Flying Taxis And Microbobs And Happy Hour for 3/5/26

We bounce through the week’s most entertaining headlines and end up asking what “progress” really means when safety, cost, and culture all collide. From a five-year-old catching a Southwest training mismatch to bars reinventing happy hour, we keep it light while still getting real about what’s changing around us. 

• a five-year-old aviation fan spotting a Southwest simulator display mismatch and getting a VIP tour 
• why early exposure to aviation careers matters and why air traffic controllers are in short supply 
• Uber Air with Joby electric air taxis and the biggest safety and airspace questions 
• bird strikes, drones, altitude and comfort fears around short-hop flight 
• a viral TikTok microbob and why a bad haircut can feel brutal 
• Papa John’s closing 300 stores and what “underperforming” really signals 
• the decline of traditional happy hour under hybrid work and wellness trends 
• reverse happy hours, better food, mocktails and sober curious options that bring people back 
If you're in the area, definitely come out and support Merrill and uh get in there for that happy hour. 
Please continue to let people know who we are 

Listen, share with a friend who loves weird headlines, and subscribe so you don’t miss next week. If you like the show, leave a review and tell us: would you ever book a flying taxi?

Tired of surface-level inspiration? This raw, transformative documentary digs deep into turning pain into purpose. Mainstream platforms wouldn't touch these powerful stories of resilience, but you can access them now on elrodvnetwork.com.

Tired of surface-level inspiration? This raw, transformative documentary digs deep into turning pain into purpose. Mainstream platforms wouldn't touch these powerful stories of resilience, but you can access them now on elrodvnetwork.com.

Tired of surface-level inspiration? This raw, transformative documentary digs deep into turning pain into purpose. Mainstream platforms wouldn't touch these powerful stories of resilience, but you can access them now on elrodvnetwork.com.

Transcript

Welcome And Lottery Small Talk

SPEAKER_00 1:12

Hello everyone. Welcome to this week's episode of Thirsty Topics. Hey, Meryl.

SPEAKER_03 1:19

Hey, hey, hey.

SPEAKER_00 1:21

How are you doing today?

SPEAKER_03 1:23

I am doing a 14 out of 10.

Five-Year-Old Spots Simulator Mismatch

SPEAKER_00 1:28

Okay. All right. I like to hear that.

SPEAKER_03 1:32

How about you? What are you? What are you out of 10?

SPEAKER_00 1:35

You know what? I would have to say I'm a 15 out of 10. I feel good.

SPEAKER_03 1:40

Oh my god. I don't mind being one option when it's good news like that. That's great.

SPEAKER_00 1:46

Maybe, maybe I'll play the lottery and get get lucky. What do you think?

SPEAKER_03 1:51

Oh my gosh. The other day I played the lottery and I got I won another ticket and then I won another ticket again. And then I played that and then I won four dollars and that was it. And then I brought um I bought a box of frosted mini wheat cereal.

SPEAKER_00 2:06

There's nothing wrong with that.

SPEAKER_03 2:09

No, and then I called it a day and it was perfect. Exactly. So I just got a I I spent three dollars and I got wait, actually now that I think about it, I lost a dollar, but it's okay.

SPEAKER_00 2:19

Hey, as long as you have fun, that's the important thing.

SPEAKER_03 2:24

Well, you want me to kick us off?

SPEAKER_00 2:27

You go ahead and start us off this week.

SPEAKER_03 2:29

Okay, great. So I love this. Um, a five-year-old flying enthusiast spotted a discrepancy in the Southwest training manual. Uh, a five-year-old Colorado boy, William Hines, noticed two terrain monitor uh images in a Southwest training manual that didn't match. One appeared more zoomed out than the other. His mom shared the story and it traveled internally at Southwest. And the airline ultimately invited William and his family for a VIP tour in Dallas of this training facility. So uh the his aviation interest was nurtured through airport visits and a visit from Southwest pilot who spent time teaching him the basics and then gifted him the manual. And then this kid was astute enough to uh show that he didn't, it wasn't really an error per se. It was more just catching a mismatch in how the two displays were depicted. Um, but still, nonetheless, Southwest jumped on it and then uh made it, it made its way to CEO um Bob Jordan, who extended the invite. And I just think I want that kid to fly my flight in like four years. Once he's nine years old and ready to fly a plane, I'll be ready.

