Gimmicks come and go, but none has the staying power of a birthday promotion. Consider the obvious reasons: everybody has a birthday, they typically feature presents and cake, and it creates an easy rationalization to go out and party.
Proclaimed “Madison’s Official Birthday Place,” the Nitty Gritty turns an annual event into a daily celebration. While all birthdays at the Gritty are given special attention, today marks even greater significance as the venerable Madison institution turns 35 years old.
To celebrate, owner Marsh Shapiro and crew are pulling out all the stops. Showcasing the number 35, the Gritty will give away prizes every 35 minutes from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., sell Itty Bitty Gritty Burgers for 35 cents, and for those turning 35, giving away a special gift. By the way, did I mention free cake for all?
When Shapiro opened the Gritty Oct. 3, 1968, he had no visions it would ever last this long. “It was just a blue-collar bar that featured live music,” he said, explaining the Gritty’s origins.
Other than a name change from Glen ‘n’ Ann’s Cozy Inn to the Nitty Gritty, Shapiro maintained the status quo at the time. It was the late 1960s, and the crowd that called this bar home was decidedly anti-war.
It is ironic to learn that Shapiro, more or less representing the establishment, catered to the fringe. “I inherited a radical crowd,” Shapiro elaborates, “but the formula worked, so I didn’t change the overall tone of the bar.”
Public sentiment eventually shifted, and the free-for-all spirit gave way to a change in attitude. The Nitty Gritty stopped live music in 1974, and Shapiro returned to the television business, maintaining the bar on the side.
Fortune changed for Shapiro after he was fired from his TV gig in 1985. The Gritty was, up until that time, just another burger joint with a bar. Shapiro needed a plan.
So he brainstormed with his wife, Susan, and Brent Harvey, an enterprising grad student. Harvey mentioned a bar in Michigan that gave away beer to customers on their birthday. Shapiro liked the idea, and decided it was the way to go.
“It was new for Madison, and much more appealing than the birthday tradition at the time called ‘Death March,'” Shapiro explained, referring to the practice of a shot at every bar on State Street when students come of age.
Word spread quickly of the free beer, free mug, name on the board, and bell-ringing birthday fun at the Gritty. For kicks, Shapiro decided that it would be fun to keep track of the number of birthdays.
The numbers grew fast, and it didn’t take long to reach 100,000 people. A few years later, the number crossed the 200,000 plateau.
It is only fitting that 300,000, the most recent milestone, was reached last week by UW student Megan Clark, who turned 21 Sept. 23. “We gave her a birthday present of $1,000 — it was really exciting,” Shapiro proudly describes.
The Gritty would not have come so far if people did not enjoy themselves. For that, the bar serves a variety of over 180 types of shots, with names like Just Say No (Jäger, Beam and Cuervo) and the Tidy Bowl (Ouzo and blue Curacao), both available for $3.
Specials run from Sunday to Thursday. The list is extensive, but includes Captain mixers for $1.75 on Wednesdays and $2 Long Islands on Mondays.
Everyday prices are also a good value. Pabst taps are always $1, and domestic pitchers are $4 from 11 p.m. to close. The popular Jäger Bomb is $3.50, and the Bartender’s Choice Birthday Shot is $2.
The bar has a tendency to get crowded with birthday celebrations of all ages. Those with the mug and balloon use a “birthday express lane,” which entitles the celebrant to their free beer or soda with hardly any waiting time.
The spirit is always upbeat and brings a smile. Bartender Jeff Osterhaus concludes, “It’s a party everyday — the excitement and continuous celebration is the best part of the job.”
A model of consistency, the Nitty Gritty knows how to make the most of a birthday. Whether you are celebrating today, like UW senior Tina Weber, who is turning 22, or any other day of the year, the Nitty Gritty is a Madison tradition that is hard to miss.
Bartime will enjoy a few drinks this weekend at Amy’s Café, located off State Street at 414 West Gilman St. Cheers!
