As on-premise alcohol sales face pressure from wellness culture, GLP-1s, Oura rings, and a younger consumer who is simply drinking less, restaurants are being forced to rethink one of their most reliable profit centers. The answer may not be replacing alcohol with mocktails, but rather helping guests drink more intentionally.

This was the theme of Tuesday’s HNGRY Live conversation with Zack Abbott, co-founder and CEO of ZBiotics; Todd Jones, head of omnichannel strategy at ZBiotics; and Mia Van de Water, beverage director at Gracious Hospitality, the restaurant group behind COTE, COQODAQ, and the newly opened Bar Chimera.

The conversation centered on Gracious Hospitality’s partnership with ZBiotics, whose Pre-Alcohol probiotic is now positioned at the top of COTE’s beverage menu in Las Vegas. The product is a functional add-on designed to be consumed before drinking, giving restaurants a new way to support alcohol occasions without pretending consumer behavior hasn’t shifted.