ne night at the Kung Fu Necktie bar in Fishtown, Lauren Herman spotted an intriguing man across the room. Most patrons were dressed in black, to match the night’s Emo theme, but he was wearing an outlandish blue suit and a matching feather-topped hat.
Herman, an extrovert with a direct approach, walked over and asked the first question on her mind: “What is this, a pimp table?”
The man was not, in fact, a pimp, but instead the owner of the bar, James Herman. Everyone knows him as “Chicken,” a nickname from his days as an artist in New York City in the ‘90s.
The two spent the evening talking about their lives and their shared interest in art. (At the time, Lauren managed security at the Philadelphia Museum of Art). Both fresh out of difficult relationships, neither was looking for a new one. And yet, they became inseparable over the next few weeks.
So by the time Herman learned of Chicken’s age — 62, and 37 years older than her — it didn’t matter.
A year later, in October 2025, the two got engaged on Fox29’s “Good Day Philadelphia” and this summer they got married at City Hall. They live together above Kung Fu Necktie, next to Chicken’s second bar, the Neon Clown Dream Lounge, a psychedelic music venue packed with salvaged clown art. Chicken runs both bars and Lauren is studying drawing and painting at the Community College of Philadelphia.
“He’s different than anyone I’ve ever known,” Lauren said. “So I just wanted to keep spending time with him.”
The following, as told to Zoe Greenberg in separate interviews, has been edited for length and clarity and combined.
On meeting at Kung Fu Necktie
Lauren: I was like, “Do you come here often?” He’s like, “Honey, I own the place.”
Chicken: I can’t use my position as a bar owner to approach any woman to date, because I’m so much older than all these people. I’m not gonna get labeled as a creep. She came up to me, and she was chatting it up, but then she asked, “Are you going to make a move?” I’m like, “Nope.”
On their first date
Lauren: He took me to a steakhouse. I think he was trying to impress me. Towards the end of the date, I asked, “Can we go somewhere fun now?” So we went to Oscar’s and just had cheap beer, more my vibe.
Chicken: We went to Butcher and Singer. It was our first date. What, am I going to take her to Burger King?
On learning about their age difference
Lauren: It’s actually funny because I didn’t find out how old he was until two months into us dating. He didn’t tell me. I was like, “So how old are you?” And he’s like, “Why does it matter?”
I think he thought I might not want to be with him. I really wouldn’t have cared. I thought he was in his 40s. About two months in, he left his ID out in the bathroom, and of course, I’m gonna take a look. I did the math, and I’m like, “There’s no way!” Because he looks so much younger and sounds so much younger than he is.
Chicken: My ex-wife would ask, “Why don’t you date somebody your own age?” I’m like, “So I have something in common with a 60-year-old because they’re 60?” I like to go out and be social five to six nights a week. I’m not Peter Pan trying to relive my life. I’ve always been this same person.
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On what drew them to each other
Lauren: In the past, I’ve been with people who dulled my spark. If I wanted to be a little kooky one day, they’d be embarrassed. With him, he fully embraces it. He’s super weird, too.
Chicken: She’s not judgmental. She’s not big on herself. The core basis of her is that she’s such a good person. We’ll go out, and she’s talking to everybody and anybody.
On telling friends and family
Lauren: Obviously I had to tell my parents at some point. They were surprised.
Chicken: I don’t think her parents know how to approach me because I’m older than them by 15 years. All her friends are about her same age, and when we started first dating, they were giving me the stink eye. Now they all love me, so it’s all good.
On sharing finances
Lauren: A common assumption is that any woman who’s with an older man is doing it for money. Which is obviously not true. When we first met, I was making pretty good money and I had a good job.
Chicken: When I was getting engaged, my oldhead friends asked, “What are you doing? Protect yourself, get a prenup.” Why would I do that? My parents are dead. Who am I gonna leave all this to? Money means nothing to me. I got plenty of it.
On denial and diverging interests
Lauren: He’ll say things in public that he definitely shouldn’t say, but he says it so loud because he can’t hear. And I’m telling him, get your ears checked because you’re so loud right now. He’s in denial, I think, because he’s in denial that he’s old.
Chicken: Lauren’s caught up in TikTok and all this other stupid social media. That’s not a big part of my life. It’s kind of funny to watch her get excited about Addison Rae or John Pork. I personally don’t care about it.
On aging together
Lauren: He’s in such good health for his age. I don’t think he’ll need any help. Obviously, I’m going to be willing to help, he’s my husband, of course. But I think we have a long time until then, at least 30 or 40 years. I hope that our life is pretty much going the same way it’s going now. I don’t want anything to change.
Chicken: In 30 years, I’ll be dead. I’m sure about that.
This story is part of a series about life partners across the Philadelphia area.
If you want to share your story about who you’re navigating life with, romantically or otherwise, write to lifepartners@inquirer.com. We won’t publish anything without speaking to you first.
