On a busy Saturday night at Pieces, a gay bar in Greenwich Village, Gregory Keller and three friends claimed a spot on the floor shortly before drag performer Jasmine Kennedie took the stage. One of Mr. Keller’s friends bought the first round, another got the second, and then it was his turn. After a few failed attempts to assault a bartender, he ordered four vodka soft drinks.
All in all it was a great night out except for the cost.
“I remember just doing ‘yikes’ when I signed up for a nearly $80 bill,” said Mr. Keller, a 25-year-old architectural designer.
New York is known for being an expensive city and drink prices aren’t exactly set in stone. But Mr. Keller said the surprise tabs over the past few months have left him wondering if he can continue to justify his evenings on the town.
“As much as I love going out, being with friends and dancing, I hate it the next morning when I see the damage to my credit card,” he said.
Inflation has risen the fastest in nearly four decades, impacting the prices of almost everything from pizza to rent. Amid the gulf, the nightlife takes a hit.
In an effort to offset higher labor costs and supplies, many establishments have resorted to walking admission fees and charging more for food and drink, measures that could make a night out less accessible.
Ponyboy, a club in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, raised the prices of its drinks by one dollar, said James Halpern, the owner, adding that he regretted passing the cost on to his customers. “Nightlife should be for everyone, not just the elites who can afford it,” he said.
He noted that Ponyboy’s electricity costs have nearly doubled and that he pays more for several staples. One case of limes, which cost $20 or $30 a few years ago, now goes for $100, he said.
“You turn that into lime juice, and it costs more for an ounce of lime juice than an ounce of top-quality tequila,” Halpern said. “Ultimately, we do little things like not give someone a slice of lime with a tequila shot unless they ask for it.”
Before inflation, the typical ticket price for a Friday or Saturday night at House of Yes, a Bushwick, Brooklyn club known for displaying aerial photographers and dancers in elaborate costumes, was $20 to $25, said Kae Burke, one of the owners. Now the price is $25 to $30, she said.
Justin Ahiyon, a co-owner, noted that “every straw, every napkin” has become more expensive in recent months. Due to the tension, the venue is no longer open on Sundays, which used to be a break-even day, Mr. ahiyon.
“The Sundays were great fun for the community,” he said, “but now it’s just an outright loss.”
For Kind Regards, a cocktail bar on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, disruptions to the alcohol supply chain posed the biggest challenge. Michael Bray, the owner, said he had to buy premium liqueurs in bulk for fear they won’t be available again soon, meaning he’ll have to spend more than usual up front. “You tend to make those big drop decisions with caution, but we’ve had to make them reckless,” he said. Mr Bray also said a major beverage supplier had told him to expect a 15 percent price hike in the coming months.
The Flower Shop, a restaurant and bar with a retro feel on the Lower East Side, is also feeling the pressure. Dylan Hales, a co-founder, said the price of cooking oil has risen to $1.28 a gallon, from 67 cents. A pound of chicken wings, once available for $2.49, now costs $4.49. Mr Hales said he has increased the prices of some menu items, but only slightly.
“We can’t charge $35 for a bowl of chicken wings,” he said.
Ariel Palitz, the senior executive director of the Office of Nightlife in New York City, said most bars and clubs in the five boroughs have done their best “not to raise prices so as to create sticker shock.” At this point, she added, “the need to socialize outweighs the cost.”
However, some regulars are cutting down. Connor McInerney, 26, who works at a media company, said the higher cost of a night out means he’s staying at home more. “There are a lot fewer two-night weekends and more one-night weekends,” he said.
Inflation has hampered venues across the country. The Elephant Room, a jazz bar in Austin, Texas, charged a $5 admission fee on Friday and Saturday nights for decades. This month, it increased the coverage to $7, according to Aaron Frescas, the bar’s director.
Scott Gerber, the chief executive of the Gerber Group, which owns nightlife including Mr. Purple in Manhattan, 12 Stories in Washington, DC and Whiskey Blue in Atlanta, said the company has had to raise drink prices by about 5 percent around the world. country. And in an effort to maintain the workforce during the so-called Great Resignation, it has also increased the wages of some workers by more than 25 percent.
“Due to the tight labor market, we have had to raise our hourly rates and get people to want to come to work,” says Mr. Gerber.
For some people who earn their living at night, such pay increases have been a lifeline. Pablo Romero, who works as a DJ and lighting and sound engineer, said he was out of work for months during the pandemic, when some venues went dark. Things started to pick up when Public Records, a music and performance space in Gowanus, Brooklyn, started paying more for its services, he said.
Not everyone got a boost. Matt FX, a DJ and producer, said he’s noticed DJ rates have dropped in some Manhattan locations lately. “In the past, you could potentially make between $500 and $1,000 a night,” he said. “I see all of these costs being reset to $250 and $300.”
Melissa Rich, a comedian and writer, said she would almost rather stay home than face the bill’s fears. “Feeling worrying about money when you’re gone is so stressful for me,” she said.
On a recent Tuesday night, Ms. Rich, 32, had a plan to meet up with friends at The Box, a Lower East Side club. After arriving later than the others, she ordered a gin and tonic alone at the bar. When the bill came to $28, she was shocked — and a little relieved.
“Thank God I was alone at the time,” she said, “because if I’d had two friends get drinks at $28 each, it would have been a different scenario.”
