By: Marlee Cockrum

When Friday rolls around after a long week, students can finally catch their breath after 5 days of class, work and responsibilities. All that’s left to do is decide how to spend their weekend. Historically, a stereotypical college kid can be found at a local bar on any given Friday night, forgetting their worries with drink in hand.

This is still a reality on campus, but lately, we see a different Friday night becoming more common. A night that includes entertainment instead of intoxication, reflecting instead of forgetting and mocktails instead of cocktails. There is no denying the growth of this trend, with many brands profiting on nonalcoholic drink lines and dry businesses emerging to accommodate a generation with waning interest in the cliche weekend habits. 

The catalyst of this movement is a combination of several factors— mental health being a large one. 58% of Gen Z said they plan to drink less in the new year solely to improve their mental health; this is a significant 45% increase from the year previous according to Circana 2025. 

The correlation between drinking and mental health is unique right now. With social media technology emerging in society alongside Gen Z, strict self-image management has become a non-negotiable. What happens in a weekend no longer stays there, but instead leaves a permanent digital footprint. 

The weight of maintaining a positive image means that a night out is far less freeing than it used to be, contrasting to an age where students and young adults were able to let loose with little “evidence” or negative effects.

Another factor in this trend is Gen Z’s increased awareness of physical health. In a society hyperfocused on holistic wellness, some young people are deciding that alcohol is no longer compatible with their lifestyle.

On top of this, many students are expressing fatigue of the clubbing lifestyle, choosing instead to partake in eclectic activities or more diverse entertainment on the weekends. 

The buzzword an increasing number of Gen Z is using to identify their stance on alcohol is “sober-curious.” The term describes a person taking a step back from the late-night partying lifestyle to experiment with more diverse sober activities, often involving new hobbies, craft workshops, and lattes or mocktails.

Whether for public image management or personal wellbeing, society is shifting to keep up with the growing “sober-curious” audience. Even the local Ozark Charcuterie & Wine Bar introduced their first mocktail to their menu last week, which is a telling decision for an establishment with “wine” in the name to make.

Fayetteville in particular has seen lots of creative dry events on the calendar this year. Instagram page “fayettevillecitylifestyle” promotes local Northwest Arkansas businesses and events, giving us a glimpse into what students and residents have been into lately. Each monthly post lists events like “Game Night at Meteor Cafe,” “Downtown Fayetteville Coffee Crawl,” and “Yoga at Fayetteville Public Library.” The page spotlights new businesses from Iris Art House & Supply Co.; an art shop and maker hub, to Artemis Temperance Lounge; a non-alcoholic lounge and venue–proving that local interest is expanding beyond just happy hours.

Bo Counts, owner of Pinpoint and the new Artemis Temperance Lounge, has been involved in the NWA bar scene for long enough to see its evolution. He said that he has noticed Gen Z becoming tired of the same type of bars, cheap booze and lack of diverse third spaces. 

Counts reflected on a time when Dickson street had something for everyone. Common Grounds was a late night coffee cafe for all ages, and Smoke & Barrel hosted indie bands and independent music almost every night, just to name a few. According to Counts, the Fayetteville nightlife used to have a diversity we do not see anymore, with spots for anyone from art school students to Greeks. 

He thinks the nature of the forgotten spots he grew up with are the missing piece to this generation, and an answer to the public’s demands. “People are craving a space like this, but they don’t know it yet. They don’t know what they’re missing.”

Counts’ latest endeavor, Artemis Temperance Lounge, is an alcohol-free bar focused on authentic discovery and diverse community. The vibe is cool and dimly-lit by night, decorated with unique art on the walls and eclectic furniture. The space hosts various pop-ups and events from live local bands to ceramic workshops to art showcases.

“I wanted to bring back some of those spaces that Fayetteville lost,” Counts said. “Something that’s about the community, and it’s not necessarily centered around, ‘oh, we’re just going to the bar to get drunk.’” 

The new lounge operates with a goal of being that lost “third-space,” providing weekend activities for those looking for something besides drinks at Tin Roof. Many Gen-Z students are tired of the same weekend routine and crave something new, but struggle finding other places worth their time and money.

Businesses attempting to fulfill the demand of a growing sober-curious population face difficulties creating something that can compete with a traditional bar, however. A Dickson Street bar automatically has an established value because of the audience for a known spot with familiar drinks. Non-alcocolic bars have to fight for their success.

“The challenge is, are there enough people here to support what we’re doing and not just be like, ‘hey, that’s so cool?’”

It is not that Counts is anti-alcohol, in fact his first project was creating the well-known pinball and cocktail lounge Pinpoint back in 2018. He simply observed the local need for a different kind of entertainment and shifted his focus from cocktail to mocktail. 

Nonalcoholic drinks plastered with the snappy “mocktail” label are growing in popularity within Gen Z. Everyday we see more brands capitalizing on the sober trend with wide varieties of non-alcoholic beverages that mimic the taste of familiar cocktail flavors.

Even popular beer and seltzer brands have released versions of their products without the alcohol, such as Michelob Ultra Zero and White Claw Zero Proof. The goal is to provide a fun and familiar drink while catering to a sober-curious generation.

Counts, however, dislikes the term mocktail. He instead refers to the Artemis beverages as non-alcoholic, claiming that the prefix “mock” is negative. 

“It’s like a fake drink,” Counts said. “A cruddy imitation of something you’d rather have.”

Alcohol-free bartending has advanced past just pouring Sprite and Grenadine in a cup, with mixologists spending years testing different formulas, crafting their own syrups and utilizing modern culinary technology. Now that there is a growing interest in non-alcoholic drinks with the same intentionality and complexity as traditional cocktails, their efforts are appreciated rather than seen as novel.

Counts argues that it is harder to create an interesting drink without the backbone of a spirit. “To create a beverage that makes you want to sip it and think about it, and isn’t just ‘fruit punch:’ that’s the goal.”

Artemis is intentional in their efforts and is far from just a bar with no alcohol, priding itself in the varieties of events hosted at the venue and mixologists who aim to tailor quality drinks that are actually worth your money. Many spots we see popping up have similar motives, to decentralize alcohol and give young people a more diverse Friday night experience without sacrificing a good time.

A weekend on Dickson is well-spent at Tin Roof or YeeHawg, no doubt about it. But for the growing number of “sober-curious” students looking for an entertaining Friday night without the hangover, new options like Artemis Temperance Lounge are opening up every day. Taking a step back from familiar weekend habits does not have to mean missing out on that “night-out” experience, and quality events and entertainment are out there waiting to put something fresh on your calendar.