Are Fern Bars, the Original Singles Bars, Making a Comeback?

Those under a certain age may have never heard of a “fern bar,” but they’re likely familiar with TGI Fridays, the Lemon Drop cocktail, or even singles bars. All of these have direct ties to the fern bar movement.

Though the fern bar concept emerged a decade earlier, the term wasn’t commonly used until the late 1970s when these venues hit their peak popularity. These bars emerged at the tail end of the tropical escapist tiki trend, which had thrived during the preceding three decades. It also marked the demise of classic cocktails, which would resurface a few decades later. 

Fern bars were a welcoming space for single women, which ushered in the “ladies’ night” concept. Prior to this, many young, single women did not gather in bars to socialize. The drink choices were catered to what proprietors thought women would enjoy: white wine spritzers and a slate of cocktails that leaned on sweet, fruit-driven flavors. This contrasted with the spirit-driven, boozy serves that most bargoers, mostly men, experienced up to this time.

Cultural influences helped spark the concept, chief among them the increasing number of working women who had their own money to spend, and the wide availability of the birth control pill. Many unmarried women sought new ways, apart from friends, family connections, or college, to find a husband or life partner. 

A few enterprising businessmen saw a void in the bar and hospitality market that could be filled both by women, and the men who sought opportunities to meet them.

The best inventions are often born of necessity. For the fern bars, the necessity was “how to meet a woman to get a date or get laid.” That helps to explain what motivated Alan Stillman to open the first TGI Fridays in New York City’s Upper East Side in 1965. 

Stillman, an essential oils salesman, noticed that his New York City neighborhood was home to a growing population of single, working women. He concluded that a bar where single women would feel comfortable might thrive in the emerging singles culture. Most bars at the time were seedy, by today’s standards. They were dim watering holes populated primarily by men. It was not considered socially acceptable or safe for an unaccompanied woman to be in a bar.  

Enter TGI Fridays. The idea was to create an environment, adorned with Tiffany lamps, cozy furniture, and ample plant life, where women could relax on their own or with friends. Men were likely to frequent the bar as well. There, they could meet single women in an environment similar to a cocktail party at a well-appointed home.

In short order, operators in other cities caught on to the trend and began opening TGI Fridays-inspired spinoffs. 

San Francisco bar Henry Africa’s, thought to be where the Lemon Drop originated, brought the fern bar concept to full flower. It doubled down on the greenery and completed the fern plant aesthetic with low-cost decor. With this notable opening, a trend was born, and a new term was coined in the upscale, preppy lexicon.  

Disappearing and adapting

Like the dating apps that have occupied smartphones over the last few decades, fern bars had a built-in obsolescence. After that special person is found, the venue is no longer needed.

Tastes change, aesthetics evolve, and trends flip on a dime. As fern bars began to fade with the disco era, venues like TGI Fridays had to adapt. Its business model became more family-friendly. Locations sprouted up in the suburbs, where their once single and ready-to-mingle patrons had migrated with their families. 

Vestiges of the fern bar styles remain, discernable to those aware of its legacy and influence. 

The return of the fern bar style

Across the U.S., new establishments have made an effort to create an environment full of green decor and laid-back vibes. Some bars and restaurants have brought back a retro vibe that incorporates ample amounts of greenery and well-placed lighting fixtures set to dim. These include Sister Restaurant in Dallas, Hotel Ulysses in Baltimore, Apartment Disco in Detroit, and Chez Zou in New York City. 

Why has this carefree bar style, along with its fun, fruit-driven cocktails, made a comeback of sorts? It might be a response to the exacting, craft cocktail revival that kicked off in the early 2000s.

Pre-Prohibition-era themed bars dominated the scene, inspired in large part by Sasha Petraske’s Milk and Honey. These bars were characterized by dark interiors and an emphasis on the secretive speakeasy nature of the 1920s. In time, a sort of backlash emerged. 

Concepts that featured tiki, tropical, Caribbean, and nautical themes began to crop up. As the current decade began, many bartenders opted for pineapple tattoos and casualwear, rather than three-piece, 19th-century attire and high-maintenance mustaches. A less serious style of bartending and service began to be embraced.

The environment may be ripe for the emergence of a modernized fern bar, a place where the drinks are well-crafted, but the service is light and casual, a drinks evolution of the last 50 years.

We live in an age where quality white Zinfandel and well-made disco drinks can be served alongside Michelin star-worthy food. Just add some yacht rock, moody lighting, and potted plants, and you have a recipe for love at first sight.