SPEAKER_00 3:43

I just think it's so great. It's great, but the other thing that's kind of scary is how many professional pilots have used this simulator and did not catch that.

SPEAKER_03 3:54

I know, I know, I know. So luckily it wasn't something like, oh no, we've been flying these planes, you know, it was it was just like a mismatch, but I mean, get that kid uh into the aviation industry quick because we need someone to see like interrupted patterns and everything.

SPEAKER_00 4:12

That's true, that's true. One of the things I would love to see um the government do is start opening up the eyes of young people into the aviation industry. You know, it could be as a pilot, uh, or especially this, or traffic controllers, which we are dramatically um uh uh uh under uh under under the amount that we need to be. And uh the crazy thing is this has been happening so long is that even with the the dangerous level that we're at now as far as the need for traffic controllers, and again, I probably don't see it, but it doesn't seem like they're really doing anything to try and get people excited or interested in this program because it is a program where you know if you go through it nine times out of ten, if you're successful, you will find a job because yeah, it's getting to the point of being desperate now. So exactly I just hope that um you know maybe this story kind of ignites people's fire to be a pilot, um, maybe be a steward or stewardess, maybe even be uh air traffic control. There's so many things that could be done in the aviation industry. So kudos to this young man.

SPEAKER_03 5:37

Now, when you were five years old, would you think you'd be able to spot a mismatch on the Southwest Aviation Training Manual?

SPEAKER_01 5:46

Probably now.

SPEAKER_03 5:47

I couldn't even do that today. I feel like so if if you if I was looking at a Southwest plane and a jet blue plane, I could barely tell the difference of like actual planes.

SPEAKER_00 5:55

So I think I'd be just excited being in the simulator just having fun, you know.

SPEAKER_03 6:02

I know that's so cute.

Uber Air Taxis Raise Safety Questions

SPEAKER_00 6:05

That is true, that is true. Well, since we're talking about flying, um, this is an interesting topic here, but uh Uber is now launching their flying taxis. Oh my god. So get ready for takeoff, Meryl, with Uber and Joby. No, so this is right off of the Uber website here, uh, the Uber newsroom, they call it. The future uh flight is coming Uber. We're introducing Uber Air, powered by Joby, giving riders a first look at how they'll be able to book Joby Aviation's all-electric air taxis directly in the Uber app. Joby expects to carry its first passengers later this year in Dubai, making wow, that's a heck of a place to start at, but in Dubai.

SPEAKER_03 7:04

I was just gonna say, I don't know if we want things flying through the air right now in Dubai.

SPEAKER_00 7:08

Um, I think this statement was made before, you know.

SPEAKER_03 7:11

I know. Something tells me that's probably gonna be delayed by a few months.

SPEAKER_00 7:16

Yes, yes. Um making a major milestone in the Joby Uber partnership to bring multi-um model transportation to cities around the world. So here's what Uber writers can expect. So here's what you can expect, uh, Mira, when you get on there, okay?

SPEAKER_03 7:34

Umless the five-year-old is looking after me.

SPEAKER_00 7:40

So uh where to go, uh Bart. If the trip qualifies, Uber Air Power by Joby will appear as an option. With a single tap, the app seamlessly connects and books every leg of the journey, including Uber Black pickup and drop-off. Joby Flight Experience, Joby's all-electric air taxis being designed for up to four passengers with comfortable seating, featuring large windows with panoramic views to the city below from every seat. Followed by a certified commercial pilot, it offers a remarkable way to travel above the city and experience the next generation of flight. Yeah, I don't know about this one. What do you think, Meryl?

SPEAKER_03 8:32

No, I think this sounds just so like a disaster waiting to happen to me. I think this sounds like an innovation that we're not ready for yet. If we can barely like get Waymo going, and you know, there's all these issues with even like self-driving cars and everything. I just feel like we're not ready. Um, and I mean, I guess let what we can test it in Dubai with like the very wealthy people that like want to be doing that kind of stuff anyway and might have the money, but hopefully it's like totally safe too, because of course, like I mean, this sounds like I mean who knows? It sounds like one of the ideas. I never want to look down upon like technology and advancement, because I know that's how people felt about flying in general and planes and everything. You know, they thought the right brothers were crazy and everything, but um I just think in this day and age, it seems like so much more testing has to happen before we use it as like an actual society.

