There's always a debate on this website about who should pay for dates, where they should go, et cetera. Well what if I told you I knew how to solve all your dating problems in one easy trick? (Movie Theaters HATE him!)
Just make all the first dates at Starbucks.
Why?
(1.) It's in a public setting.
The first date is not a, "let's get some alone time" date, that's for later. First dates should always be in public settings. Why?
(a.) It's easy to find and get to, and
(b.) It's practically a no risk environment.
Women especially do not want to go to some random stranger's house or out of the public eye on the first date. After all, this is a new guy they've never met asking them out, and he might be a total creeper. Only one way to find out safely, and that's with others around.
For both sexes, the benefit of a place like Starbucks is that you can get up and leave at any time without repercussions. You aren't anywhere special like a restaurant and nobody will know where you live. Starbucks gives you the freedom to come and go as you please with little time commitment.
(2.) It's so cheap and simple that there is no struggle over who pays.
Starbucks makes the "who pays?" problem disappear. Ordering coffee is so simple and cheap of a process that nobody will feel left out. If you're feeling like a gentleman, offer to pay for her before the date or when she gets there to pay. It's easy for her to decline, and if she accepts you'll only be out maybe $4-5, not even the popcorn at movies are that cheap.
Generally, though, both will choose to meet up at a time there. Someone is bound to get there first, and this makes it simple since they can order their drink, sit down, and wait for the other person to get there's. Just avoided the whole issue over who pays by circumstance. No problems.
(3.) You can spend the time doing what's most important: Talking
First dates are not about romance. You literally just met each other, there can't be (or rather, shouldn't be) romance. They are meant to be a way to introduce yourself, find out about your date, and discuss what you want/expect from a relationship. Going to a movie doesn't have any conversation, and going to a restaurant may include talking but will constantly be interrupted by eating food.
Starbucks is designed to be a social gathering location. It's made for social talk, and with coffee you don't need long pauses before the conversation can continue. Drinking coffee is less "gross" than eating food, too. A coffee date also keeps it short, you won't be forced to spend an hour or more with someone you don't really like, most are only 15-30 minutes, which is plenty long enough to get all the important info discussed.
(4.) No girl is going to say no to a Starbucks date.
There's plenty of fish in the sea, and those fish are going to bite a hook that has caramel mocha flavored bait on it. Yes, women in general tend to love their sugary flavored coffee, and not many of them are going to say no to a coffee date (for the reasons I listed above). At best, they meet a guy worth dating, at worst, they get Starbucks. Win-Win for them, and doesn't require them to do something they may not be comfortable with (like seeing a certain movie, going to a certain restaurant, or doing a certain activity). It's just Starbucks.
(5.) There aren't any good arguments against it.
What possible arguments are there that Starbucks is a bad first date idea? None.
"But it isn't creative!" - This is a first date, not about creativity. Like I said, both of you have a goal of getting to know each other as much as possible. If you're still hung up about dates not being creative, I would suggest graduating high school first.
"It will be so boring!" - Not so, a starbucks date isn't meant to take hours like a movie. Just show up, get some coffee, and talk for a little bit. You should be so focused on conversation and talking that nothing will feel drawn out.
"But everyone does that!" - You know why everyone does that? Because it's a good freaking first date idea.
All and all, I think I've made my statement clear. Choose Starbucks (or any other coffee shop) as your first date. I've done it before and it worked fantastically. It makes dating much less of a hassle.
Most Helpful Opinions