Online users have mixed opinions about Bliss Restaurant in Florissant, Missouri, enforcing an age restriction only welcoming women over 30 and men over 35.
According to People, owner Marvin Pate, 36, opened Bliss in May in the greater St. Louis area. The bar and eatery is a Caribbean spot that, in addition to drinks, serves oxtails, snapper, jerk lamb chops, and more à la chef Alex Dixon. Local news outlet KSDK noted that a St. Louis County police officer or the restaurant’s hosts check IDs from Wednesdays through Sundays after 7 p.m. to ensure everyone in the spot meets its gendered age requirements.
Pate and his assistant manager, Erica Rhodes, spoke with KSDK about Bliss’ unique and controversial age restrictions. Rhodes noted that the establishment is a place for grown and sexy folk to feel comfortable. Meanwhile, Pate claimed the more adult crowd gets to enjoy a vacation-like atmosphere.
“The restaurant is just something for the older people to come do, have a happy hour, come get some good food, and not have to worry about some of the young folks who bring some of that drama,” noted Rhodes.
“I think Bliss is a home away from home. You can come here and actually feel like you’re at a resort. People will feel like they’re on a vacation,” added Pate.
Meanwhile, on the restaurant’s Facebook account, Bliss outlined the reasons behind its age restriction even further. In a May 28 post, the restaurant said, “Recently, we have had incidents where our age requirement has been violated and put on social media. To reiterate, Bliss Caribbean Restaurant requires all guests to be 30 or older for women and 35 or older for men. This policy is in place to ensure a mature, sophisticated, and safe dining environment for everyone.”
How Are People IRL And On Social Media Reacting To Bliss’ Age Restrictions?
Not everyone is a fan of the Missouri eatery’s age policy, or thinks it contributes to a “sophisticated crowd.” The restaurant is currently lowly rated on Yelp, with a 2.4 based on seven reviews in total. One person who left one star wrote, “Awful restaurant. I wouldn’t recommend to anyone, even if you do meet the obnoxious age requirement. Food was mediocre at best.”
Meanwhile, the new eatery’s Google reviews are a glowing 4.8.
Out of the 11 total reviews, one person wrote, “A VIBE!!! Dope EVERYTHING!!! GREAT Service!!! GOOD FOOD!!! Good Drinks!!! The DJ was JAMMING!!! FINALLY, St. Louis has a spot for the older crowd!!!”
On social media, Bliss’ age restriction has drawn so much attention that it’s become fodder for The Shade Room’s Instagram page. Underneath a news clip reposted by the source, one person said, “Damn, I need to sneak in there. I like that age range.”
Contrastingly, one opinionated commenter said, “Nobody wanna eat dinner and hear y’all loud a*s youngins doing TikToks from the booth to the bathroom.” Also, a separate person even suggested that some U.K.-based nightlife spots implement Bliss’ policy. They said, “Omg we need this in the U.K., needs to happen. These younger ones are headache most times.”
Regardless of the controversy, both Pate and Rhodes emphasized that Bliss plans to keep its age policy in place. The owner said, “Of course, we have been getting a little backlash because of our policy, but that’s okay. We’re sticking to our code.”
