Nightlife without alcohol: Rochester welcomes new "third places"

By Evan Dawson,

Megan Mack, Julie Williams

Published November 10, 2025 at 3:57 PM EST

Three men wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a man at left has short dark hair, a dark beard and is wearing a light blue blazer and blue plaid shirt; a man at center has short brown hair, a brown beard and is wearing glasses and a grey button-down shirt; a man at right has short dark hair and is wearing glasses, a tan blazer, black button-down shirt, jeans and sneakers.

1 of 2 — Bob Hartman and Patrick Hosken with host Evan Dawson on "Connections"

Bob Hartman and Patrick Hosken with host Evan Dawson on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Monday, November 10, 2025

Mary Hussong-Kallen / WXXI News

2 of 2 — Shelley Elkovich Headshot.jpg

Shelley Elkovich

Provided

The number of American adults consuming alcohol fell recently to 54% — the lowest number Gallup has ever recorded since it began tracking alcohol consumption in 1939.

Driving the shift away from alcohol is the 18-34 group. As a result, more restaurants and bars are offering alcohol-free drink options. And there are more "third places" that feature menus without alcohol.

In a recent piece for CITY Magazine, arts reporter Patrick Hosken wrote about how third places are emerging in Rochester. We discuss the ongoing shift in the local scene with our guests:

Patrick Hosken, arts reporter for CITY Magazine
Bob Hartman, co-owner of AltBar
Shelley Elkovich, CEO, founder, and "flavor maven" of For Bitter For Worse