Join us for the next
Grown Folks Supper Club
Because making real friends as a grown-ass adult shouldn't require a church or a coworker
Phoenix, Fall 2026
You bring yourself. I'll handle the rest.
What is The Grown Folks Supper Club?
Get invited to a curated gathering of up to 10 queer people here in Phoenix. Just like those ads we see in our social feeds, except this isn’t run by AI, just a local lesbian. I host each gathering. Consider me the cruise director of your new friend group.
How it works: You fill out a form, sharing your interests and what you enjoy in friendships. I use your answers to build a balanced, interesting group of 10-15 people whose schedules actually line up. I find the place, date, and time. I email an invite to up to 15 people. The first 10 people who confirm and pay the $20 fee reserve their spot.
Once your spot is confirmed, you get another email with further details, including the icebreaker questions. I’ll be your point of contact, so if you have questions about parking, vibe, menu, etc, they can all be answered, and you can confidently and easily show up, ready to connect.
The first gathering will take place Fall 2026. Depending on interest and how it goes, I’ll expand it from there.
Who it’s for: This is for people who are over 35-ish, not straight, and not cisgender men. This is a queer-centered space where patriarchal heteronormative vibes are not it.
Cost: $0 to fill out the application form. $20 fee per gathering, separate from whatever food you order at the event. The first round of gatherings will be held at restaurants where the typical meal is around $20.
For the first gathering, I’m keeping it as affordable as possible. If there’s enough interest, I’ll begin creating gatherings at various price points with various locations, days, and times.
I’ve learned from doing this for professional networking groups, that clarity is kindness. Here’s what you can expect:
The goal is connection and friendship, not networking. We will not be sharing business cards or LinkedIn profiles.
The goal is connection and friendship. I’m not trying to set anyone up romantically. If y'all take it there, that’s on you as consenting adults.
You will know about the “icebreaker questions” ahead of time, so you can be ready to share. That way we actually hear each other’s responses instead of being up in our heads, trying to figure out what we’re going to say. No surprises that expect vulnerability.
Accessibility: every effort will be made to select locations that are physically accessible, as well as meet as many dietary needs as possible. If you have specific needs and have favorite restaurants that meet those needs, please feel free to suggest them as locations. We are trying to keep the cost of the initial meals at $20 or less.
Shared baseline beliefs: Black and Brown Lives Matter. Believe women. Protect the trans community. Abolish ICE. Fuck Trump. This is my project, and I don’t have the energy to debate those basics in my social time. If those aren’t baseline for you, no hard feelings but this isn’t the group for you.
Buzzed, not wasted. If you’re drinking, it’s a two-drink max. If you’re partaking in something else, and no judgment here because social anxiety can be debilitating in these times, please do not arrive too altered. If it feels like we’re managing your state instead of getting to know you, you will be asked to leave, and there are no refunds.
No refunds. Once you’re invited to a gathering (could be a dinner or lunch or treats) and you pay the commitment fee, there is no refund. If life happens, you can’t make it, and you let me know, your fee can be applied to the next gathering. If you don’t let me know, it won’t be applied. And in all circumstances, there are no refunds.
It’s likely that not everyone will get invited to the first gathering because attendance is capped at 10 people. If we have enough people to have two first events, I’ll make it happen. Even if you don’t get an invite to the first event, your info will be kept for consideration in future events. If there are enough of all kinds of people, everyone will be invited to at least one event.
I’m not trying to create gatherings of all the same type of person. I’m trying to create gatherings that feel balanced and interesting.
Ready to join us?
Fill out the interest form to get started.
There is no cost to submit your application.
When you’re invited to an event, you’ll pay the $20 fee to reserve your spot.
Questions? You can email me at ElenaJoyThurston@gmail.com
Welcome! I’m Elena Joy. 47, queer, mom, AZ native. I’m a corporate consultant with a lot of time on my hands right now. Like a lot of people, I’m realizing that without work, I don’t have a whole lot of people in town to socialize with. I know I’m not the only one. But it feels damn near impossible to make friends when you’re not in your 20s, and not in an organized community, like a church.
So let me organize some dinner nights for you! I facilitate groups professionally, so I’ll be the hostess with the warm welcome, who asks the open-ended questions, guides the convo, and facilitates connection.
I’m not a psychologist, a therapist, or any -ist. I just run groups professionally and want to create what I’ve been trying to find: an easy way to actually make queer friends here in the Valley.
Yes, I built this landing page on my business website because that was easiest. I’m not trying to promote my business with this Supper Club, so I removed the navigation menus.
FAQ’s
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This is a queer-centered space for folks who are over 35ish, not straight, and not cisgender men. If that sounds like you, sounds like you’re in.
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Every gathering caps at 10, so not everyone lands in round one. Your info stays on file, and if there's enough interest, I'll run a second first-gathering. The goal is for everyone to get invited to at least one, but is not guaranteed.
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Nope. This is about friendship, full stop. No business cards, no LinkedIn, no matchmaking. What consenting adults do with that on their own time is their business, not the club's.
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It's a commitment fee that holds your seat, separate from whatever you order to eat. It keeps the table full of people who actually show up. First-round spots are at restaurants where a meal runs $20 or less, so it stays affordable.
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No refunds. But life happens. Tell me before the gathering and your fee rolls to the next one. Go quiet and it doesn't. Either way, the fee isn't returned.
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Join the club! That's the whole reason this exists. You'll get the icebreaker questions ahead of time so you're never put on the spot, and I facilitate for a living, so keeping the conversation good and everyone included is literally my job.
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Not at all. If you do, it's a two-drink max. It’s fine to be buzzed, but not wasted. Same spirit if you partake in something else: come as yourself, not so altered we're managing your night instead of getting to know you.
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Me. Elena Thurston, a 47-year-old queer Phoenix native who facilitates groups professionally and got tired of how hard it is to make friends as a grown adult. So I built the thing I was looking for. If you need more of a vibe check, you can google me. It’s all out there.
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Around the Valley, at locally-owned spots chosen for accessibility and transit where I can. The first gathering lands the last week of September into early October. Tell me your area and how far you'll travel on the form, and I'll factor it in.
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I do my best to pick places that are physically accessible, transit-friendly, and able to meet a range of dietary needs. Have a spot you love that fits the bill? Suggest it on the form. It’s genuinely helpful.
Before you decide to join us…
This is a queer-centered space, and a few things aren't up for debate here. Black and Brown lives matter. Believe women. Protect the trans community. Abolish ICE. Fuck Trump.
If those are your baseline too, pull up a chair. If they're not, no hard feelings, but this isn't your group. I don't have the social energy to debate the basics, and I'd rather spend it building something good for the folks who are already there.
Ready to join us?
Fill out the interest form to get started.
There is no cost to submit your application.
When you’re invited to an event, you’ll pay the $20 fee to reserve your spot.
Questions? You can email me at ElenaJoyThurston@gmail.com