Romantic dates in Dallas are less impacted by the pandemic than in other cities, according to a new study.
“Dallas is still affected but not as harshly and there’s slightly more optimism about dating in Dallas,” said Daniel Ferras, co-founder and CEO of WooDate.
The WooDate survey found that out of 190 Dallas respondents who had planned at least one date in the past month, 51% said their dating life has suffered due to COVID-19 compared to 55% nationwide.
“We have a way to go to get back to normal and build people’s confidence but I think once that happens, we should expect a surge of people going on dates,” Ferras said.
According to a WooDate press release, that’s partly because it’s harder and more time consuming to plan a date because many venues being closed.
“It’s the comfort level of the person as well,” Ferras told The Dallas Express. “In addition to planning to find a place that’s open, it’s how comfortable is that person being in that spot.”
The national survey included singles, people living with a partner, married couples, and unspecified partnerships in cities including Dallas, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle.
Dallas data showed that about 21% think Google and Yelp have become less reliable, with 23% having shown up at a bar or restaurant only to find it closed, according to Ferras.
“It seems that businesses aren’t making sure that their hours are up to date so it’s going to take a little more work for the time being until there’s some stability,” he said.
WooDate suggests that people go directly to the venue’s website for current hours of operation.
“A lot of times, the website for the business is the most updated as well as calling the place to make sure they are open,” Ferras said in an interview. “It’s a little more of a headache but that helps.”
The study also found that the pandemic has made 36% of Dallas residents more willing to try new experiences and eat new foods in an attempt to regain lost time.
“They’ve been researching new places or things to try but also they’ve been inside for so long eating very similar things so they’re just open to try new experiences because they’ve had a lot of time indoors to think about what they want to do,” Ferras said.
Despite the availability of a COVID-19 vaccination, 25% still feel less motivated to go out.
“It’s hard to get out when you’ve been in the same routine,” he said. “It just takes that first step to go on that date, try a new experience, And that will get you going again. It’s like going on a first jog after the Christmas break. It’s always tough but then it gets easier as you consistently get workouts in.”
For those who are open to dating, the study found that 28% of single respondents are taking more time getting to know a person before going out together.
“A lot of the dating apps have video calls,” Ferras said. “There has been a huge increase in video calls. “It is essentially less time wasted and you can vet first dates beforehand.”
Finally, 17% of single respondents take an extra step to ask whether their date is vaccinated.
“That’s lower than what we expected,” Ferras added.