“Nobody is wandering the streets anymore hoping to stumble on a random chalkboard that says happy hour. People prefer to know exactly where they are going these days, they plan their outings in advance.
In a city like New York, where surviving financially is tough, happy hours are beloved. Moving to the city, I found it frustrating to locate accurate happy hour information. This frustration, combined with a desire to meet new people on a budget, led to the creation of Clinq. I realized that many people, especially newcomers, feel the same way." - Lucretia, Founder Clinq.
It is no surprise that socializing often comes at a high financial cost in New York City. A place where time is precious and social interactions are as fragmented as the skyline. One app however, is revolutionizing the way people connect. Enter Clinq, a brainchild of Lucretia Howe and co founder Laurent Shiels, driven by their passion for human narratives and genuine connections, they created an innovative solution to a common problem.
In an exclusive interview with The Urban Executive, Lucretia shares the inspiration behind Clinq, a platform designed to bring people together through accurate, reliable happy hour data. Clinq aims to foster authentic, in-person interactions in a city where transient lifestyles and financial pressures often hinder genuine connections. By offering an intuitive interface and inclusive features, Clinq empowers users to choose their social experiences, promoting meaningful relationships amidst the chaos of urban life.
The Urban Executive: Tell us about Clinq. Why did you start Clinq?
Lucretia: Being a humanist, I've always been passionate about human narratives. I see people as stories, and I believe that contrary to popular belief, we all have a deep desire to connect with one another. This desire to love and connect is what sets humans apart from other species. Unfortunately, I see so much brokenness in the world, with many things dividing us more than uniting us. Sadly, our technologies are often among these dividing factors.
Especially coming out of COVID and lockdown, I noticed how polarized people were becoming online. I wanted to get people back to in-person conversations. Talking face-to-face is so different from communicating through a screen; you lose the ability to empathize, to look into someone's eyes and feel their humanity. I wanted to bring people together for genuine conversations, but I didn't want it to feel forced. Unlike many members' social clubs, where connections often feel temporary and don't extend beyond the event, I wanted something more natural.
People love feeling like they've earned something. Savings and discounts are highly appreciated, even if it's just 50 cents. In a city like New York, where surviving financially is tough, happy hours are beloved. Moving to the city, I found it frustrating to locate accurate happy hour information. This frustration, combined with a desire to meet new people on a budget, led to the creation of Clinq. I realized that many people, especially newcomers, feel the same way. New York is a transient city where people want to make genuine connections but struggle financially, especially with inflation.
Clinq was born from this need to provide accurate, reliable happy hour data, helping people socialize with ease and create their own communities. Unlike forced authenticity movements, Clinq allows people to choose their interactions, forming genuine relationships out of free will and desire.
The Urban Executive: Walk us through the interface of the app?
Lucretia: The app has many features. When you first open it, you're taken to an interactive map screen showing all the venues, over 500 of them. You can use different filters and a search bar to narrow down your options. This map gives a comprehensive view of New York and its boroughs. You can filter by days of the week, price range, and venue type, with over 25 venue types available, including coffee bars, vinyl bars, karaoke bars, gay bars, lounges, rooftops, and more.
We're also experimenting with boozeless bars, catering to the trend of health-conscious socializing without substances. One of Clinq's goals is to lead the boozeless movement in the happy hour space. Currently, happy hour menus are almost exclusively alcoholic, which I find discriminatory. We want to make these menus more inclusive, featuring mocktails and non-alcoholic beers. We've heard from users willing to pay the same price for non-alcoholic options if available.
The Urban Executive: So all the restaurants or establishments you have, they all offer happy hours?
Lucretia: Yes, all of them offer happy hours. Happy hour is our core value and product offering. Surprisingly, many non-traditional places like coffee shops offer happy hours too. Some coffee shops transform into bars at certain times, creating a hybrid model. I've also communicated with grocery stores experimenting with happy hours to boost foot traffic and reduce waste. The concept of happy hour isn't just limited to bars and restaurants; it's any time a discount is offered to consumers.
The Urban Executive: Are you just in New York?
Lucretia: Yes, New York is our focus as the beta city. However, happy hour is a global phenomenon. When we first launched the app, our beta group included friends and family from around the world—Denver, LA, Singapore, London, Italy, Berlin. They were excited about the concept, recognizing its potential in their cities. This enthusiasm made us realize we have a potentially global product. We're starting with New York because if a business can make it here, it can make it anywhere. Our long-term goal is to expand once we secure the necessary funding.
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