In Memoriam: Ames Business/Restaurants

[Al_4_State]

I think the Gen Z lack of socializing is not a long term trend. They've been absolutely ruined as human beings by having social media and smart phones from a really young age, and then being at a super vulnerable age during COVID.

I predict the kids behind them will behave far more in line with thousands of years of human history than this sudden shift into anti-social isolation.

 

[Al_4_State]

We used to be a proper country! Don't even get me started on the Zyn's!

Leave Zyn out of this.

Signed, an occasional Zyn enjoying elder millenial.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

I've never thought of CyTown as something targeting current students, but I'm also very nervous about it.

they'll need students for staffing, no doubt

but scares me what this place could look like May-September

I've been scathed for saying it but Cytown is going to end up being a shell of what everyone has envisioned. A bunch of those retail spaces will end up being revolving doors and I don't think there will be more than 1 or two food/drink establishments. I hope I'm wrong but I feel like this is gonna end up being a decision made on emotion (KC ad Green Bay) that Pollard is going to want back.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Leave Zyn out of this.

Signed, an occasional Zyn enjoying elder millenial.

Pull your skinny jeans up and put a dip in like a real man.

 

[Messi]

I've been scathed for saying it but Cytown is going to end up being a shell of what everyone has envisioned. A bunch of those retail spaces will end up being revolving doors and I don't think there will be more than 1 or two food/drink establishments. I hope I'm wrong but I feel like this is gonna end up being a decision made on emotion (KC ad Green Bay) that Pollard is going to want back.

Cytown sneak preview

 

[cycloneworld]

I've been scathed for saying it but Cytown is going to end up being a shell of what everyone has envisioned. A bunch of those retail spaces will end up being revolving doors and I don't think there will be more than 1 or two food/drink establishments. I hope I'm wrong but I feel like this is gonna end up being a decision made on emotion (KC ad Green Bay) that Pollard is going to want back.

I think it will be crazy busy for all ISU sporting events but dead during the other 90% of days.

In my opinion, they’ll need a brewery a
+ a few bars to attract the non-Ames crowd for some bar hopping options. If this is retail + commercial + 1 restaurant + 1 brewery, I don’t know how it lives up to expectations.

Either way, it will be fun as hell during football and basketball games.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

I think it will be crazy busy for all ISU sporting events but dead during the other 90% of days.

In my opinion, they’ll need a brewery a
+ a few bars to attract the non-Ames crowd for some bar hopping options. If this is retail + commercial + 1 restaurant + 1 brewery, I don’t know how it lives up to expectations.

Either way, it will be fun as hell during football and basketball games.

I'm afraid that's exactly what it will be.

 

[wenkeej]

I think it will be crazy busy for all ISU sporting events but dead during the other 90% of days.

In my opinion, they’ll need a brewery a
+ a few bars to attract the non-Ames crowd for some bar hopping options. If this is retail + commercial + 1 restaurant + 1 brewery, I don’t know how it lives up to expectations.

Either way, it will be fun as hell during football and basketball games.

My opinion is McFarland Clinic will be biggest money maker for CyTown.

As for football games, it will only be fun if it can accommodate more than 20,000-30,000 people. Otherwise will will end up like trying to get food at Jack Trice at halftime.

 

[Cyclonsin]

I think the Gen Z lack of socializing is not a long term trend. They've been absolutely ruined as human beings by having social media and smart phones from a really young age, and then being at a super vulnerable age during COVID.

I predict the kids behind them will behave far more in line with thousands of years of human history than this sudden shift into anti-social isolation.

A couple things on this:

Younger gens drinking less (and therefore going to bars less) was already happening before Covid took place. It was a very clear and concerning trend when I was in the brewing industry, which I left (fortuitously) in 2019.

These kids are still socializing, they just aren't doing as much of it at bars.

There is a decent chunk that's replaced their in-person socializing with a virtual substitute, and I suspect this is where there will be a bit of a rebound once kids unaffected by social distancing and lockdowns come of age.

Either way, I don't think there's a signficant increase in kids who aren't socializing, it's just different than what we grew up with. Online gaming replacing LAN parties is a perfect example of how that's evolved.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

A couple things on this:

Younger gens drinking less (and therefore going to bars less) was already happening before Covid took place. It was a very clear and concerning trend when I was in the brewing industry, which I left (fortuitously) in 2019.

These kids are still socializing, they just aren't doing as much of it at bars.

There is a decent chunk that's replaced their in-person socializing with a virtual substitute, and I suspect this is where there will be a bit of a rebound once kids unaffected by social distancing and lockdowns come of age.

Either way, I don't think there's a signficant increase in kids who aren't socializing, it's just different than what we grew up with. Online gaming replacing LAN parties is a perfect example of how that's evolved.

Yep and that's also why the RTD and Seltzer categories are killing craft beer and wine sales. I worked in the business for 10 years and also left in 2019. The writing was on the wall then. Iowa is on the back side of the decline mostly because craft beer "arrived" here a lot later than other states. We just weren't a lucrative state for breweries that have limited capacity. The strong breweries in Iowa are going to continue to do OK but a lot of the small ones are already dead.