SPEAKER_00 9:27

Yeah, I mean, for me, we have enough issues as it is driving vehicles on the ground, and now we're talking about putting them in the air. Um I don't know if I'd be comfortable with that personally, just because of the fact that you know it's unknown technology, first of all, and plus the environment, let's say from one country to the next is going to be so much different, you know, as far as air quality, as far as the air traffic, there's so many nuances, and sometimes there's things going on where all of a sudden a section of airspace has been restricted for a day or a week because there's a dignitary or something going on. You know, how quickly are these air taxis going to be able to adapt to that?

SPEAKER_02 11:08

I know. I wonder, did it say how high they go, the elevation?

SPEAKER_00 11:15

You know, that's a great question. Um, let me take a quick glance at my notes here and let's see if it's in there because that is a good thing.

SPEAKER_03 11:23

Because I wonder if it is it like a thousand feet or is it like I mean, and I don't understand how this will work with like flights. I mean, obviously, flights are like a very, very high elevation, but you know, the crazy thing is I don't have anything. Well, I might even just look that up for interest afterwards because I'm like, I want to know how high will this air taxi will take me. Because also, like, are you gonna feel the elevation every time if I'm just trying to get from point A to point B?

SPEAKER_00 11:53

It's because you know, after a flight, sometimes I feel like very kind of like wonky, but yeah, it's definitely set up for small distances because uh it says Joby's aircraft uses six tilting propellers to take off vertically for transitioning into four flight. It can travel at speeds up to 200 miles per hour and it has a range of 100 miles on a single charge. That's not a lot, really. In all honesty, it's 50 because you figure it's gotta get back to its charge.

SPEAKER_02 12:26

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 12:29

So you don't want to be in the air, like uh-oh, well, what happened? Yeah, we can only make it guy exactly.

SPEAKER_03 12:36

So, yeah, I wonder like is this going whoops, is this gonna feel like a flight every time, or are you just not even gonna feel anything at all? Or I don't know that that'll be weird because like I know for me, like ascenting and and going up in a plane, like I don't really love that feeling, so I wonder like how high and how fast it would be. I mean, you said 100 miles an hour.

SPEAKER_00 12:56

They're probably thinking that the vertical lift would alleviate some of those, uh, some of those fears, but that would be something to kind of know is and that's a great question. How far does it go up? Because you know what? There's one thing that's not addressed in this article that I'm reading here. Is what are they gonna do about drones?

TikTok Microbob And Bad Haircuts

SPEAKER_03 13:18

Yeah, yep, and just like think of all the things that do go up in the sky. Like, I mean, I know it's ridiculous, but like I would imagine more bird strikes, too, and everything, you know, just birds flying at that level. So it'll be interesting to see. Uh, this is all stuff I'm sure they think about quite often, they're not just like surprised by it, but um, I don't know. I just can't see myself being like, okay, I'm gonna go meet my friend at a coffee shop now and just like fly two seconds there.

SPEAKER_00 13:48

But absolutely, because you the great point that you made up is that a bird strikes a big, you know, bowing jet. I mean, they they lose that engine, that jet, they they're gonna land that jet get it out of here as soon as possible. Yes. So you kind of wonder if a bird strikes one of these air taxis, what happens? I mean, yeah, is it is it a media enough uh type of uh equipment that it can withstand that? Uh or is it one of those situations where if it strikes one, you go, oh crap, we're doomed. You know what I mean? It's it's the unknown, you know.

SPEAKER_03 14:28

Well, luckily we'll we'll watch other people try it first before we do.

SPEAKER_00 14:32

Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. All right.

