Pub owners are calling for “last orders” to stop single-file queuing at bars after noticing more drinkers lining up in orderly lines rather than moving through in a typical pub flow. Several outlets report that bar staff and licensees view the practice as a shift from traditional pub crowding and movement.
The reporting attributes the change to a Covid-era habit that some patrons continue, with claims that it has become more noticeable over time. One outlet focuses on the impact on the atmosphere, saying the method is turning a pub visit into something more like queuing in other venues. Another theme is that the trend is seen particularly among younger drinkers, though details vary by report.
While the articles agree on the existence of longer, structured queues, they differ in emphasis: some frame it as a cultural concern about pub “joy” and social feel, while others concentrate on operational pressures for licensees and the visible difference in how customers behave at bar counters.
