⏺Bathhouses have become the last nail in the coffin of bar culture

Zoomers are increasingly abandoning pubs for saunas, plunge pools, and steam rooms — and it's not about health, but rather that bathhouses have turned into new "third places" for gatherings without alcohol, phones, and noise. Bloomberg explains it simply: people go there for the vibe and socializing, not for trendy healthy living.

Investors have already sniffed out a gold mine and are opening huge thermal complexes in Europe, the USA, and Korea. In New York, Lore Bathing Club launched in January — just a big sauna plus an ice pool. Owners are swimming in profits: margins reach up to 60% because instead of cocktails, they sell steam and ice. Meanwhile, bar owners and alcohol producers are experiencing the worst times in the history of the industry. Consider this fact:

Five global leaders are sitting on $22 billion of unsold alcohol because nobody wants it anymore. Demand has collapsed so much that even the old-timers from Jim Beam and Diageo had to close factories.