPockets

This feels like market research or a journo request.

Lol who the hell would do market research using an aibu vote?

It's just a question. Having discussed it with friends who were evenly split I thought I'd ask here too.

The thing is, a restaurant which offers alcohol as well as soft drinks can appeal to most - it won't bother most non drinkers to be in a restaurant where some people are having a drink.

A restaurant which does not serve any alcohol is going to have a reduced market because in many groups, for a nice meal, there will be at least one or two people who want to drink.