A bizarre phenomenon has taken hold of Britain's pubs, where customers are increasingly adopting a single-file queuing system to order drinks. Bar owners and staff have expressed their frustration at this trend, which they argue is "ridiculous" and detrimental to the traditional pub experience.
The practice, where patrons line up behind one another, waiting for their turn to be served by a bartender, has become all too familiar in many establishments across the country. The queueing system, once an integral part of British pub culture, now seems to have been hijacked by younger generations who are more accustomed to the rigid rules and structures imposed by online transactions.
"It's like the one person did it once and since then everyone has followed like lemmings," said Paul Loebenberg, managing director of Wolfpack Taproom in north-west London. "Staff at our bar have had to walk over from behind the taps to free customers from the queue, while we've trained our staff to say 'Please come forward, don't queue'. It's just not working."
The rise of single-file queuing has left many bar owners perplexed and concerned about the long-term implications for their businesses. Jess Riley, manager at Wylam Brewery in Newcastle, echoed Loebenberg's sentiments, stating that the trend began around 2020, during the pandemic, when people started to adopt this new form of social distancing.
"It wasn't a thing before Covid," said Riley. "And now it's just become normalised. We're a big place with massive bars, but some people still refuse to stop queuing. It's just ridiculous."
Academic John Drury, professor of psychology at the University of Sussex, offered some insight into this phenomenon. According to him, attitudes towards public activities such as going for drinks have changed since the pandemic, sometimes negatively.
"People's behaviour has gotten worse post-pandemic," said Drury. "When we've spoken to people in these industries, many say that behaviour has become normalised, and when you ask the general public, their response is more mixed, because not all of them realise that their behaviour has changed."
Drury also highlighted that social norms play a significant role in shaping our behavior, citing an example from his experience as a consultant for the planning of the queue to pay respects to Queen Elizabeth II after her death. He noted that despite the illogical nature of single-file queuing at pubs, social pressure means it is likely to persist.
"The norm means not only something that people generally do, but also something that people in your group think is the right thing to do," explained Drury. "And people don't want to be put in a position where they're regarded as deviant or troublemakers."
As Britain's pubs continue to grapple with this unexpected trend, it remains to be seen how long single-file queuing will persist and what its impact on traditional pub culture will ultimately be.
The practice, where patrons line up behind one another, waiting for their turn to be served by a bartender, has become all too familiar in many establishments across the country. The queueing system, once an integral part of British pub culture, now seems to have been hijacked by younger generations who are more accustomed to the rigid rules and structures imposed by online transactions.
"It's like the one person did it once and since then everyone has followed like lemmings," said Paul Loebenberg, managing director of Wolfpack Taproom in north-west London. "Staff at our bar have had to walk over from behind the taps to free customers from the queue, while we've trained our staff to say 'Please come forward, don't queue'. It's just not working."
The rise of single-file queuing has left many bar owners perplexed and concerned about the long-term implications for their businesses. Jess Riley, manager at Wylam Brewery in Newcastle, echoed Loebenberg's sentiments, stating that the trend began around 2020, during the pandemic, when people started to adopt this new form of social distancing.
"It wasn't a thing before Covid," said Riley. "And now it's just become normalised. We're a big place with massive bars, but some people still refuse to stop queuing. It's just ridiculous."
Academic John Drury, professor of psychology at the University of Sussex, offered some insight into this phenomenon. According to him, attitudes towards public activities such as going for drinks have changed since the pandemic, sometimes negatively.
"People's behaviour has gotten worse post-pandemic," said Drury. "When we've spoken to people in these industries, many say that behaviour has become normalised, and when you ask the general public, their response is more mixed, because not all of them realise that their behaviour has changed."
Drury also highlighted that social norms play a significant role in shaping our behavior, citing an example from his experience as a consultant for the planning of the queue to pay respects to Queen Elizabeth II after her death. He noted that despite the illogical nature of single-file queuing at pubs, social pressure means it is likely to persist.
"The norm means not only something that people generally do, but also something that people in your group think is the right thing to do," explained Drury. "And people don't want to be put in a position where they're regarded as deviant or troublemakers."
As Britain's pubs continue to grapple with this unexpected trend, it remains to be seen how long single-file queuing will persist and what its impact on traditional pub culture will ultimately be.
just thinking about this is making me wonder, have all these young folks never been to a pub before? 
like, isn't ordering drinks just meant to be a chill experience where you hang out with mates? 
single-file queuing feels so... utilitarian. also, what's the deal with people not even wanting to move from the back of the queue unless told to? 
it sounds like there's some sort of social pressure at play here that's making people weird out 
but seriously, it's a bit weird that older generations are adopting this behavior without even realizing it. 
pubs used to be all about having a good time with mates, now its like people are too scared to take the lead and try something different 
i mean i get it online shopping can be convenient but pubs rnt just someplace u order drinks and pay 4 
! I mean, who thought lining up like sardines was a good idea? It's like, chill guys, we're here for the pints, not the Hunger Games 
even when they're in a pub... like, cant you just chill for one sec 
it's too much. But at the same time, I get why pubs want to try new things to stay afloat 
especially since covid changed everything. Maybe they should just roll with it (not literally in line) 
Online shopping for beer or something 
I guess it's all about finding that balance between structure and freedom? 
i mean i know some ppl might think it's weird, but like who cares if u gotta wait in line for ur drink? its not the end of the world 
. and what's crazy is that, according to drury, social pressure can actually make us stick to these weird behaviors, even if they don't make sense in the grand scheme of things 
not saying it's ideal or anything but maybe we can find a balance between bein responsible & livin life 
it's like the pandemic made people think we need rules to survive, even when we're just having a pint 
bar owners are frustrated because it's messing with the whole pub vibe 
... i think its just a pandemic thing where we all got used to being more controlled and stuff 
... but honestly, it's kinda ruining the vibe of going out with friends 
... or maybe they can just adapt and find new ways to deal with it 
️ and wants their turn ASAP 
. Meanwhile, older pubs are stuck with this old-school queuing system 
. It's like they're trying to fit into a square peg world 
... waiting for the bartender to serve them one by one 
! 
, but at the same time, they might be secretly annoyed with everyone else in line 
, like a 'fast lane' or something 
. Or maybe just accept that times have changed and get on board... after all, it's 2025 
!
. I mean, who thought it was a good idea to ruin the vibe of going down the pub with everyone waiting in line like they're shopping at a supermarket 
.
? Or, you know, just let them serve themselves if they're feeling lazy