“Sit-at-the-Bar September” didn’t come from a dating app—it came from 86-year-old New Yorker Laurie Cooper, who told her followers: “Hey girls… get off the dating apps… it’s sit-at-the-bar September.” Then she named actual spots—The Carlyle (Upper East Side), Bar Pisellino (West Village), Emmett’s on Grove—where you can park on a stool and meet humans in the wild.

But she didn’t stop there…she’s also telling gals to “get off that warm tush and get out there” with Get-off-the-Apps October, and Never-stay-home November.

The response? BIG.

Media from Bon Appétit to MarketWatch credited Cooper for turning swipes into full seats, with bartenders chiming in on how to make IRL encounters actually happen. They note app-fatigue is widespread (nearly 80% of users are over it), and that neighborhood bars with curved counters and regulars beat flashy “see-and-be-seen” rooms for real conversation. Meaning: people are looking for a vibe that’s approachable, not precious. 

How venues can get people back to the bars—this week:

• Program “No-Phone Hour” at the rail. From 7-8p, guests who stash their phones get a house spritz or NA aperitif for 2$ off. Train bartenders with two lines: “What are you drinking?” followed by “Are you celebrating anything today?”—it opens the door for table-to-stool intros.
• Seat for serendipity.  If your bar is straight and crowded, create a mini “curve” with a host-led cluster: place two-tops at 45° facing the bar, leave one stool gap between parties, and coach staff to bridge intros (“You two were both eyeing the amaro—want a taste flight?”). Bartenders say layout and being “interruptible” matter. MarketWatch
• Name the nights.“Meet-Cute Mondays,” “Talk-to-Strangers Tuesdays,” and a monthly “Regulars Roll-Call” where returning guests get their name on a chalkboard and a first-sip special.
• Price matters, so lower the friction: a Barstool Prix-Fixe—one seat, one plate (burger-fries-and-martini (orNA highball)), and one conversation starter card for a set price. Add a tiny “icebreaker stack” at every other stool (“Ask your neighbor which dish on the menu they’d rename and why”).
• Make exploring easy: Print a mini-map of nearby bars to encourage bar-hopping or publish a three-bar itinerary on Instagram every Thursday (“Start here at 7, head to ___ at 8, finish at ___ for nightcaps”). Steal Cooper’s specificity – specific places beat vague vibes—just like her NYC list did. Coordinate with a few other bars to do the same, and start audience-sharing.

  

This trend is great news for independent venues: more butts on barstools, more first-dates at weeknight shows, and a reason to refresh programming (NA flights, “bartender’s choice”

intros, two-song speed-dating during the opener).

Want more headspace to run these experiments instead of drowning in booking back-and-forth? AmptUp streamlines your live-music booking so you can spend your time designing nights that get people off the couch and onto your stools. If that sounds better than another inbox marathon, tap AmptUp and make more of these nights happen.

How to get them chatting:

Want people to get MORE out of their drink…and maybe stick around for a while? Print out table top cards for the bar that simply say: “Ask your barstool neighbor:”

And who knows, maybe that happy hour drink will turn into a wedding room rental.

1. If you could name a drink after your week, what would it be?
2. If you could steal the playlist right now, what song would you play next?
3. Would you rather close down the bar or open it the next morning?
4. What’s your go-to comfort food after a long day?
5. What city (besides this one) would you most want to bar-hop in?
6. If you could have a drink with any musician—dead or alive—who would it be?
7. What’s one thing you’ve done this year that deserves a toast?
8. What’s the most underrated dive or venue you’ve ever been to?
9. What was the best moment in your day? (What was the hardest?)
10. What’s your telltale sign that it’s been a good night?