Oh, the coffee date.It’s a classic meet-up that seems to be reclaiming its popularity across college campuses. And rightfully so: it’s cute, convenient, and can offer oodles of info about someone from just a few observations.
The basic idea of a “coffee date” is as follows: ask someone who you would like to get to know better to grab coffee, regardless of whether the intention is friendship or something more. As a student at GU, a coffee date can happen at the Hemmingson Starbucks or something slightly more upscale and intimate. Ultimately, all that matters is having a cup of coffee in hand and an opportunity for genuine conversation.
As simple and antiquated as it sounds, the idea of a coffee date can be stressful. In the age of online dating apps, the initial setup of a coffee date can trigger some nerves. Honestly, rejection should not be a concern. If anything, people are often flattered when you express interest in getting to know them better! Whether it be via text or in-person, making this first step is the gateway to experiencing the iconic “coffee date” – which, in my opinion, trumps all other dates for the following reasons.
1.) You are what you… order?
To a certain extent, coffee beverages can be representative of the person who orders them. An Americano gal may have a very different temperament from a frappuccino aficionado. You get to be the interpreter!
2.) It doesn’t have to mean anything!
Coffee dates DEFINITELY do not have to be romantic. I love the diversity of environments that coffeehouses offer: you can stick to Starbucks and go totally casual, or try some fancy-schmancy place with exotic coffee beans (I’m not sure if this place exists in Spokane, but one can dream). Simply ask someone out on a coffee date on the basis that you’d love to get to know them better. One coffee date does not equal two coffee dates!
3.) Conversations flow more naturally.
It can be difficult to have a meaningful conversation with someone while trying to eat a burger or maneuvering a golf ball into a hole (oh, the joys of mini golf…). Even in a typical restaurant, there are the added complexities of eating while talking + avoiding getting oregano flecks in your teeth. In a coffee shop, you get to see another person as they truly are in an everyday environment – without the oregano flecks and burger grease, thank goodness.
4.) You were going to drink coffee today anyway. Why drink it alone?
I may be speaking for myself, but I drink coffee most days anyway. If java isn’t your jam, there’s lots of other options (teas, smoothies, etc.) to satisfy your caffeine and/or flavor cravings. Even if the date doesn’t pan out, you have your coffee – and a vast array of potential fish/friends in the sea – to comfort you.
Of course, a coffee date includes the added investment of time. But if one conversation leads to the next, a coffee date is certainly time well spent.