SPEAKER_03 14:37

Okay, well, my next one. Um, I now I can personally relate to this because a few months ago I was victimized by my own bad haircut. Uh, if my haircut dresser is watching this, she she knows already, but I got like a bob, you know, which is like something that is kind of to your haircut to your shoulders. And I was so upset after I told the woman, like, I don't want a bob, and it's still she gave me one. Anyway, with all the things going on in the world, it's it's hard to talk about your bad haircut, but still, anyone that's had a bad haircut knows what it's like to live life with a terrible, a terrible do. So um, this woman, a TikTok creator, Edie Ofistel, went viral after posting a clip reacting to a haircut that came out much shorter than her reference photo, a Bob landing at her earlobes rather than below. Um, I saw this video because I was on my algorithm was people getting bad haircuts because I hated my haircut so much. So, so I saw this kind of in the beginning. Uh now her hair is really, really short. And um, she showed the photo of what she wanted, and then she showed the photo of what she got, and the video drew tens of millions of views and sparked a wave of jokes, sympathy, and haircut gone wrong stories. Now, this is why I love this. I love TikTok because it she was in on it and like she was such a good sport where she asked for uh recommendations. Um and her she even like changed her bio to currently surviving a microb. And so, but I love I love the internet in this way because people, it was a mix of um people really giving helpful suggestions and like the internet went out of its way to be like, okay, now let's see it with a hair clip, and then she did that, and they're like, No, no, no, okay, let's see it with like so it's it's so funny because she tries everything that people will recommend. Um, and then when she first posted it, people were commenting, like, you just have to lay low for a while, you have to lay low, and then people she'll be like out and about, and then everyone's like, We told you to lay low. So it's like I feel like something like this is so funny because we all feel like invested. This is all of our haircut, you know, together. So I just love the internet like this because we can come up with solutions, and like I just thought she was so funny. She took a bad haircut and like went viral for it.

SPEAKER_00 17:00

I can relate, but I tell you, there's nothing like a bad haircut.

SPEAKER_03 17:05

I know it like sets you back, it really does.

SPEAKER_00 17:10

And it's like, okay, most likely, yes, it can grow back, but still when you're looking at yourself. And you know, the craziest thing is you're uh each person, me included, is more critical of of your of my look. You know, you'll be critical of your look more than anyone else will. So, in other words, if your your barber misses something, you're gonna see it every time you look in the mirror. And it's like, I told that dude not to do the, you know, it's it's a hundred percent of your skin. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:42

No, I really had that in November where like it in the in she cut it so short and then she did a good job styling it. So I left being like, I love it. And I feel like we left being happy, and then the next day I really felt like so upset. I was crying. I was like, I felt like what did I do? Like I felt in shock, and it just was like, you know, of course, this is not the biggest issue in all that anyone has, but I can sympathize. And then when you get a bad haircut, especially when it's so so short as this creator had, because you can't like do anything with it, like at least with mine, I can hide it a little bit. And you know, I've been hiding it for a few months in different hairstyles, but um, this woman, it's just right right there. So luckily she has the face to pull it off, like she's beautiful and she has a beautiful face. But um, I I just thought that was so funny how the internet was like, you just need to lay low.

SPEAKER_00 18:34

Here's the whole problem. What if you have a very important event? Like, I don't know, a wedding uh or something of that nature. Yeah, is messed up beforehand. Oh my gosh. I know devastating, you know.

SPEAKER_03 18:51

I I will I always joke around, like I will never, I don't care if I have split ends down to my ankles, I will never get a haircut again. Like, I will my hair, my hair could be like falling out at the ends and growing, but I'm I'm never gonna cut it. And I think I think people just need to like think more about when you're going to make such a big hairstyle change. I think we underestimate like how big of an absolute change it is that if it's bad, it's going to like I don't know, it really affected me mentally for like a few weeks and then I snapped out of it, but yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:21

Well, take the hair very, very seriously. So I totally understand, especially women. Oh my gosh.

Papa John's Plans 300 Closures

SPEAKER_03 19:29

Yeah, yeah, totally.

SPEAKER_00 19:31

Yeah, you mess up a woman's hair, you know, it could be anything from upset to just flat out cursed out, you know, in the chairs.

SPEAKER_03 19:39

Exactly. And I think look, I'm I'm I'm real with our audience, and like people can relate to, is I think honestly, what happened at the time too is like I didn't feel super good about my body. And I feel like when you get a bad haircut, it almost makes it like 18 times worse. You know, it's one thing if you get a bob and you're like, whatever, I'm in the best shape of my life, but I felt like this was like my final straw of just being like, ah, and so I feel like and um men feel that way too. Everyone does when it's like when the haircut goes wrong, you're you're like, but that's what I've had, it's like my nice hair, you know.

SPEAKER_00 20:13

True, that is true. That's one thing that it doesn't matter whether you're male or female, a bad haircut pisses off people, don't matter exactly, exactly.

SPEAKER_03 20:23

So we get through it.

