Remember dating before we swiped left or right on a person’s profile? Well Bumble Brew wants to return to that. This newly announced physical location will serve as an in-person alternative to the digital screens that the dating app currently employs.

For now, there is only one location opening up in New York City, with the space serving as a cafe, restaurant and wine bar for Bumble users to make in-person connections.

Crazy concept we know, but it may be a symptom of the pandemic and lockdown, where physical contact with other people has been nigh impossible.

This is also a concept that Bumble has been testing out for some time now, with pop-ups of this nature appearing a few years back already.

“In 2017, we took the Bumble experience offline and into the real world through our Bumble Hive concepts — pop-up spaces in New York City’s Soho neighborhood, London, Austin, LA, and beyond. Through these pop-ups, we offered our community an opportunity to enjoy food and drinks, foster connections, and experience entertainment and interactive sessions with entrepreneurs and thought-leaders, all in one place,” explains the company’s page for Bumble Brew.

“Our community clearly had an appetite for a permanent physical location to connect, so we created Bumble Brew — an all-day cafe and wine bar. We recognize the importance of relationships and how crucial they are to a healthy, happy life,” it adds.

It will be interesting to see whether IRL dating will become more popular once countries sort out their vaccination programmes and exit lockdown. Perhaps then we could see more Bumble Brew locations opening up in other parts of the globe.

Either way, it is clear that people are longing for a connection that screens and video calls simply cannot offer right now.