Here, in the last few weeks of summer, I finally have a chance to sit back and get some writing done. It’s actually a really great way to reflect on the past few months and remember all the crazy stories I have to tell. And so, I give you the “True Life Summer Series.” Enjoy.
The question on your mind is probably: “…what exactly is a Grouper? And why are you saying it like we should know what it means?”
This is a totally valid question, considering I had no idea about it before this summer. The company itself is relatively new, founded in the summer of 2011 and currently based out of New York. In the most rudimentary terms, it’s basically an online dating service that sets you up on group blind dates.
Yeah, I did that.
How it Works
But it’s not really as simple as reducing it to “online dating,” though. Grouper uses Facebook as a basis for making matches, by accessing your basic info: age, education, and interests. It also ensures you aren’t paired with anyone on your friends list, guaranteeing you are actually meeing new people. Grouper is unique in that it specifically sets up group dates – three guys and three girls. Each group has a “leader” that receives the first invitation, then chooses two friends to pass the invite along to and make them part of their group. Grouper also takes care of making a reservation for you at a mystery location and covering the first round of drinks (included in the service fee). They also ask each person to complete a “Two Truths and a Lie” ice breaker and sends those to the opposite group as well.
Grouper describes itself as “a social club,” meaning once you have membership, you can earn “Karma Points” (like frequent flyer miles) and achieve higher VIP status that comes with bonus perks. You also continue to get invitations for more dates and therefore earn more points.
My Experience
I went on two Grouper dates this summer. I was invited by a friend of a friend of a friend who heard about the startup on NPR. Since we were all in Nashville for the summer, it seemed like a fun idea and a good way to meet people. The first date was at a classy wine bar on the hipster side of town called Rumours East. I ordered a Manhattan in honor of Don Draper, and in a vain attempt to develop an appreciation for whiskey. We had a great time with these guys, going to a few more bars, and one of my friends even hit it off with one of them. About a month later, we got an invitation for a second date. This one was in midtown, at the center of the city, at a hip restaurant called Aura. These guys weren’t that great of a match for us, and we ended the night early after a few drinks. It was definitely an experience in the hit-or-miss style of blind dating.
Overall Thoughts
Grouper has its pros and cons. While it’s a fun way to meet new people, it’s still in the beginning stages of development. At the moment, Grouper is only available in select major cities in the US such as Boston or Seattle, but also caters to select major international cities like Paris and Madrid. They’re supposedly working on expanding to other places, but Grouper depends on partnerships with the bars they send their members to, which might be tricky in smaller cities. Also, the matching process focuses mainly on making a one-to-one match between Grouper members, and the two “wingmen” that each person designates are secondary, if considered at all. This is understandable, seeing as making perfect matches between groups is mathematically complex. However, Grouper glosses over this fact in promotion of their service.
Ultimately, Grouper was a fun addition to my summer of new things. It’s kind of like blind dating on steroids. Want to put together your own Grouper? Click here for a personal invite from yours truly (trip to Chicago, anyone?)