How Your Tinder Habit Is Affecting Restaurants

For better or for worse, Tinder has changed the dating world — and restaurants are feeling the effects. With users of the popular dating app purportedly going on 1.3 million dates per week, the surge in blind first dates is having an impact on restaurants' bottom lines, reports the Washington Post.

First dates tend to consist of a drink or two, rather than a full-on dinner, meaning less revenue for restaurants. (Much ado has been made about millennials' inability to commit — apparently, this even extends to entrees.) People who are meeting for the first time tend to be more on-guard so they drink less; they may also occupy a table without ordering for a period of time while they wait for their date show up

Of course, the blame can't solely be placed on Tinder: "What’s happening in restaurants is just a trickle-down effect of what has happened to dating," the Post points out. A movie and an expensive multi-course dinner are out, especially for people who are just getting to know one another; quick meetups over drinks are in.

And some restaurants are even redesigning their dining rooms to suit the recent influx of first dates, creating more two-tops so people who are nursing beers while they relay their entire life stories aren't taking up a larger table that could be occupied by a bigger party ordering a full meal.

Meanwhile, at least one establishment in the UK wants to make life easier for their Tinder-using patrons: A London-area bar called the Brickyard has a sign posted in the restroom offering help for diners who find themselves in the midst of a bad blind date.