Restaurant says men must be 35, women must be 30 to enter: ‘We’re sticking to our code’

ST. LOUIS (KSDK) – Turning 18 and 21 are rites of passage that let young people go to certain places they couldn’t before.

But one restauranteur near St. Louis is upping the ante.

A new upscale restaurant in Florissant, Missouri, called Bliss has quite the age restriction.

Women must be at least 30 to enter, and men must be at least 35.

Marvin Pate, 36, and his wife opened Bliss just two weeks ago.

“It represents pure happiness and pure utopia. It’s a home away from home. You can come here and feel like you’re actually on a resort,” Pate said.

The restaurant’s West African and Caribbean cuisine isn’t the only hot topic simmering on social media – people can’t stop talking about the age restriction.

“It’s just something for the older people to come do and have a happy hour, come get some good food and not have to worry about some of the young folks that bring some of that drama,” Assistant Manager Erica Rhodes said.

Pate said he’s not worried about any push-back regarding the age to enter.

“Of course, we have been getting a little backlash, but that’s OK because we’re sticking to our code,” he said.

Everyone who enters the restaurant will have to show their identification to a hostess or a St. Louis County police officer after 7 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday.

“[Pate] has a policy that suits the clientele that he’s trying to draw in. I think he’s on the right track,” customer Fernando Smith said.

And for anyone too young to dine at Bliss, the restaurant is ready to welcome them in years to come.

“Those younger ones, you can come patronize the business once you turn 30 or 35, because we’re gonna be here for a while,” Rhodes said.

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