COLAcupid: The dates tell all 🌹

We know y’all are on the edge of your seats wondering how our COLAcupid blind date matchups went.

Backstory: In honor of the month of love, our team wanted to have a little fun and play Columbia’s cupid. We asked y’all to send Columbia’s most eligible bachelors + bachelorettes our way with basic details + why they should be picked for a blind date matchup.

After sorting through ~200 applicants (ages 20-58), we channeled our inner Chris Harrison and paired up three couples based on interests + compatibility – then sent them out on a blind date for dinner + drinks, courtesy the Five Points Association, during Valentine’s Week.

Gif by giphy

How did the dates go, you ask? After each bachelor + bachelorette agreed to go on the blind date (because several were submitted by a friend vs. themselves), they also agreed (nervously) to follow it up with a short Q+A that we could share with you. Here are their post-date Q+As.

The pairs:

🌹 Dustin + Anna | Date: Drinks at Jake’s + dinner at Saluda’s

Anna

Age: Late 20s

Career: Account services

Interests: Tacos, hiking, dogs, running, longboarding, Craft and Draft

Dustin

Age: Late 20s

Career: Manufacturing

Interests: Trail running, kickball, adventuring, helping out others

Compatibility: We thought that this active pair would have a lot to talk about with their common interests of staying fit + adventuring outdoors. Dustin moved here from Indiana and doesn’t know Columbia as well as UofSC grad Anna – so we hoped she could open his eyes to some cool parts of town that he might not be aware of yet. (Plus, both of them are like, ridiculously good looking.)

🌹 Jimmy + Melissa | Date: Dinner at Goat’s + drinks at Yesterday’s

Jimmy

Age: Early 50s

Career: Industrial business owner

Interests: Being an awesome dad, working hard

Melissa

Age: Mid 50s

Career: Graphic design business owner

Interests: Art, community

Compatibility: Jimmy is a hardworking dad who wanted to get himself back into the dating scene – and his date Melissa hadn’t been on a date herself in six years. Both business owners, we saw them as a power couple in-the-making. (And they are both diehard Clemson fans.)

🌹 Tay + Cherie | Date: Dinner at Publico + drinks at Speakeasy

Tay

Age: Late 20s

Career: Script writer

Interests: Volunteering at The Nick, hanging out at The Whig, Speakeasy, Soda City Stand Up events

Cherie

Age: Early 30s

Career: Dentist

Interests: Reading, live music, meeting new people

Compatibility: Cherie is a Soda City transplant from N.Y. and loves exploring her new city. We thought Tay – a regular at The Whig + Speakeasy and active volunteer – would be the perfect guy to plug her into the local scene.

What they said after their dates:

❓ Did you Google your date before meeting? If so, would you admit that to him/her?

Anna: “I couldn't Google, because I didn't have his last name – but I have friends who work for the FBI (or are just really good at social media) and searched every Dustin in Columbia, S.C. – and yes, we both admitted that we searched for each other prior to the date.”

Dustin: “Yes – and there is an abundant number of Anna’s in Columbia, S.C. on Facebook and Beth refused to give me any clues… We talked about it, apparently the Columbia area is densely populated with Dustins as well.”

Tay: “I did not google her.”

Cherie: “Didn't google!”

❓ What was your first impression of your date?

Dustin: “She was very attractive, late, but attractive. She also has very pretty eyes and has an infectiously upbeat personality.”

Anna: “He was none of the aforementioned Google/social media results – so a little wary, but he immediately introduced himself and we both acknowledged the (COLAtoday-slash-our-friends-set-us-up) elephant in the room so the rest of the night was very laid back.”

Jimmy: “She was fun and nice.”

Melissa: “He looked kind.”

❓ Did your date use a pick-up line?

Dustin: “Would have given her bonus points if she did….”

Anna: “Not that I remember. If he did, he was very smooth about it.”

Tay: “I didn’t use a pick-up line, not even a jokey one to break ice.”

Cherie: “He did not.”

❓ Describe your date in only 3 words:

Dustin: “Genuine, Easy-Going, Pretty.”

Anna: “Easy, fun, and surprising.”

Jimmy: “Fun, Energetic, Friendly.”

Melissa: “Fun. Delicious. Interesting.”

❓ How would you rate the date on a 1-5 scale?

Dustin: “I would say 4.258. Weather was perfect, dinner was phenomenal, and the conversation was even better.”

Anna: “Ohh, so subjective BUT in terms of what I was expecting/reality – a 5. Because I've never been on a blind date and had nothing to go on prior to meeting him, I had very low expectations – he exceeded them all! He was kind, attentive, engaging and made me laugh on several occasions.”

Tay: “The date was a five in my opinion. There was never a lull in conversation, no awkward moments and we both seemed to be enjoying the other’s company as we found a great deal in common. I’ve never been on a blind date so this was great.”

Cherie: “4 – I had a great time. Conversation never really lulled and we both were on the same page about when to eat/drink and when to leave for bedtime!”

❓ Have you ever been on a blind date? If yes, do you have pre-blind date ritual?

Dustin: “First timer…”

Anna: “I have never been on a blind date, so no pre-blind date ritual.”

Jimmy: “I have no ritual.”

Melissa: “Does match.com count as a blind date? If so, yes. A shot of tequila — although I didn’t do that this time.”

❓ What happened at the end of the date – did you exchange numbers? Go anywhere together afterward?

Dustin: “Well we were the last people in Saluda’s. So we went to grab a coffee – old people style.”

Anna: “We went to Goats (he's not super familiar with the Five Points area, so we agreed to visit one more "staple" before the end of the night) for a nightcap. And yes, he got my number.”

Jimmy: “She gave me her business card and we texted each other afterwards.”

Melissa: “We exchanged numbers and became Facebook friends. I Ubered home after Yesterday’s.”

❓ Would you say you had chemistry? How did y’all get along?

Dustin: “The conversation was very easy, It helps both being extremely extroverted. The night went by pretty quick, we were a few minutes late to dinner whoops…”

Anna: “Both being extroverts, I think we had a good stream of conversation, with no lulls. We got along well and have many of the same interests!”

Leading up to the date, did you have second thoughts or were you especially nervous?

Tay: “Overall, given that I was extremely nervous leading up to it, I’d say it was a good date.”

Cherie: “Nope! There was nothing to lose and only something to gain so was excited for it!”

Jimmy: “No 2nd thoughts, not really nervous.”

Melissa: “I was excited, because as I said in my entry, I hadn’t been on a date in SIX YEARS!”

❓ How many drinks did you have (if any)?

Tay: “A drink, dinner and a cool person.”

Cherie: “3! (2 ½ more than him though!)”

Melissa: “I had a dirty vodka martini at Goat’s and another one at Yesterday’s. We had coffee with our AAHHH-mazing dessert at Goat’s.”

Jimmy: “No drinks, I was scared to drink & drive home from downtown LOL.”

With so many desirable singles to choose from (I would consider leaving my five-year relationship for a few of you – JK, Bry), we spent hours going through each application and compiled everyone’s names + descriptions into a giant spreadsheet (send your bids for this single Soda Citizen goldmine to hello@colatoday.com). Kidding, again – but we’re working on a plan to keep matching y’all up going forward. Stay tuned.

– Beth