When I lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, few bars were
open past midnight. Not many people got into trouble after a night of drinking -- we were home by the
time we'd have otherwise been up to no good.
But there was one
bar that was open until 1 a.m. and that was the bar at TGI Fridays.
With oversized mugs and free peanuts, it was a perfectly functional
bar even though it was definitely not cool. This was not where singles
would go to meet; it would not be the site of a memorable evening.
This was simply the opportunity to enjoy a Sam Adams on draft in front
of an analog television.
But as the New York Post suggests,
TGI Fridays was once the cool, new place to be seen.The story covers
the history of the restaurant chain, profiling the original location in
New York City.
It paints a tale of a bar that welcomed single women -- a big deal in
1965. It was
apparently more Tipsy McStaggers (the one referenced in a Simpson's episode, not the unfortunately named bar in Rochester, New York) than fry-o-lator and sundaes.
And if you thought movie franchises were spreading themselves thin
today, they have nothing on the founders of TGI Fridays: Four
spin-off restaurants were opened to lure in consumers at different
price points -- Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays (naturally
an ice cream parlor).
Still, the next time you're looking to
impress a date, do not opt for the chicken
flingers at TGI Fridays. Instead, try taking your folks for Happy
Hour -- they'll probably love it like a
golden oldie.
[Image via Flickr: robertpaulyoung]
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