Singles meet (Quickly) with Seven-Minute Dating
by Nicole Nyarko, QC Times
July 24th, 2001
Susan Esser knew there were other people out there, somewhere, like her.
She just didn’t know where to find them. So Esser, whose husband died in 1999, started Seven-Minute Dating.
“Major transitions in life push you to make a new path. I wanted to meet new people and new friends,” Esser said.
Since it’s debut in April, single people from all over the Quad-Cities, in groups ranging in age from 18-to-80-years-old have come to the Novel Café at the Bettendorf Public Library in search of love.
Some have found it.
In an evening, each participant meets 10 people. Each couple has seven minutes to talk. A bell rings when the time is up and men rotate to a new table.
“It’s so satisfying when the phone is ringing every other minute with people thanking you and telling you how happy they are this has come to the area. Men and women are making new friends and many have met potential dating partners,” Esser said.
Speed dating, dubbed an alternative to blind dates, was created in 1995 by the Aish Ha Torah International Jewish Education network to help Jewish singles to meet.
Nearly 300 people have tried Seven-Minute Dating in the Quad-Cities. Every Friday, one group, invited based on age, gathers at the Novel Café.
Nearly 50 couples have gone out on second dates, Esser said. Five couples have committed relationships.
Many participants are surprised at how relaxing the atmosphere is and how much laughter fills the room after the bell, Esser said.
“There is no place to go and meet people without a cigarette and Martini in hand. I found that there were others like me, who want to meet others, but without the same old scene,” Esser said.
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