Types of bars and nightclubs in the U.S.
There are many different types of bars and nightclubs in the United States. Sports bars, which serve alcohol and food and play sports games continuously on televisions, are one example. In the U.S. there are many well-known sports bar chains, but when considering the leading sports bar chains by sales, Buffalo Wild Wings was the leader by far in 2019 with over three billion U.S. dollars in sales. Another common type of bar is a wine bar, which specializes in wine sales rather than beer or liquor. The wine bar sector has been relatively stable in recent years, and the number of wine bars in the United States has changed little in the last decade. In contrast, the karaoke bar sector has been declining. Karaoke bars provide either small private rooms or a public stage for consumers to sing along to instrumental versions of popular music, while also serving alcohol. The number of karaoke bars in the United States decreased year-on-year over the last decade.
Impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on U.S. bars and nightclubs
The bar and nightclub industry was heavily impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, with social distancing measures resulting in the temporary closure of many establishments. Similarly, restaurants were forced to close indoor dining facilities but were still able to offer takeaway food for sale. Bars and nightclubs, however, were not able to remain in operation as their primary source of revenue is not food but alcoholic beverages. This can be seen in the large drop in the number of employees in the bar and nightclub sector in the U.S., which reached its lowest value of the entire decade in 2020. The crisis also affected the market size of bars and nightclubs in the U.S. which declined by over eight billion U.S. dollars in 2020.
