If you’re about to have an extramarital affair, then chances are you’re going to have your first date with your new lover at a Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts, as two new studies suggest.
According to a survey of over 100,000 members of AshleyMadison.com — the “most famous name in infidelity and married dating” — coffee shops are the number one place to go for a first meeting when having an affair. They were voted number one by 31% of users, followed by cafes with 20% of the votes. Restaurants/bars, parks, and hotels followed, at 18%, 16%, and 11% respectively.
Noel Biderman, CEO and Founder of AshleyMadison.com, said that the results weren’t that surprising, since “many people take afternoon coffee breaks at work and this can be a great opportunity to meet up with a lover at an unassuming location.”
Although the difference between coffee shops and cafes remains unclear, the Washington Post reports that “fancy, artisan coffee is the sort of ‘national trend’ that’s actually only happening in the likes of Brooklyn. What America really drinks, when it drinks coffee, is basic. And it’s made by two mammoth coffee chains.”
Interestingly enough, those two coffee chains more or less have divided the nation. On the East Coast, American runs on Dunkin’ Donuts. Out west, it’s Starbucks territory.
Across the country, there are 7,500 Dunkin’ Donuts, and 12,000 Starbucks. Though the former outnumbers the latter in the east, 80% of Americans — four out of five people — live within 20 miles of a Starbucks.
What’s more, coffee shops have a 7% annual growth rate worldwide, making it one of the fastest growing industries worldwide. As the Washington Post reports, each chain is continuing to expand. Given the growth rate, it’s quite likely that the two chains’ dominance will gain even steadier footholds.
So the next time you’re picking up an iced latte to get you through that afternoon slump, take a look around you at the other patrons — you may very well be witnessing an affair that’s just getting off the ground.
