I think that's charming. It's really just a blind date, but if you go into it with the right attitude, "coffee with a stranger" can be fun.<p>I personally like the chat-and-then-meet aspect of online dating. It gives me a chance to get to know somebody before the overhead of meeting in person. And it just so happens that anybody who would be a good fit for me is going to be able to express themselves well in text.<p>I went on several dates with women who said "In my experience men who want to chat a lot are often cheating, and will never want to meet." I understand, but I did note that I never went on a second date with such people. I'm sure they're fine, but they just weren't for me -- and I would have known if we'd chatted.<p>A big difference: I live in a suburb. Meeting people is kind of an overhead for me. Dating apps work best in cities, or college campuses, where a meetup can be a 15 minute walk to a coffee shop, and the date can be over 15 minutes later (even if it's successful).