SPEAKER_00 20:26

Well, um, this is not good news for Papa John's, but Papa John's is set to close 300 stores. No, so Papa John's is going to close 300 restaurants as it moves to cut costs and boost growth. So, um, this article here from CBS News states that Papa John plans to shutter 300ths of its restaurants by the end of 2027 as a struggling piece of chain moves to cut costs and close underperforming locations. Chief Financial Officer Ravi uh Dunwala said in a fourth quarter earnings call with Wall Street analysts that some of the restaurants slated to be closed are not meeting brand expectations or lack the clear path to sustainable financial improvement. In other cases, the restaurants represented locations where Papa John's can effectively transfer sales to a nearby outlet, he added. Papa John plans to shut 200 uh locations down by the end of this year, with the rest to be closed by the end of 2027, according to uh Dunwala. The piece of chain has 6,000 locations across roughly 50 countries and territories, uh, according to its website. The restructuring comes as Papa John struggles to boost its domestic sales and drive growth. In February, the company reported 2025 revenues of 2.1 billion flat compared with the previous year. Excuse me, as long along with shrinking profits. What do you think, Meryl? Do you like Papa John's?

SPEAKER_03 22:18

I do, I do. I feel like it was a good mix between almost like fast food type pizza and actual real restaurant pizza. Like, of course, it's not like New York one-of-a-kind pizza, but I feel like it's a it it's a little bit like healthier and seems a little bit more like homemade than a little Caesars or a Pizza Hut. Maybe maybe I'm way off base. What do you think?

SPEAKER_00 22:39

Yeah, I mean, I'm I'm actually surprised because um Papa John's to me was a good pizza. Um, you know, to me, they're similar to Domino's and Pizza Hut in that when you taste a Papa John's pizza, you know it's a Papa John's pizza. No, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:55

The chemicals, the mix of like the insane chemicals, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:00

So yeah, I'm I'm very surprised. And um, you know, to me, it's kind of really rare to hear of pizza chains shutting down because let's face it, when it gets late and everything else is closed, that's one of the places you go to because it's still open.

SPEAKER_03 23:14

Yeah, yeah, exactly. And but I could understand how like having a ton in each city doesn't seem like like to me, if you're if I don't know, if you're okay to drive like 10 minutes to one, it's not like we it's not like Starbucks where we need one on every corner.

SPEAKER_00 23:29

That's true, that's true. But what's amazing to me is that if these restaurants are underperforming so badly, why are they waiting to shut them down? Or maybe I'm just missing I know.

SPEAKER_03 23:43

I don't know. I wonder if it's just like maybe they're seeing if the quarter's ending, you know, we're gonna like shut it down this quarter, or or they're gonna try something else, or I don't know. I bet there's like stakeholders that probably have some weird back deal or something.

SPEAKER_00 23:58

Yeah, it kind of makes you wonder because it's like if if 300 of your stores, which is a lot of stores, are underperforming, why do you want to wait one to two years before you shut them down?

SPEAKER_03 24:08

I know. Because like, what if it has a big resurgence and now pizza is like, you know.

SPEAKER_00 24:14

Now here's a great question. You brought up a great point, Merle, is what happens if some of those non-performing stores all of a sudden start doing really well? Do you still show that? I know.

SPEAKER_03 24:25

Or do you kind of yeah, then they cancel the cancellation?

SPEAKER_00 24:31

Yeah, that's true. I don't know. Maybe sometimes sometimes people are thinking a little bit too fast. Um, I remember we talked about um uh what was it? Um old uh cracker barrel cracker barrel. Remember when cracker barrel?

SPEAKER_01 24:49

Uh yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:50

You know, everybody kind of like, you know, some people like lost their minds because they were changing the logo and the name. It's like, wow, really?

SPEAKER_03 24:58

I know it. I feel like it was also at a time where it's like, don't take away the only thing we have, which is cracker barrel. And that goes that fell under the category of like don't break something if it's not broken, or you know, when it don't fix it if it's not broken, type of thing, where it's like we don't need to randomly hear a new logo from Cracker Barrel, but but I understand that Papa John's, I wonder if it's just yeah, like planning out a year from now.

SPEAKER_00 25:22

Yeah, I mean, I know um you used to see commercials. I mean, at least over here, we used to see commercials for Papa John's all the time. I haven't seen a Papa John's commercial in a very long time here. Uh, what about you, Meryl?

SPEAKER_03 25:34

Do they still show um commercials? Yeah, I see them. I I definitely see them. I feel like they're one of the rare ads that I see, and it actually does influence me where I'm like, ooh, okay, that does sound good right now.

