Dry January may be almost over, but soon the taps at WeWork will be going dry permanently.
The coworking giant has announced it will be ending free beer and wine service at all of its locations by the end of February, according to Business Insider. In its place, the company will be offering a variety of new non-alcoholic options, like kombucha, seltzers, and cold brew coffee.
This isn’t the first time that WeWork, once known for its “nonstop party” atmosphere, has altered its drinks policy. In 2018, the company announced it was limiting members to four pours a day, and only between the hours of noon and 8 p.m.
While members will continue to be able to enjoy beer and wine during occasional on-site happy hours, this is undoubtedly a major policy shift for a company that once touted free, unlimited beer as a key selling point.
Despite September’s failed IPO and subsequent corporate restructuring, a WeWork spokesperson stressed that the “beverage refresh” is not a cost-cutting measure, but rather comes in response to an “expanded member satisfaction survey,” which showed that “members wanted a greater variety of beverage options.”
Like the three-Martini lunch before it, the boozy WeWork meeting is on its way out. Raise a glass — while you still can.
