Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Blind Date Restaurant

Like speed dating but slower
  (+17, -1)(+17, -1)
(+17, -1)
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You book a table, specify your gender and possibly some other details. When you arrive you have dinner with someone.
marklar, Jan 14 2009

3 times the awkward conversation http://www.dinnerforsix.com/
Small dinner parties where you can pay to talk to strangers. [mylodon, Jan 15 2009]

Lunchtime Dating itsjustlunch.com
Dating for busy professionals. [Jscotty, Jan 20 2009]

[link]






       Nice, simple idea - it might be better to turn up and get shown to a table - either you're the first one there, and have a glass of water while you wait for your date to arrive, or you just join someone else.
zen_tom, Jan 14 2009
  

       Ah, but that requires the right numbers of gender at that particular moment (or some strategy to deal with the potentially uneven arrival rates).   

       The problem/challenge for the idea, as it stands, is that the restaurant must manage the bookings to keep numbers around-about even. This could be tackled by having a queueing system (with some heuristics) that only permits a maximum specified gender imbalance. What I mean is that, at any point in time there may only be something like 3 extra men in the queue or 3 extra ladies.   

       {I've got some queueing theory buzzing around my head now}
Jinbish, Jan 14 2009
  

       Also, some entry requirements might be useful (jacket & tie).
Jinbish, Jan 14 2009
  

       I don't think there is gender ratio problem. We have not been asked to indicate our preference.   

       On the other hand, if I assume that this is strictly for hetero-coupling, then I can also stereotype to assume that plenty of women will show up looking for a free dinner. Then the ratio could be balanced by adjusting the menu prices.
Laughs Last, Jan 14 2009
  

       Even more fun is doing this at O.Noir. A blind blind date.
snoyes, Jan 14 2009
  

       Nice, although I suspect it would quickly degenerate to the worst of the stag clubs.
RayfordSteele, Jan 14 2009
  

       ha ha   

       Maybe what would also help is a dinner show, dancing monkeys, juggling dogs, that sort of thing. This is to help the majority of situations where two people sit down, look at each other, and instantly know it will be another night alone with the bottle. But they aren't quite ready to go home yet and want some entertainment.   

       There are a number of similar services out there. [see link]
mylodon, Jan 15 2009
  

       (aside) reminds of one time in Jamaica, the waiter took our order and then set down with us for about an hour!!
I think it's a doable idea, but would be tricky in the sense of people looking for a) good-looking, b)wealthy, c) someone to bed, and a range of unkonwn possiblities...mabye all of the above. It would be nice to think that maybe single people just might want to have dinner with someone...OK, I'll offer a bun. +
xandram, Jan 15 2009
  

       Or you could have entrees with one person and the main course with soemone else and desert with someone else again.
zeno, Jan 15 2009
  

       who pays?
Club Ed, Jan 16 2009
  

       //doesn't do that namby-pamby shit// Well, actually, it does happen sometimes, but it usually involves low self-esteem. This is one of the reasons why low self-esteem is under-rated.
pertinax, Jan 17 2009
  

       I have a mod that would make this much more workable but may be baked, I know it's been at leat touched on here. I'll submit as a separate idea: videoconference blind dating. (link)
MisterQED, Jan 17 2009
  

       [MisterQED] I saw an article about a bar somewhere that had screens and joystick controlled CCTV cameras. You could look around, find someone you liked, buy them a drink and chat to them. I think they must have had serveral outlets.
marklar, Jan 19 2009
  

       I saw a high-end grocery store do a singles night periodically. For the cruising singles, it seemed a relatively low-stress environment but with the acknowledgement that many in the store that night were looking around.   

       For the store, I suspect the sales of high-end, high-margin luxury items went WAY up on those nights with singles trying to impress each other with what was in their shopping carts.
DavidinKenai, Jan 19 2009
  

       Reminds me - a young man walks up to check-out point at supermarket:
<beep> 2 carrots
<beep> 2 potatoes
<beep> 1 pork chop
<beep> 1 individual trifle
<beep> 2 cans of beer
  

       Girl at check-out: "Is that all sir?"
YM: "Yes, thanks"
G@ch: "You're single, aren't you?"
YM: "Er.. yes. How did you... Oh! The '1 pork chop'!"
G@ch: "Heck no! It's because you smell!"
Jinbish, Jan 19 2009
  

       Already baked. See link.
Jscotty, Jan 20 2009
  
      
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