SPEAKER_00 25:49

Well, if you like your Papa Johns, definitely go out and support them and buy their pizza before they shut down.

SPEAKER_03 25:56

Exactly. Sometimes on on DoorDash, they'll be doing such good deals for Domino's or um Papa John's that I'll tell my boyfriend, like, I'm losing money if I don't order a small pizza right now. Like it's like buy one, get one free, a small pizza at nine dollars. Like, I'm like, oh my god, this is too much pizza for everyone to eat.

SPEAKER_00 26:18

Hey, you know what? If you tampered, you got leftovers.

SPEAKER_03 26:22

I know, I know. But then, of course, like you have leftovers of just like chemical dough, and like after I eat any of those pizzas the whole next day, I'm like crying and I don't feel well. Yeah, but it's worth it in the moment.

Cameron Brink Love Letter By Email

SPEAKER_00 26:36

Yes, I definitely hear you on that. And you know what? Pizza is the best when you first get it, even when you warm it up, it's it's still good, but it's not the same, right?

SPEAKER_03 26:49

And like I feel like I feel tough with pizza because as someone that does like overeat and everything, there's no like ending to it because I'm like, I just want another another slice, another slice. Like, it's a hard food to eat because to me, it's like I never feel quite done. You just kind of go from wanting it so bad to then just feeling grossed out, you know, like it's not like the end of a meal to me. Whereas, like like a steak with mashed potatoes, it's like when when those things end, the meal is over, but it feels to me with pizza like it's always just another slice.

SPEAKER_00 27:18

That's true, that's true. And you know, even if you're full, if the pizza's good enough, you're gonna force yourself to eat one more slice.

SPEAKER_03 27:26

Oh, yeah. There's times that I've ordered like a small pizza and been like, oh, okay, this is obviously two meals, so I'm gonna, and then of course, like 15 minutes later, there's no pizza left.

SPEAKER_00 27:37

They'll fill their they'll fill their marole. We've all done that.

SPEAKER_03 27:41

Exactly, we've all done that. Um, well, my last one, someone who probably doesn't eat a ton of pizza, um, just because she's so healthy, is so WNBA star Cameron Brink said that her fiance first reached out via email. Uh, I think this was so cute. ESPN reported that uh she said that her now fiance Ben Felton didn't DM her. He emailed her instead while they were at Stanford. She shared his number and acknowledged DMs can feel creepy. Um, ESP and added that they've been dating since March 2021 and they got engaged in 2024. Um I I think that is so cute. So basically, like he emailed her saying, hi, DMs could be creepy. Here's my phone number. Um, and I think that's so sweet and just like a very classy move. Um, what do you think? Would you, if you were, of course you love your wife, but like would you have emailed her in the beginning or DM'd her?

SPEAKER_00 28:39

Um I'm assuming that he had to have known her or something in order to get the email address.

SPEAKER_03 28:45

Or maybe like in class, yeah, like maybe they knew each other in class or something.

SPEAKER_00 28:50

That's true, that's true. Um, I don't think I'd put in there that hey, I know DMing could be kind of creepy, and then you send an email. Some people may get kind of freaked out about. But I I do want to give them an A plus for creativity, 100%. And you know what? That's how you get someone's attention is being creative, being different from the next guy.

SPEAKER_03 29:12

Exactly. When I first started dating my boyfriend, I thought it was so cute how we talked on Facebook message, and then he said he took it to text and said, Why don't we like take this now to texting? And I always told him, like, wow, look at you! What a what a good like little baller you are getting into because I thought I thought him moving it from Facebook to text was so impressive, and he's always like, Don't make me feel like I'm an idiot because I'd always be like, Wow, good for you.

SPEAKER_00 29:40

Hey, who's taking it to the next level?

SPEAKER_03 29:42

I know, I think that's very sweet. So I love when men or whoever is doing the courting, when they're just like it's that because people can DM forever and ever, but I think it's like so classy and so attractive when someone's like, We're going to move it to the actual phone, or in this case, the email.

SPEAKER_00 30:01

Whenever you do that, you know, most women are looking like, okay, all right, I see. I see.

SPEAKER_03 30:07

Yeah. Yes. Most women, I like, of course, everyone feels differently, but I feel as though most women, we don't want to chit-chat with like a guy on Instagram 24-7. We like men that can take charge, and you know, whether that's like putting it in our court to call them or to like move it to the phone and move it to in-person dates, because a lot of men just like waste time chit-chatting on Instagram and they kind of want to be pen pals, but it's like, you know, women appreciate action and like showing that you're interested.

