More than 4,000 miles from the Winter Olympic Games, a New York City restaurant hosted its own opening ceremony and game night on Feb. 6.
Pinky Swear, an immersive food, drink and art gallery in Manhattan, kicked off a new tradition in the Lower East Side with a watch party for the official opening ceremony, followed by competitive rounds of Mario Kart, mini ping pong, fencing and more.
The 2026 Winter Olympics, held in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, from Feb. 6 – Feb. 22, will feature 116 games in six Paralympic sports and 16 Olympic disciplines, CBS reported.
In a similar fashion, Pinky Swear plans to continue hosting Olympic-themed events and watch parties throughout February, transforming the space into a place where anyone — whether a winter sports fan or not — can join in on the festivities.
“I just found out that the Winter Olympics exist,” TikTok influencer Briana Jones said. “I was like, does the Olympics know this is happening?”
Jones was invited by Pinky Swear to participate in the games with her friend, Eliel Pacheco.
The venue creatively set the tone of day-to-night with a playlist mixing modern and techno music, abstract art and interactive stations.
Guests dined at tables, watched the games from barstools, or chatted the night away on the patio — the perfect area for roasting s’mores around a fire pit — while others competed in the lounge for a $400 prize and bragging rights.
To celebrate the Winter Olympics, Pinky Swear also created a special cocktail and food menu inspired by the games and the Alps.
After drinks and several rounds of stuffed pretzels were served around the bar, the Pinky Swear Winter Olympics officially began.
“I just watched the opening ceremony today, and I know they have some new sports and like the first Olympics to have over 47% women, ” Pacheco said.
When asked if he was competitive, “in theory yes,” Pacheco said, “in practice, no.”
Many brought the same competitive energy as athletes on the ice during rounds of ping pong and Q-Putt, a game that mimics pool with a yin-and-yang twist.
The finale game featured fencing with plastic “swords,” and finalists took a quick shot of liquid courage before diving in, the winner of the competition receiving 400 Pinky Dollars.
Will Horowitz, the consultant and chef of Pinky Swear who is also known as the “weirdo chef,” owns multiple restaurants throughout the Lower East Side.
Horowitz’s specialty began by “promoting local sustainability and really interesting average food. And oftentimes, celebrated and equally as demonized for being a weirdo,” he said.
Horowitz also said he and the owners of Pinky Swear shared a common goal — to connect people through food and fun activities, especially after COVID-19.
“Restaurants are always looking for fun things to do in the winter, and you know, I think dry January thing isn’t really the easiest coping mechanism for small businesses around here,” he said. “ I think that’s a fun thing to do, especially in such polarizing times right now, to have an event that we can all kind of remember is meant to share unity throughout the entire world.”
The Winter Olympics will continue through Feb. 22, and Pinky Swear will be hosting events and watch parties for the rest of the season.
