Would you like your coffee with milk, sugar — or a romantic relationship?
That’s just one question you might find yourself answering if you visit the Matchmaker Café at 75 Wall St. The outdoor coffee shop promises “real dates, at a real cafe.”
When customers visit, they speak to baristas willing to dole out “grande” servings of love. They also scroll through a database of pictures (on an iPad) of other singles looking to be matched. Since the café opened July 8, more than 5,000 people have signed up.
The difference between the cafe and online dating is that the baristas get to know people, and can help guide them through the process.
But in the age of online dating, does the idea of trying to meet singles through a café feel a little mid-’90s — even if you’re checking out your potential lovers’ pictures on an iPad?
Founder Nancy Slotnik doesn’t think so. “There’s nothing like real human connection,” says Slotnik, who dons everything from sequins to cowboy hats to attract potential clients. “You can have all of the online stuff, and technology does make it much more efficient to connect — but ultimately you have to meet.”
Indeed, wandering over to a barista and asking if you could see singles interested in being matched while you enjoy your cup of Joe may be less trouble — and more energizing — than filling out an entire profile on Match.com.
Still, some New Yorkers are understandably skeptical. “I would be open to this only if the barista was a close friend and all the other café patrons were also close friends,” says Megan Zilis, a 29-year-old account executive from the Upper East Side.
But your friends may not be as enthusiastic about your love life. In fact, they’re almost certainly not as enthusiastic as some of the baristas.
Case in point: Rachel Fischer. The 32-year-old from Astoria claims she moved to New York because “I love love!” Having since settled down herself, she decided to work at the Matchmaker Café because she believes there’s someone out there for everyone. She claims the Matchmaker Café doesn’t turn anyone away — even if it’s someone they don’t necessarily like off the bat.
Sure beats eHarmony — and at least this way there’s a middle woman. Moreover, your fellow singles are likely to be locals. You probably do know them — or have at least seen them around town.
“My husband and I met on the street,” says Slotnik. “Don’t you wish you could go up to them? Or have a matchmaker like me go up to them! It’s [a way to connect with] all those people in your neighborhood you might be too shy to meet.”
One such client, Sharon Nord, a 56-year-old nurse from the Financial District trying the service, is enthusiastic. “It seems like they have a good list of people,” she says, “and really, it’s another way to meet people.”
Hopefully, the café and its baristas will have more relationships brewing in the near future.