Happy Hour Fades And Bars Adapt

SPEAKER_00 30:37

Oh, yeah. And you know, the times are different now, Meryl, where you know, young people they don't use the phone like we did growing up. Everything, you know, via messenger through Instagram or whatever kind of social media platform. And which is okay. I get I I get it. You know, times do change, but you know, there's nothing like that human-to-human connection, you know.

SPEAKER_03 31:02

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 31:04

So I thought it was a great idea. I I think a lot of a lot of young men should pay attention to this.

SPEAKER_03 31:13

Exactly. And I even think move it to actual sitting. Like one of my friends has a crush on a girl and he's in his 40s, and I'm like, ask her to go out to Denny's or to Papa John's with you, or you know, a real like a real actual place where you're sitting like at a booth, and that doesn't mean you're getting married, it just means you want to like be in human contact with someone.

SPEAKER_00 31:32

Absolutely, absolutely. That's great advice for him.

unknown 31:37

Thanks.

SPEAKER_00 31:39

Well, my last topic is actually a fun one. So, are we saying goodbye to happy hour? And how are bars adjusting to getting customers back? So this is an interesting topic for a number of readers. So the the traditional 5 to 7 p.m. happy hour, once a staple for post-work drinking and socializing, is fading due to the rise of hybrid work, reduced business budgets, and a shift towards a healthier and more intentional alcohol uh consumption. To bring consumers back, bars are evolving from just drinks to experiences, focusing on premium offerings, interactive events, and a better, more inclusive social atmosphere. I'm stunned it took them this long to figure this out, you know. Um, so some of the reasons for uh declining of happy hour, obviously remote hybrid work. With fewer professionals and offices, the office-to-bar migrations have evaporated, causing a 44% drop in after-work visits to restaurants compared to 2019. Changing demographics and health. Younger generations, the Zen Gen Z and millennials, are consuming less alcohol, prioritizing fitness, and seeking moderation. Now, of course, there is also the uh economic factors. Inflation and higher costs have made traditional cheap drink specials less profitable for operators, while consumer, I'm sorry, customers are less interested in low-quality two-for-one deals. Yeah, the cheap stuff will make you sick. So, how are bars adjusting to get customers to come back? So, what they're doing, some of the things they're doing is reverse happy hours and elevated bites. To counter the early evening low, many bars are implementing reverse happy hours, which is late night or offering higher quality, Instagram-worthy, small plates, and artisanal cocktails rather than just cheap beer. So the rise of mocktails and no low AB ABV options recognizes the sober curious movement. Over 40% of the restaurants are adding sophisticated non-alcoholic drink options using premium functional ingredients rather than sugary juices. That was a mouthful. What do you think, Meryl?

SPEAKER_02 34:23

Um, wait, uh, what was the last thing you said rather than what ju rather than what?

SPEAKER_00 34:28

Oh, rather than um um rather than using sugary juices.

SPEAKER_03 34:34

Oh, okay, sugary juices, yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, I mean, I uh especially like living in Los Angeles that is a foodie city for sure. Like, I I agree that um making to me, like I don't know, people my age don't really want to go out at 10:30 at night either, but we want like really good quality food for not$50 a piece, you know, like happy hour deals, but not for like Buffalo Wild Wings. Not that there's anything against it, but just not the typical type bar food. Um, and I think you have to really work with like TikTok and influencers because I really do feel like even though it can be annoying, like foodie influencers, at least in like a bigger city um like LA, they kind of have the lock on where people want to visit for happy hour. Um, because I feel like there's so many choices, whether it's bars or typical restaurants, that I think people need to like see the deals as well. So um I know for me, like I do love a happy hour moment, especially on Friday, because you can just like meet a friend from 5 to 6 30, have like a wonderful time, and then be home by seven. I just think that's so nice. Um, but I agree that like more less and less people are wanting to drink and spend like$70 and then be done. So uh I think it's just a mix of like offering actually really good happy hour items because a lot of the restaurants I've been to are like weird potato skins and it's just stuff that are kind of throwaway. So I think restaurants will be do will do well when it's like quality items that people really actually want.

