Fitness
What's Quickly Replacing Girls' Nights Out
Why these kinds of clubs are having a moment.
AARP (Getty Images, 2)
Eight women crowd around a dining room table. Someone gets up to retrieve a forgotten serving spoon. Someone else is laughing so hard she can’t finish telling the story about her last online date. A salad bowl makes its way around the table, followed by warm bread, and a bottle of wine that’s already half empty. No one is checking their phone.
The lasagna is getting cold — and nobody seems to care.
It’s a scene playing out in dining rooms across the country as women rediscover a simple idea with surprising power: gathering regularly over a shared meal. For generations, supper clubs have taken many forms. In the Midwest, the term often referred to beloved restaurants where families lingered over Friday fish fries and Old Fashioneds. Or where organizations like the Elks and the Moose club held prime rib dinners and dancing nights for their members at their lodges. Wisconsin was the state most famous for supper clubs, sporting over 200 of them in its heyday.
They were defined by their comfort-food menu, a multi-hours-long dining experience and the nostalgia of a bygone era.
Today, supper clubs blend private dining experiences with old-school destinations and include underground pop-ups or exclusive culinary events hosted by chefs. They often include multi-course seasonal meals and classic cocktails. And a growing wave of women-driven supper clubs is less about gourmet cooking than genuine connection.
Some meet monthly in one another’s homes, rotating hosting duties and cooking responsibilities. Others are potlucks where everyone contributes a favorite dish. Some center around a cookbook theme, an international cuisine, or a seasonal menu.
Increasingly, women are even forming supper clubs with complete strangers through neighborhood Facebook groups, the Meetup app, libraries, community centers, or simply by posting, “Who wants to have dinner?”
“As the founder of an events company, I’ve watched supper clubs transform from a niche dining concept into one of the strongest ways people build genuine community,” says Nikita Khandheria, founder and CEO of ERIA, a San Francisco events company.
“Unlike traditional networking events, supper clubs slow people down. Instead of rushing from conversation to conversation, guests spend two or three hours around the same table sharing multiple courses, stories, and experiences,” she says.
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Supper Clubs Spawn Connection
Experts who study social connection say there’s one reason supper clubs are resonating now. Friendships, like any important relationship, often require structure and repetition.
A dinner that’s on the calendar every month removes the pressure of constantly trying to organize plans and creates a dependable rhythm for connection.
One California company, Tapestry, focuses on expanding the lives of active adults aged 50+. Based on feedback, they’re launching a new supper club, Gather, for this very audience.
“Gather is for both singles and couples in this stage of life who are looking for a new way to engage with their community, meet new friends and share interesting experiences that spark conversation,” says Van Goodwin, owner of Tapestry.
“Gatherings will be held at restaurants, with local ambassadors organizing events like a destination-inspired menu with a presentation from a travel expert, or a regional wine tasting and lecture. The food is the anchor, but the connection to people, to a craft, to a place is the point,” says Goodwin.
Eventually, supper club dinners became about much more than food. Members celebrate birthdays, welcome grandchildren, help one another through illnesses, offer support during divorces and widowhood, and become the people who show up with soup after surgery.
Conversations deepen more quickly around a dining room table than they do in a noisy restaurant or at a networking event. Phones stay tucked away. The shared act of serving one another creates an atmosphere that’s both relaxed and intentional.
“By the end of the evening, complete strangers often exchange contact information, plan future dinners together or even discover business opportunities they never expected,” says Khandheria.
Perhaps that’s because food has always been one of humanity’s oldest ways of building community. Breaking bread together slows us down. It gives everyone a reason to linger after dessert instead of rushing to the next obligation. Over time, the ritual itself becomes as nourishing as the meal.
A New Mode of Entertainment
Women’s supper clubs also reflect a broader shift in how many people think about entertaining. Gone are the expectations of perfectly styled tablescapes or elaborate multi-course dinner party menus. Today’s hosts are just as likely to order takeout, ask guests to bring a dish, or serve soup or stew from a slow cooker. The emphasis is on showing up, not showing off.
For women who feel they’ve outgrown old social circles or are looking to build new ones, supper clubs offer something many adults quietly crave: a place to belong. They create what sociologists sometimes call a “third place” — neither work nor home, but a regular gathering where relationships can deepen over time. Unlike one-off events, recurring dinners build familiarity. Faces become friends.
“What’s especially interesting is that these dinners appeal across generations. Younger guests are searching for authentic community beyond social media, while older attendees appreciate the opportunity for meaningful conversation in a relaxed environment,” says Khandheria.
As researchers continue to warn about the health consequences of loneliness, these small gatherings may offer an antidote that’s remarkably ordinary.
“As our lives become increasingly digital, I believe people are craving experiences that feel personal and intentional,” says Khandheria. “Supper clubs provide exactly that — they create a space where conversations happen naturally instead of feeling forced.”
Back around that dining room table, dessert has long since been served. Someone is wrapping leftovers for a friend who couldn’t make it. Plans are already underway for next month’s dinner. There’s a debate over who’s hosting next and whether tacos count as a theme.
The food will be different next time. The conversation will wander somewhere unexpected. But the most important ingredient will remain the same.
Would any of YOU like to start or join a supper club? Let us know in the comments below.
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