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When you’re thinking of first date ideas, you might think of a dimly lit restaurant or a boozy bar, but according to some research done by the dating app Clover, most people prefer faster and more casual options. This particularly makes sense with online dating since it gives the daters more freedom to quickly make up their mind without being locked into a long evening with someone who isn’t quite what they seemed.

So which fast and casual dining options did the surveyed group choose as their top date spots? Why, Starbucks and Chipotle of course. The study took into account the opinions of 200,000 daters between the ages of 18 and 65. Since the app offers an on demand date option where users can just pick a nearby location to meet, it was pretty easy for them to gather information about popular date spots.

Starbucks came in as the top coffee spot for all age groups, (but maybe this is just because there’s a Starbucks on almost every street corner), while Chipotle came in as the top food spot for daters between the ages of 18-24. The 25-34 year olds however, decided that The Cheesecake Factory was a superior spot for a first date. Really taking it up a notch.

Isaac Raichyk, the CEO of Clover described the findings:

“We were surprised to see most people choosing to meet at coffee shops and casual restaurants for their first date. We expected fine dining, bars and nightclubs to rank much higher, but clearly people want to meet in a relaxed environment. Men seem more willing to commit to a first meeting over dinner at a restaurant vs. women who prefer being able to screen dates quickly over coffee.”

So next time you’re heading out on a first date and your date suggests Starbucks, don’t be alarmed. They’re totally on target in the realm of averages. But it also means that they’re not sold on you and want the option of an easy out. Happy dating!

What’s your favorite place for first dates? Let us know in the comments!

Additional images: Wikimedia

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