SPEAKER_00 36:10

Oh, exactly. And you know, there's a lot of people that for whatever reason don't drink. So um I I know I don't see it as much as I used to, but you know, bars used to have uh virgin pina coladas, virgin mitis, you know. So basically it's pretty much the same type of a drink, just without the alcohol. And the alcohol is the most expensive ingredient to that drink. So there's two things that happen. One, you can reduce the cost of that drink because it's non-alcoholic, and still keep the margins that you expect to run in a bar. It's a win-win for everyone. I mean, I've always said I don't know why restaurants don't offer a bottle of water instead of yeah, because you know sometimes there's times where I've gotten water meral, and I kid you not, it's if I see it kind of cloudy, I'm not drinking that water.

SPEAKER_03 37:03

No, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's so gross. Or like, like to me, like like my friends for sure are more like on the coffee side of things. So if there was to do happy hour with like ice lattes or you know, coffee drinks, because I feel like if I had to pick a drug or a poison, like I'm I'm more apt for caffeine than I am alcohol. So I feel like having happy hour with really good food and like more caffeine drinks as an option could be good, especially LA, everyone loves their matcha here, you know. Um, but I also think when I when I think about my friends and everything, it's hard for people to make it at a place at like 5 30 or 6, no matter what job they have.

SPEAKER_00 37:44

That is so true, you know. That is so true. And you know, I think by I mean, there are some people that's gonna always have their beer or their cocktail, you know.

SPEAKER_01 37:53

That's yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:55

But I think by widing out, you know, better quality food, you know, maybe giving some really nice, tasty drinks that are alcohol-free, you start tapping into this, this, this marketplace that you never really had before. So it kind of helps stabilize your business to me.

Merrill's Show Plug And Goodbye

SPEAKER_03 38:12

Exactly. There's one place here that I can't wait to go to. It's called Dante, and it's in Beverly Hills, but very fancy. But they do a very good special, like a martini special, and they've done everything right where like people talk about it, like it's definitely buzzy in the city. They they have good social media about it. Um, I just haven't had like the time. I don't really find myself like able to be there at 5:30, but that's one in my mind that they've done everything right, and like I can't wait to go. And even if I don't care about alcohol, like that's the situation where I will have one martini with a friend and spend like 45 minutes and then call it a day and you know, like see someone really quickly and go. So it's stuff like that where they still offer like a really high-quality martini, but it's just it's like way cheaper just for an hour or two.

SPEAKER_00 38:59

Oh, yeah. And you know, it's about the experience. Really, that's what people want. You know, when you go into a bar, whether it's a high-end bar or uh, let's say if it's just you know a hole in the wall, you go in there to have a good time, you know, kind of forget about whatever stress is on your mind, and just have fun with some friends and family. That's really what it's about. And you know, if you can have quality food, quality drinks without having to get drunk or spend hundreds of dollars, that's a bonus.

SPEAKER_03 39:28

Yeah, yep, definitely. Now, now I'm hungry, I'm ready for happy hour.

SPEAKER_00 39:36

Well, Meryl, tell us what do you have coming?

SPEAKER_03 39:40

Well, besides going to go get a martini with my friends, uh, I I keep telling my friends too, I want us to get dressed up like we're like 80s business women, like from the 1980s, and to wear shoulder pads. And anytime a friend wants to hang out, I'm like, perfect, you can meet me for like a 12 o'clock martini. Like I want to get back to do to like doing power lunches, even though I never I don't really have anything to be powerful over. Um, but okay, uh my next show is Tuesday next Tuesday, March 10th. And it is at a place called Flappers in Burbank. Um, that also happens to for real have a good happy hour. So you can go and get your happy hour on, and they actually have good food.

SPEAKER_00 40:24

Nice, nice. Well, if you're in the area, definitely come out and support Merrill and uh get in there for that happy hour.

SPEAKER_02 40:33

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 40:35

Well, everyone, thank you so much for joining us. Uh, we really appreciate your support. Thank you for watching us uh and also for listening to us and also commenting on all of our social media outlets. Uh, please continue to let people know who we are, and we can't wait to our next episode.

SPEAKER_03 40:55

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 40:57

I'm Lawrence Elrod.

SPEAKER_03 40:58

And I'm Merrill Climo.

SPEAKER_00 41:01

Take care, everyone.

SPEAKER_03 41:02

Bye bye.

unknown 41:03

Bye bye.