Summer trends in KC: Cigarettes and hot dogs
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Illustration: Maura Kearns/Axios
A rise in the vintage cool-kid aesthetic is driving an increase in smoking — and eating hot dogs.
Why it matters: Businesses and marketing campaigns are catering to Gen Zers, who often share feelings of disillusionment and nostalgia.
Zoom in: Summer social media marketing is full of grainy photos of old-timey vibes, and they give us a look into what's resonating.
- Le Lounge, a boutique hotel lobby bar in the Crossroads, posted a photo of a cigarette for an oyster social in June, and later a can of Diet Coke (coined in 2025 a "fridge cig").
- Bar Phoebe, a rooftop built recently by Gen Z developers, posted a photo of a lighter, and sells a range of hot dogs and corndogs.
- Ding Dong Dogs made waves with its "retro-style" opening last year, and Something Good sells hot dogs inspired by different regions.
Zoom out: More than half of the top box-office films released in 2024 featured tobacco imagery — marking a 10 percentage point jump from the year before, according to a report last year.
- Younger crowds are turning to cigarettes to get off vapes and nicotine pouches, People reports.
- There's even a Cigfluencers Instagram dedicated to the smoking aesthetic.
Threat level: Smoking greatly increases your chances of cancer, plus cardiovascular and lung diseases, per the CDC.
- Cigarettes are the most common type of tobacco product, followed by e-cigarettes.
Travis' thought bubble: Gen Z might be too young to know someone who had parts of their lungs removed due to smoking, but I'm not.
- I would kindly ask those who smoke to dispose of their butts by means other than leaving them on restaurant tables or throwing them out of car windows.
What we're watching: If this trend continues to the point where bars bring cigs back to their menu.