First, let’s admit the obvious: nobody wants to work on New Year’s Day. I mean, really. You’ve either stayed up too late, or you’re aggressively nursing a hangover with greasy food.
But we still need things, right? Like milk. Or a burrito. Or, let’s be real, that emergency coffee to face the rest of the world.
So, most places run on a “hangover schedule.” It’s a real thing. Hours are weird, unpredictable, and often written in disappearing ink.
Retail: Should You Even Bother?
Let’s start with the big stores. Your local supermarket? Probably open, but late. Like, they’ll unlock the doors around 9 or 10 AM, only to shut them again by 6 PM.
Why? Because the staff has lives too, folks. They deserve to sleep in and eat leftover cheesecake. Don’t be that person hammering on the glass at 7:01 AM.
Drugstores? Lifesavers. Most chains—think CVS or Walgreens—keep a skeleton crew running. You can get your Advil and a sad, slightly stale sandwich. It’s fine. It’s tradition.
Restaurants: Takeout or Die
Okay, dining out is tricky. Fancy sit-down places? Closed. They’ve earned a day off. Don’t even look at their Yelp page. It’ll just make you sad.
But your local diner? The one with the sticky menus and bottomless coffee? Open. Probably. Those places are built on caffeine and determination. They’re the heroes of January 1st.
Chinese restaurants, too. God bless them. They’re often the only ones serving hot, delicious food when everything else is a ghost town. Kung Pao chicken is basically a New Year’s miracle.
New Year’s Store Hours – Mitsuwa Marketplace | A Japanese Grocery Store
Coffee Shops: The Wild Card
Here’s the crucial one. You need coffee. You crave it. But your favorite hipster café with the exposed brick? Flip a coin.
Some open at 7 AM for the desperate. Others roll in at 10 AM, looking slightly hungover themselves. And a few just… don’t show up. It’s a gamble.
Pro tip: Check their Instagram story the night before. If they posted a picture of champagne with a “see you in 2026” caption, you’re out of luck. Find a gas station brew. It’s humbling, but it works.