 

[Al_4_State]

A couple things on this:

Younger gens drinking less (and therefore going to bars less) was already happening before Covid took place. It was a very clear and concerning trend when I was in the brewing industry, which I left (fortuitously) in 2019.

These kids are still socializing, they just aren't doing as much of it at bars.

There is a decent chunk that's replaced their in-person socializing with a virtual substitute, and I suspect this is where there will be a bit of a rebound once kids unaffected by social distancing and lockdowns come of age.

Either way, I don't think there's a signficant increase in kids who aren't socializing, it's just different than what we grew up with. Online gaming replacing LAN parties is a perfect example of how that's evolved.

There’s absolutely an increase in young people not socializing in person, and it’s largely driven by smart phone addiction.

Young people aren’t just drinking less, they’re also having less sex, playing less social sports, etc. Rec leagues are dying. Social outdoor recreation is dying - bicycling for example has become unpopular among Gen Z.

They aren’t really more healthy, they’re more risk averse and content being in their homes for the majority of the time.

 

[ISU22CY]

There’s absolutely an increase in young people not socializing in person, and it’s largely driven by smart phone addiction.

Young people aren’t just drinking less, they’re also having less sex, playing less social sports, etc. Rec leagues are dying. Social outdoor recreation is dying - bicycling for example has become unpopular among Gen Z.

They aren’t really more healthy, they’re more risk averse and content being in their homes for the majority of the time.

When you say this what age range are you referring to?

 

[ClonesFTW]

We used to be a proper country! Don't even get me started on the Zyn's!

*puts another Zyn in*

 

[ISU22CY]

*puts another Zyn in*

Probably one of those pansy ass 3mg ones too right?

 

[Al_4_State]

When you say this what age range are you referring to?

Gen Z. People born from like ‘99-‘10 or so.

The people who were kids when smartphones hit. I recently read Generation Anxiety, and it lays out a ton of stats on this front.

And I’m not railing against the kids. They were set up to struggle by technology that developed faster than our ability to truly comprehend the effects.

 

[Cy94]

I feel like that has been going on for a long while now. I will say it was surprising the one Friday my wife and I were down in Ames I think probably around 4ish and there was almost 0 kids out enjoying FAC. WTF? I remember a whole crew of us would meet up just get hammered, go home sleep for a few hours wake up shower and then start the night again...

Also this generation needs to stop being a bunch of pussies with their fruit flavored vapes and enjoy some drunk cigs like George Washington wanted us to.

“Hanging out” on social media.

 

[KennyPratt42]

The decrease in third places has kind of happened from both ends. Younger people definitely do a lot less hanging out/socializing in person and particularly in public places. It started long before Covid (I remember reading Bowling Alone in college and that was published in 2000), but 2020/21 definitely accelerated things. But also there are a lot less low cost or no cost third places available to high school and college kids. Its kind of a phenomenon that feeds on itself. We have young kids and I've been kind of been astonished how often I'll junior high or even high school aged kids at public/neighborhood parks designed for young kids because they don't have anywhere else to go.

 

[ISU22CY]

The decrease in third places has kind of happened from both ends. Younger people definitely do a lot less hanging out/socializing in person and particularly in public places. It started long before Covid (I remember reading Bowling Alone in college and that was published in 2000), but 2020/21 definitely accelerated things. But also there are a lot less low cost or no cost third places available to high school and college kids. Its kind of a phenomenon that feeds on itself. We have young kids and I've been kind of been astonished how often I'll junior high or even high school aged kids at public/neighborhood parks designed for young kids because they don't have anywhere else to go.

Target...holy hell that has to be the place where junior high/highschool kids hang out. Last night we had to run over to mason city to return some stuff and I bet there was 20 "packs" of JH/HS kids. No complaints its awesome to see them out and about.

I'm so far removed from what kids are doing and not doing anymore. It'll be interesting to see what direction my niece's (9) generation goes..I feel like they are very social and outgoing. Loads of kids in sports and activities but could just be a local thing.

 

[cycloneworld]

There’s absolutely an increase in young people not socializing in person, and it’s largely driven by smart phone addiction.

Young people aren’t just drinking less, they’re also having less sex, playing less social sports, etc. Rec leagues are dying. Social outdoor recreation is dying - bicycling for example has become unpopular among Gen Z.

They aren’t really more healthy, they’re more risk averse and content being in their homes for the majority of the time.

Add in that everything is more expensive and you have a perfect storm. When I was in school in the early 2000s, a beer at a bar was like $2 or $3. Now, a beer is like $5-$8 and wages aren’t up 3-4x to offset those costs. And during FAC and other specials, you could get hammered for like $20. Not very easy now…

 

[DFWClone]

That generation is 1) drinking less as a whole; 2) going out way less because it's ******* expensive to go out, even on Welch; 3) going out only after getting sufficiently drunk while pregaming, so places are ghost towns til it's dark.

This is a nationwide phenomenon.

Couldn’t have said it any better.

FAC at AJs was borderline dead weekend of the Baylor game. When I was in school, about 10 years ago, it was completely full and there was a line to get in every Friday when the weather was nice enough.

I mentioned in here before, we went to SIPs that same Friday night around midnight and it was a ghost town. Completely empty. That would have been unheard of 10 years ago.

Crazy how times have changed so fast. Makes me sad.