Our Blind Date series is proudly presented by Emerson Joseph, Charlotte’s premier men’s grooming lounge in Uptown. Get date-ready with a haircut, straight-razor shave and shoe shine.
Note: How does Blind Date work? Charlotteans fill out this 41-question Agenda Blind Date Survey about their make-or-breaks, their ideal types and their perfect dates. Then the Agenda plays matchmaker by sending couples out on blind dates. Below are the results. Want the chance to get matched? Fill out the survey!
Meet Brett and Claire.
Why are they a good match?
- They’re both active, energetic, dog-loving people
- They share a passion for the same Charlotte activities
- They’re health-focused, but still enjoy grabbing drinks and trying new restaurants
Since they enjoy trying new restaurants and sampling the Queen City’s food scene, the Agenda sent Brett and Claire to Fin and Fino.
After all was said and done, I chatted with them individually to see how it went!
What’s up with the trophy? Yeah, I was wondering, too.
When the pair explained the circumstances and asked for the ideal photo opp spot, their server presented them with not only with a great place to take a picture, but also with a trophy proclaiming them the 2018 Blind Date Champions. Awesome.
How do you feel about the dating scene in Charlotte?
Brett: It’s… interesting. It’s hard to meet people. I do run clubs and other similar things, and it’s still hard to meet people. And the bar scene isn’t where you’re going to find a quality match for the most part.
Claire: Charlotte can be a fun place to date. There are a lot of breweries and good restaurants and places to go. The Whitewater Center is great. There are lots of options for fun date ideas. I think it can be tough though, because it’s a pretty transient city. People come and live here for a couple of years and then move. People are very work-oriented here too, and I think they’re young in their careers, so finding time to go out and date can be challenging. It can be difficult to find people who are commitment-oriented, so it’s a fun place to date, but there are a lot of challenges that go with it.
How did you feel leading up to the date?
Brett: A little bit nervous but more excited and just interested in seeing how the whole experience would go.
Claire: I was excited. I always like trying new places and meeting new people. I felt I’m going to have a good conversation, regardless of what the outcome is. It’s always interesting to learn from other people. After going on a fair number of dates and dating in Charlotte in general, I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be, I was more just excited to try something new.
What was your first impression?
Brett: She was attractive and well dressed. I was a little bit upset, because I got there early and waited for valet, but they didn’t come. I had to go out and get a parking spot, so she beat me there. I wanted to be the first one there.
Claire: He was really fun. Really nice. Very laid back but intelligent. We could have a really fun conversation, so my impression was, “Oh, this is going to be a nice dinner.” He seemed very open to trying new things, so it was fun to try a bunch of different dishes that were kinda interesting combinations. He was a good person to go a new restaurant with because we could share things and try different things.
Was there chemistry?
Brett: We talked the entire time, there were no awkward silences or anything like that. Both being in health-related fields and both being runners there was plenty to talk about. We both had interesting stories about the dating apps, which was funny as well, but as the meal went on there was not chemistry — I think we both knew that. I kind of could tell this was someone I could easily be friends with and hang out with, but in terms of romantic chemistry, unfortunately it was not really there.
Claire: Mentally we had a really good conversation. I tend to ask a lot of questions, so I hope he didn’t feel like I was interrogating him, but it was pretty back and forth. We talked about what we do and what we like to do for fun and what we think of Charlotte. It was very easy to talk to him, not awkward or anything. I don’t think there was necessarily romantic chemistry for either of us, but I think he would definitely be someone who would be a good friend. He’s a really interesting person, just hearing about his curling. It was fun to learn about what other people like to do. I feel like sometimes I’m in my own little world and there are always different things to learn about.
Will there be a second date?
Brett: We said if we see each other out then definitely say hi, but I think we could tell we weren’t a good match.
Claire: We would see each other again as friends, that’s always a possibility. I could see getting together in a group.
How did you leave it?
Brett: If we’re out and about, we’ll see each other again. She had brought up ghosting and how she’ll be talking to someone and they disappear, and I’ve gone on a couple dates where you don’t hear back. The next day we exchanged pictures to see which were the best and were like, “Yeah, if we see each other out definitely say hi.”
Claire: We compared pictures over texting and then we just had a conversation and said, “Hey, it was great to meet and hang out. We don’t see a romantic connection, but definitely like spending time together.” We were open and honest. It was nice. That honesty can be tough in Charlotte in the dating scene, too. I wish everyone would say how they feel!
Overall, how would you rate the date on a scale of 1-5?
Brett: The date and the company were a 5, but if you have to count the chemistry then it goes lower.
Claire: 4. It was really fun, the only way it would be a 5 is if there was immediate chemistry and there would be an Agenda wedding to follow up on. We both had fun, and we were there for three hours. It was a good conversation.
Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity. If you’d like to be considered for our Blind Date series, fill out our survey here.
