Characters from famous 1985 film had their bar, where’s Fresno State’s?

Brianna Campbell/Collegian File Photo

St. Elmo’s Fire, the famous 1985 film that propelled Demi Moore to stardom, traced the lives of seven recent college graduates as they entered the world of adulthood. St. Elmo’s, the bar the seven friends and their Georgetown peers frequent, plays a central role in helping each of the characters cope with the postgrad struggles they face as they begin their lives as grown-ups.

The film itself reflects a universal notion that all colleges have a specific place to hang out. Be that as it may, Fresno State in particular doesn’t have one specific place students frequent.

Amongst the bars surrounding Fresno State, there are certain qualities specific groups of students look for.

Swigg’s
Only five months old, Swigg’s has been many things over the years: The Big Yellow House, The Greenhouse, Baja’s, In Cahoots Two, Run with the Clubs, The Jungle, The Jungle 1440, Club Rio, VIP, The Bedroom, Bobby Salazar’s and Anici’s were all bars and restaurants that were housed in what is now Swigg’s. Despite the inconsistency of the building’s tenants, the current owners now run a bar that they thought would cater to college students, but got a little bit of everyone instead.

“We predicted that we’d have more of a college crowd, but we got a pretty big young professional crowd instead,” Michael Jew, co-owner of Swigg’s, said.
While in close proximity to Fresno State, students who want to run into friends or party somewhere that reflects the university’s population might try somewhere else.

“We cater to a big mid-to-late 30s crowd,” Jew said.

The Elbow Room
A Fresno staple, The Elbow Room hosts all kinds of events that draw in customers of all ages.

“We have a pretty diverse late-night crowd,” Randy McBride, manager of The Elbow Room, said. “We have bands perform on Sunday, like the one we had this weekend called Undercover.”

Although a popular spot in Fig Garden Village for older crowds during on the weekend, many students gravitate toward the Elbow Room to blow off steam.

“There’s a lot of older people there on Friday nights,” Tanner Sneed, a junior Kinesiology major, said. “They have live bands a lot, which is great. I really enjoy good music.”

BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse
A Fashion Fair favorite, this bar offers two extremes—it’s the place to go for students who want to dress up and go out, and it’s the place to go for families.

“We’re very college friendly place,” Nikki Chang, a manager at BJ’s, said. “We also have a lot of families come here, because it’s a very family-friendly place as well.”

Redwave
Because it is a bar generations of Fresno State students have frequented, Redwave gets an honorable mention for best staying power.

“Redwave has been here since ‘87,” Sarah Fierro, a cook at Redwave, said.

Because of Redwave’s proximity to Fresno State, the majority of the bar’s clientele is students.

“Our customers have always been mainly Fresno State students,” Fierro said. “We get a younger crowd in here.”

Though it’s a popular bar, those who don’t like running into people they know while clubbing avoid Redwave.

“I’ve heard it’s the kind of place where you always know someone,” Sneed said. “That’s why I like going to other bars.”