Elizaveta Mitenkova on PexelsIn the 1988 movie, Cocktail, audiences fell in love with Tom Cruise’s portrayal of a young man caught up in the excitement of the fast-paced, booze-soaked world of flair bartending. His world was a singles bar and one inspired by TGI Fridays. Yes, the family chain restaurant that invented the concept of the singles bar.
Before it was a sit-down restaurant catering to families, TGI Fridays brought a novel concept to single people in New York City. It was a place for them to mingle, and it was quite the business plan.
It Started In a Rundown Bar
In 1965, Alan Stillman was living in New York City and selling essential oils to make a living. He was spending a lot of his time at cocktail parties, trying to meet single women. As fate would have it, he was presented with an opportunity to buy a rundown bar on the Upper East Side.
Stillman saw an opportunity amid the sexual revolution. There were others like him, looking to meet single men and women in an uninhibited place, where the only rules were buy drinks and have fun. Stillman bought the bar, named it TGI Fridays, and opened it in March 1965. It didn’t take long for the place to be filled with eligible men and women.
The Era of the Singles Bar
TGI Fridays ushered in the era of singles bars, expanding the restaurant and bar market. In its early days, stepping inside a TGI Fridays was like walking into the middle of a mosh pit. It was so crowded that you could just bump into someone to get their phone number.
The success of TGI Fridays was so immense that it inspired many imitators. Eventually, Stillman capitalized on his concept by franchising, and TGI Fridays opened throughout the country. Anyone who spent a night at a TGI Fridays was looking for an excuse to meet someone, and they usually did.
From Singles Bar to Serving Mozzarella Sticks
As market competition grew and the culture around dating changed, TGI Fridays had no choice but to switch gears. In the 1980s, it transitioned into being a chain of family restaurants. This was a natural progression, however, as the people who went to TGI Fridays to meet someone often did, and many would go on to start families. The bar’s customer base changed, and those former customers who were now moms and dads needed somewhere to eat.
The TGI Fridays that launched the concept of the singles bar is gone. The family restaurant version isn’t as prominent as it once was. Numerous locations have closed, including 36 corporate-owned ones in 2024. Many locations in the UK have also closed over the last two years. The company was even forced to file for bankruptcy in 2024, but they seem committed to continuing to operate their remaining restaurants.
While most people forget the origins of TGI Fridays, the legend lives on in the memory of those who experienced it and in pop culture through movies like Cocktail. There might never be another bar that will have the cultural footprint of TGI Fridays, and it’s never a bad time to ask your parents if they ever had a drink there.
