Self serve bars and pubs are rising in popularity in Australia - Drinks

Feb 07, 2025

Australia’s drinking culture is evolving, with self-serve bars slowly creeping into our cities. But not everyone is thrilled with the future of drinking.

A quiet trend is emerging lately as venue operators in Australia are catching on to the self-serve style bars that have been cropping up around the world.

The venues allow customers to pour their own drinks, mix their own cocktails, and curate their own beer flights; a novel, personalised experience. Stickybeak, a self-serve wine bar set to open in Brisbane’s Woolloongabba, has got tongues talking. In Sydney, a self-serve saké bar launched just last week, while Buddy’s self-serve beer hall in Newtown opened in mid-2023, drawing both intrigue and criticism.

The allure of self-serve bars lies in their convenience and novelty. Patrons at these venues can try a variety of drinks without the usual constraints of traditional service. Stickybeak, for example, offers wine on tap, allowing customers to sample different varieties with the swipe of a card. Similarly, self-serve saké bar Miji Bar and Grill in North Sydney allows guests to pour their drinks directly from tap systems and play mixologist with whiskeys and saké, choosing their garnishes like a fro-yo stand.

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However, these bartender-free bars are not without their critics.

One of the primary concerns is the risk of overconsumption. Without a bartender to monitor their intake, some patrons may drink too much too quickly. As it stands in NSW, the law requires that patrons at self-serve bars operate with a pre-paid card (or token system) that equates to three standard drinks. Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) trained staff must then determine if guests can top up their cards or if they’re showing signs of intoxication. Fun.

There is also the argument that a pub without a publican is no pub at all. The lack of social interaction is usually a key element of going out for a drink.

The opening of Buddy’s Bar in Sydney’s Newtown in 2023 was particularly jarring for some. A suburb famous for its bars, breweries, and inclusive community struggled with the anti-social approach. The contrast between the site’s former pay-what-you-can kitchen Lentil as Anything didn’t help optics.

To put it lightly, surviving in hospitality is tough. Overheads rise. Wages rise (slowly). Costs of living rise. Is more out-of-work bartenders the lesser of two evils, when the pub is at risk of not existing at all? Time will tell if serve-yourself will become the norm, but in the meantime, don’t forget to say please and thank you.