If you know me, you’ll know my only interaction before 8am is with my snooze button.
Yet, against all biological and logical odds, I found myself at a 7am pre-work singles mixer, trying to hide my morning breath and sleep-deprived expression behind a giant pair of sunglasses.
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Why on earth was I there you might ask?
Well, according to new research commissioned by Kellogg’s, singles are apparently seeking more laid-back ways to test compatibility – with nearly two-thirds open to ditching traditional dinner and drinks for breakfast.
On top of that, more than half admitted that dating is harder than it used to be, complaining that the apps made it feel less authentic.
So, News.com.au went down to a brightly-lit Bondi cafe to find out whether this whole breakfast dating thing actually has legs.
Upon arrival, the room was already buzzing with beautiful, heavily caffeinated singles ready to mingle.
Naturally, the gender ratio was slightly skewed as women still tend to brave these ‘real life’ dating events far more often than men on average.
But as the resident single dating writer, I saw it as my journalistic duty to approach the three tall men huddled in the corner and pepper them with questions.
“I think breakfast is a vibe. If you’re willing to wake up early to go meet with people, you’re probably the right kind of person I want to be with,” 27-year-old Benj said.
In a hot take, the Sydney bachelor declared that standard dinner dates were actually a “lazy” and basic option.
“Everyone is awake at dinner, so there’s less effort involved. If you go out for breakfast, particularly early in the morning, it means you’re more serious about finding an aligned relationship,” he explained.
As for the high risk of morning breath? Benj confirmed it was a strict deal-breaker.
“Who’s not brushing their teeth in the morning?” he exclaimed – and honestly… fair.
Dating and relationship expert Nicole Colantoni agrees that sunrise meet-ups strip away the safety blanket of alcohol, revealing a person’s true intentions.
“People are craving more IRL events that feel natural, and breakfast is probably the most authentic part of the day because you’re waking up and showing up as yourself,” she told news.com.au.
“People love the morning lifestyle here in Sydney. For the people here today, it’s about finding like-minded people who want to grab a coffee, walk their dogs, or go for a swim instead of heading to a loud bar.
“Let’s be real, nowhere else in the world could really pull this off,” she laughed.
When I asked 32-year-old Hannah why she’d willingly signed up for this 7am dating experiment, she said she was simply “open to all types of dates”.
“I like mornings because if I go for drinks, one hour easily turns into three hours, and that’s a lot of time to invest in someone you don’t even know,” she pointed out.
“Here, you kind of get a little taste of somebody, and then you can take it further if you want.”
Meanwhile, 29-year-old Ross confessed he was mostly there for the free Kellogg’s breakfast and coffee.
“I was lured in here by the delicious cereal,” he poked fun.
But jokes aside, the bachelor insisted he was “a big morning date kind of guy” – with a major caveat.
“For a brekkie date, after 10am is best, you know, like a brunch. Before that time is not really right,” he added.
Exactly Ross, that’s what I’ve been trying to say this whole time!
Nonetheless, it was Ross and I against the data, with a third of singles surveyed claiming that early-bird dates felt significantly “less pressured” than a traditional evening rendezvous.
“People do still want chemistry and excitement, but they also want kindness, authenticity, and someone they can actually feel comfortable around,” dating expert Ms Colantoni explained.
“Breakfast dates are casual, there’s less pressure, and you can actually talk.
“And hey, if the chemistry is there, you’ve got the rest of the day ahead of you,” she said.
Personally, I’ll be respectfully bowing out of the dawn dating scene on account of being a self-proclaimed night owl.
That being said, there’s an undeniable growing appetite for these organic, real-life meet-ups. And if a bowl of cereal is what it takes to finally get people off the apps and stop the zombie-like swiping, then I say let the early birds have at it.