EoB #4: T.G.I. Friday's and Fern Bars

I have a secret Shark Tank pitch that I know in my heart of hearts is a slam dunk:

A space for young singles to toss back a few lemon drop martinis, share a plate of potato skins, and - hopefully - find everlasting love.

How do I know this business plan is flawless? Because we’ve already seen it succeed once before, and the market is primed for a comeback. So Sharks, I’m here today to tell you all about my billion-dollar concept: the fern bar.

Thank God It’s Friday Co-Ed

If you had a school-assigned email address in college, you’re probably not familiar with the term “fern bar.” A fern bar is a loosely defined concept - essentially a singles bar, popular from the 70s to the 90s, decorated with tchotchkes, hanging stained glass, Tiffany-style lamps, lots of brass, wood, dark leather, and - of course - ferns. (Seriously, there were a lot of ferns.)

The category is generally believed to have been created in 1965 by Alan Stillman in New York City. Stillman lived in an area of the city popular with “stewardesses, fashion models, and secretaries,” (his words) but struggled to date. In New York, perhaps more than anywhere else, having a “third place” to spend time and interact with others is incredibly important. Unfortunately for Alan, the “third places” of the 1960s were often divided by gender, like bars for men, and beauty parlors for women. So, he conceived of a new type of co-ed third place where singles could meet: a bar designed to feel like a casual cocktail party at a friend’s house, where young office workers could grab a drink and chat. He decorated the space with potted and hanging ferns to make it feel relaxed and welcoming to women, and he named it… T.G.I. Friday’s.

Out of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world…

While Friday’s was the first “fern bar,” the category quickly exploded. These bars were more welcoming than divey beer bars, but less formal than cocktail lounges. They offered casual food, upscale cocktails with fun and flirty names (Fuzzy navel! Sex on the beach!), and nooks for intimate conversation. Some key design details were the small cocktail tables, loud, popular music for dancing, and low mood lighting - all encouraging coupling up, sitting close, and leaning in to talk.

As the fern bar concept continued to grow, national chains took root including Houlihan’s, Ruby Tuesday’s, and T.J. Applebee’s Edibles & Elixirs (yup, that Applebee’s). Despite the concept being routinely mocked by their parents’ generation, the adults dating in the 70s and 80s embraced the fern bar. These younger adults grew up during the era that introduced the concept of teenagers and then lived through the sexual revolution. They were used to bucking tradition, particularly when dating.

The fern chains dominated with aspirational but approachable ads featuring young, fashionable couples and friend groups having the absolute time of their lives drinking sangria and eating fried zucchini sticks. White-collar yuppies saw fern bars as classy places to meet other young professionals. The office crowd gravitated toward them as happy hour hotspots. The ferns seemed to have solidified their positioning as a sophisticated “third place” to grab a drink and some appetizers among adults.

Dead on the (fern) vine

All good things must come to an end, though, and by the 90s, fern bars were on a precipitous decline for a few reasons:

• Drunk driving was no longer socially (or legally) acceptable, so you couldn’t chug too many mudslides before driving yourself and a date home.

• Fern bars had become a punchline in the media, particularly after the release of 1988’s Cocktail in which Tom Cruise stars as a Houlihan’s-esque barkeep who excels at flairtending. (I wish I was making this up.) Reviews panned the film as a “shallow” story about “a naive barkeep's banal fantasy.” Metacritic rates it a 12 out of 100.

• In 1987 Random House added “fern bar” to the dictionary - the universal kiss of death for pop culture slang.

To fill seats on weekends and evenings, former after-work hotspots like Bennigan’s and Applebee’s shifted target audiences. Their original patrons were now settled down (married to their fellow potato skin lovers) and needed an easy, family-friendly spot to dine out. Their old watering holes pivoted to fast-casual dining and started offering kids menus, crayons, and balloons.

Throughout the 2000’s, fern bars tried to claw their way back to their glory days. T.G.I. Friday’s turned to aggressively promoting their partnership with Jack Daniels in an effort to reclaim their sex appeal. Applebee’s kept it wholesome but clearly tried to reposition itself as a place for adults, with steak dinners and rib meals. But as the decade progressed, the food became sloppier and cheaper, and the kitsch turned to cringe.

The 2010s began the final downturn of these chains. The food had become middling at best. Calorie-bomb cocktails weren’t a fit with Paleo and Atkins die-hards. Local competition heated up with the rise of mixology and upscale bar concepts featuring “new American” menus. Premium casual dining chains like California Pizza Kitchen were rapidly expanding and offered significantly better food at a similar price point. More relaxed concepts like Panera and Buffalo Wild Wings niched down with clear concepts. Several fern chains have closed (R.I.P. Bennigan’s) while the remaining brands are struggling to hang on in locations with high rent and low foot traffic, like malls and suburban shopping centers.

An old-fashioned love story 🥃 

But is there an opportunity to rise from the ashes like a phoenix? I think so, yes.

Online dating is losing its luster. People are tired of having to whip up witty profiles, just to swipe through (and be swiped by) hundreds of strangers. This moment of craving an authentic connection aligns perfectly with the rebirth of fashion and cultural trends from the 80s and 90s. Bars and restaurants still rank as one of the top places to meet a romantic partner. For years now (at least 6) people have said fern bars are coming back, but there’s been little traction outside of the “date night at Applebee’s” song. I’ve honestly been surprised that none of the so-called fern bars of yore have jumped on this ripe opportunity to relaunch.

And here, Sharks, is your moment of opportunity: bring back the peak fern bar era.

Dust off the Tiffany lamps, dim the overhead lights and lean into the kitsch with playful food and cocktails. Embrace the dual purpose of a singles bar and a date night spot instead of catering to young families. Modernize by encouraging responsible alcohol consumption, offering mocktails, and rewarding customers who use ride-share services.

And finally - my most radical idea - gently force face-to-face interaction by implementing a phone-free policy at the door à la Dave Chapelle and celebrity weddings.

So there you have it, Sharks: my revitalization plan for any fern bar that will have it. And I hope they will. Hell, I’d be happy just to see a fern bar-themed activation experience sponsored by Bumble at SXSW 2024.

In the meantime, Bennigan’s, give me a call. I’ll be waiting by the kitchen-wall phone.

Something to browse while you sip your Chablis

• Early in my career, I worked directly adjacent to the infamous Wall Street T.G.I. Friday’s. It was, for reasons that would later become obvious, wildly popular from 4pm to 6pm for happy hour every day. If you don’t already know the story, enjoy.

• Missing the salty, sweet flavor combo of a deep-fried Monte Cristo? I’ve got great news. (Don’t forget the powdered sugar and raspberry jam.)

• Go full circle with home decor inspired by fern bars inspired by home decor. I’m obsessed with this $50 fruit-themed Tiffany lamp and this amazing $38 hanging fern. Combine the two with a stained glass hanging plant.

• If you were a classy lady headed to Houlihan’s with your girlies, the go-to outfit was a Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress. Now you can recreate the look via DVF’s Rewrap site.