A new smartphone application is trying to make it a little bit easier to meet That Cute Guy at the Bar by telling partiers the mix of guys and girls at Washington-area watering holes.
The Gender Zoo app calculates the ratio from the number of smartphone users “checked in” at a bar and from users’ visual estimates, so others can know what to expect when they get there.
“Anywhere you go, you always hear guys saying, ‘There’s too many guys here.’ Or if you’re talking about dating, women always complain there’s not enough guys here [in D.C.],” said Dr. Minh Tran, the 36-year-old, single dentist and Fairfax County resident who developed the app.
U.S. Census Bureau statistics show there are 112 women for every 100 men in the Washington area.
“It changes the dynamic of things, because the app, if it’s widely used, could basically control the crowd. If you want more women to show up, you say there’s too many men,” Tran said.
The app, which runs on both iPhones and Droids, garnered at least 400 users in its first month, without advertising.
“In its infancy it was hit-or-miss on whether people had used it. But now that it’s gained steam, it’s starting to really help,” said Bryan, a 30-year-old Gender Zoo user who didn’t want his last name used.
Bryan, who lives in Clarendon, said he checks the app every weekend and prefers places with “as many women as possible.” He said the Gender Zoo is pretty accurate.
“It’ll help people from wasting time or paying cover at a place they don’t really want to be anyways,” he said.
The app also shows a bar crowd’s age range and type, such as military or college.
| More D.C. nightlife apps |
| More free smartphone help for planning your night out: |
| > Urbanspoon: Finds you a place to eat, Magic 8-Ball-style. Just shake your phone and the app will find a D.C. restaurant near you ?– thank you, GPS — that’s recommended by the food blog Urbanspoon. |
| > DrinkOwl: Lets you find D.C.’s happy hours. You can search by when, where, and what drinks are on sale. |
The idea sounded good to women, too.
“The ratios are nice to know when you’re out with your girlfriends. You don’t want to be overloaded with guys,” said 26-year-old Arlington resident Blaire Hamilton.
But bar owners weren’t so sure the app would be on their side.
“Somebody could hate a particular bar and write in that there’s 200 dudes and one girl. That would stink if you were that bar,” said John McManus, co-owner of the Barking Dog in Bethesda. “The app is peculiar. I can’t believe anybody would be happy about it, one way or another.”
Others bar owners were more curious about the idea.
“It sounds interesting,” said Frank Hankins, owner of Sova Espresso & Wine on H Street Northeast. “I don’t think it would be bad for my business. Most of the things we have at my bar are very event-driven. I don’t think people could care less what the ratio is.”
