The room was all sidelong glances at
first. It was time for mingling, for a drink or two from the
bar before the dating really began.
With eight first dates scheduled for all 22 participants,
the night began as a mix of nervous tension and hopeful
excitement.
"We were all learning the ropes," said Melanie Clegg, 33,
of Cape Canaveral. "Most people said it was their first time
doing anything like that."
Clegg joined other single professionals from around the
Treasure Coast and Central Florida for "8 Minute Dating," an
increasingly popular twist on the bar scene. Started in early
2001, the concept first came to the Treasure Coast on April 22
with an event at The Patio restaurant in Vero Beach.
The idea is simple: A group of single professionals meet at
a local bar or restaurant, with equal numbers of men and women
at the event. A computer randomly divides the group into
couples and eight dates are held, each lasting only eight
minutes. There is a half-hour intermission.
When everyone goes home, they can log on to the company's
Web site and post whether they'd like to see anyone again for
dating, friendship or business. If the other person feels the
same way, the computer matches the couple and provides them
with contact information so they can see each other again.
"No one looks strained for conversation," said Tom Beaver,
owner of The Patio, as he watched the first round of dating
begin.
The eight-minute time frame was developed because it is
long enough for people to get to know each other, but not so
long that it would be difficult to find things to talk about,
said Beaver, 51.
Embracing the concept
He first heard about "8 Minute Dating" when the concept was
featured on television shows such as "Sex and the City" and
"Frasier." He researched the company on its Web site,
(www.8minutedating.com), and participated in an Orlando event
before deciding to bring the concept to his own restaurant.
"I took four other people over to Orlando to see what this
was like," said Beaver. "We had a ball. Everyone had a blast.
"The popularity of the concept itself is important," he
continued. "It's usually in larger cities, like New York City
and San Francisco, and we wanted to bring it here to a smaller
town."
Tom Jafee, a Boston entrepreneur, founded "8 Minute Dating"
in January 2001. According to the company's Web site, it has
more than 60,000 customers and 150 event organizers in 55
cities throughout the United States and Canada.
The first Vero Beach "8 Minute Dating" event was for people
ages 25 to 35. The second event, scheduled for Tuesday, will
be for people ages 35 to 45.
After getting many phone calls from people outside of the
established age groups, however, Beaver has added 40-49 and
45-54 age categories for May events. He said he hopes to have
one monthly event per age group, at least through the summer,
with a limit of about 32 people per event.
"The plan is certainly to go through the summer," said
Beaver. "Then it's just a question of how popular it is. If
the concept has legs, then we'll figure out how to do it
(longer)."
Positive responses
Many participants from the first "8 Minute Dating" event
said the concept is a good one.
"I will be telling everyone I can about this," said Tim
Eaton, 29, of Vero Beach. "I think people are going to have to
register earlier this time (because it will sell out).
"I haven't had any luck going to clubs or bars," continued
Eaton, who said he was interested in three women he met at the
event. "It's OK if you're going with a group of friends and
you aren't looking for someone, but the music is too loud for
you to talk and meet someone. (At "8 Minute Dating") it was a
relaxed atmosphere."
Clegg plans on attending an upcoming Orlando event, now
that she's been to one and knows what to expect. While she
didn't find a match in Vero Beach, she remains optimistic.
"It's one of those things, if you're not used to talking to
a lot of people, you loosen up after the first couple of
dates," she said. "Most people were having fun and laughing."
Clegg first heard about "8 Minute Dating" on a radio
commercial.
"You get into your home life and work, the whole routine,"
said Clegg. "And the bar scene gets so old. I was so sick of
that, so I talked myself into going to this. I bit the bullet
and went. It was definitely a lot of fun."
Many event participants expressed disappointment in other
dating services, but liked being able to meet potential dates
in person through "8 Minute Dating." They also liked the
low-pressure environment, since no one used last names or gave
phone numbers at the event.
John Tagney, 35, of Vero Beach registered for "8 Minute
Dating" after trying the online dating service
(Match.com). He said he prefers to meet
person-to-person, rather than answering Web ads, and said many
online services can become expensive.
"The cost of online dating is high," said Tagney. "This was
the cost of a month of online dating. I'd definitely do it
again."
One "8 Minute Dating" events costs $28.88. At The Patio,
free hors d'oeuvres are served, but drinks cost extra.
Lisa Smith, 25, of Vero Beach added the event could be a
good source for business contacts. Smith, who is a beautician,
said she met a "bunch of cool people" at The Patio.
"It's really hard to meet new people around here," said
Smith. "I've been here for 13 years and I thought I'd know
everybody. But I met so many new people. It was kind of neat."
Eaton said, "For the most part, the eight minutes seemed to
go by too fast. Everybody seemed disappointed when the bell
rang."
- lindsey.kingston@scripps.com
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