All The Food And Drink Millennials 'Killed' In 2018 Gallery
Dearly beloved, we've gathered here to say our goodbyes. Here they lie, all the food- and drink-related things that millennials mercilessly killed in 2018. These items and activities weren't necessarily good for us, but they were nonetheless absolutely treasured traditions for previous generations.
Now they've been taken from us too soon! Those convenience-hungry, healthy alternative-seeking millennials born between 1981 and 1996 went on a killing spree in 2018, digging early graves for the beer industry, the bar industry, mayonnaise, canned tuna, American cheese and more. Not only would millennials rather Postmates sushi, take selfies and stay home to drink, they'd also rather buy trendy cheeses and healthier fats and guzzle craft beer than fill their shopping carts with the foodstuffs their parents and grandparents consumed.
R.I.P. to the good times! The Daily Meal has trolled the internet (while the internet trolled millennials) collecting the names of the deceased and compiling a list of foods and drinks that you probably grew up enjoying but that millennials — now the world's most powerful consumers — have stopped buying. We're here to pay our respects to all the food and drink millennials killed in 2018.
American Cheese
American cheese, we knew you well. Alas, millennials would rather buy fancy cheeses from Trader Joe's or at the very least enjoy a cheese product that doesn't taste like plastic — and it has killed the American cheese business, according to Bloomberg. Because of millennials, the price of processed American cheese slipped below $4 a pound for the first time since 2011, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Bars
Dearly beloved, we gather here to say our goodbyes to going out at night! Millennials are reportedly too lazy to go to bars. But that doesn't stop them from drinking. According to a survey conducted by market research firm Mintel, millennials prefer drinking at home more than other generations. So they still get drunk — they just do it in the privacy of their own homes.
Beer
R.I.P. to the beer industry. Those dag-nab millennials aren't drinking as much beer as their parents, according to Business Insider, and it was digging an early grave for the beer industry even before 2018. Goldman Sachs, which downgraded Boston Beer Company (Sam Adams) and Constellation Brands (Corona, among others) in 2017, says that millennials are just drinking too much wine, spurring beer's decline. According to trade group Beer Institute (as cited by The Wall Street Journal), drinkers picked beer less than half of the time when deciding on an alcoholic beverage in 2017. On the flip side, millennials love a good craft brew.
Brunch
As the New York Post suggested in 2017, millennials officially ruined brunch — and the terror continued into 2018! According to numerous outlets, millennials actually love brunch too much, and it's killing everybody's vibe. So be aware: Millennials are killing brunch and vibes.
Canned Tuna
Here lies tuna, sleeping with the fishes. The Wall Street Journal argued that millennials are killing the canned tuna industry — because they don't own can openers. They say that the consumption of canned tuna has declined by more than 40 percent nationwide over the last three decades, and that it's all millennials' fault. Millennials took to Twitter to argue back that it's not because they don't own can openers — it's because canned tuna is kind of super-gross.
Chain Restaurants
Millennials have effectively killed all chain restaurants. Never mind that places like Applebee's, Buffalo Wild Wings and TGI Friday's are still in business, they're dead. R.I.P. No, but seriously, millennials were blamed for the decline of Buffalo Wild Wings by BDub's own CEO, Sally Smith. Millennials are so powerful! Mwahaha. Smith blames the fact that millennials would rather cook at home or order delivery than eat deep-fried wings surrounded by TVs blaring sports. Weird!
Kitchens
We've already established that millennials are killing chain restaurants because they would rather cook at home, but they're also killing kitchens. You might be wondering: How is this possible? Well, according to Forbes, it's all because they can't stop ordering delivery for everything from Flamin' Hot Cheetos to late-night Thai noodles. Curse you, Postmates!
Large Turkeys
How big was your Thanksgiving turkey this year? If a millennial bought it, probably not that big. Why? Because millennials have killed big turkeys! Well, actually they're killing more small turkeys. According to Forbes, millenials prefer smaller holiday birds because 1) nobody ever eats that much and 2) massive turkeys often endure unhealthy conditions while they are alive, and millennials would rather eat healthy birds over super-sized ones.
Meal Kit Services
Meal kit services, we hardly knew ye! According to data from Dealspotr, only 3 percent of millennials order meal kits like Blue Apron because most of them think they're too expensive. Looks like millennials would rather spend their hard-earned cash paying off student loans than learning how to make a decent chicken piccata.
Mayonnaise
The old mayonnaise can't come to the phone right now. Why? Because it's dead! According to a 2018 article in Philadelphia magazine, millennials are killing mayo. The author spends most of the piece reminiscing on her own mayonnaise-soaked childhood and blaming her college-age daughter — a women's and gender studies major, naturally — and others like her for the condiment's undeserved decline. Maybe the daughter and her mayo-hating friends are just focused on living longer and healthier lives! Most millennials are. Here are 10 ways millennials are healthier than their parents.
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