upworthy

bowling

A man holding a bowling ball and a Cheesecake Factory.

Earlier this month, a viral video posted by creator Monique Santos (@moniquelsantos09) featured a woman refusing to get out of the car when a date took her to The Cheesecake Factory.

As the video started, the gentleman exited the car and went to the passenger side to open the door. “He got me at The Cheesecake Factory y’all. I ain’t getting out of this car,” the woman said in a video that’s received over 8.1 million views. The video brought up a big discussion on social media about where you should take a woman on a first date.

Around the same time, a list of the 28 places women refuse to go on dates started circulating on social media. It’s believed that it was first created on October 15 by a man who goes by John Shaft on Facebook. According to the post, he asked the women in his life to list the places they refused to go on a first date. The list obviously wasn’t scientific but it’s pretty clear that the woman he spoke to have a real problem with going to chain restaurants on dates.


Cheesecake Factory topped the list.

What’s so wrong with having a nice night out with fried macaroni and cheese, a plate of Chicken Romano, signature cocktails, and a big hunk of red velvet cheesecake? According to this list, a whole lot.

Here’s the complete list:

Cheesecake Factory

Applebee’s

Chili’s

Chipotle

Olive Garden

The Movies

Your House

Any Fast Food Chain

Buffalo Wild Wings

Wingstop

Red Lobster

A Buffet

IHOP

Denny’s

The gym

Church

Starbucks

Coffee dates

Ice cream dates

Family functions

Movie night (Netflix, Hulu, and etc.)

Somewhere that requires a long drive

Bowling

Nightclubs

Hookah Bar

A bar for just drinks

Waffle House

Sports events

A big problem with this list is that people who live in rural areas may only have a few chain restaurants and don’t have an extensive selection of places to go for a good time. So, you’ll probably be stuck going to one of the places on the list.

Many men responded to the list on Twitter with a big question: Where in the world is left to go on a date that isn’t on the list?

Some people think that if someone thinks they’re “too good” for The Cheesecake Factory, then maybe they aren’t someone they want to date in the first place. There's something to be said about avoiding relationships with people who are too picky.

Others thought creating such stringent rules for someone on a date wasn’t realistic. Especially if it’s a first date and you don’t know the person. Many people aren’t able to spend a lot of time and money going out with someone they don’t even know they will like.

Many men also made a great point: It doesn’t matter where you go but who you’re with. Many love stories started with a walk and an ice cream cone. Many relationships that began at Michelin-rated restaurants didn’t even make it to a second date.