Let’s go ahead and say I’m a dating aficionado. I’ve been on plenty first dates and counting.

A common question I get asked is, how do you know what location to choose?
If my date doesn’t choose the location and I’m doing the selecting, I keep these 3 things in mind:
The Location
Is it centrally located for both parties? I’m not going to have him drive 30-45 minutes if it’s just 2 blocks from my house. I’ll normally make sure it’s a fair travel time for the both of us.
Mutual Interest
Is it a place I know both of us will like? If I like sushi and my date doesn’t, I’m pretty sure he’s not going to be into sake bombs and yellow tail sashimi. I normally pick a location that has a little bit of variety for both parties food and cocktail taste.
Easy on the Pocketbook
I doubt any man on the first date is going to tell you something is out of his price range but, you don’t have to go the super cheap route and eat up the samples wandering around at Costco.
I normally like a happy hour because most items are half off and reasonably priced. Also, I’m not ordering the most expensive items on the menu. I have never had Ace of Spades, so a first date will not be the time that I decide to try it out. However… if his spirit is moved enough to order Ace of Spades, I will not stop him, but, I will not be the person that initiated that beverage.
Hopefully this will help you out when you’re in charge of selecting the location for your next first date. Where do you normally prefer to go for your first dates?