Like most things, technology has altered the fabric of dating in your 20s and 30s. The meet-cutes of our favorite romcoms seem to be relics preserved for Hollywood, the rest of us left to scrummage through an endless pool of less-than-desirable dating app prospects. Sure, there are plenty of success stories to emerge from online dating — but for every new Hinge-born relationship, there are at least three cringe-worthy stories to match. What started as a joke from a few Hoboken residents might just be an ingenious antidote to this dating defeat. Scattered around 8th Street Tavern are the dating business cards of resident Samantha Halstead, which are essentially a tangible version of what would be Samantha’s dating profile. We’re kind of obsessed with the idea, and some locals loved the idea so much that they printed Samantha’s card on their espresso martini. Keep reading for the story behind those dating business cards you’ve likely seen at 8th Street Tavern in Hoboken.
Photo Credit: Gina Guccione
Let’s Get Down to Business
On February 28th, The Hoboken Girl received an email with the subject line “Has dating gone too far?” This, of course, is sort of a loaded question: if you’re single and actively trying to date, you’d probably argue that dating hasn’t gone far enough. Either way, the contents of the email were delightful. The reader had found a pile of dating business cards at 8th Street Tavern, belonging to a Hoboken resident named Samantha Halstead. And since 8th Street happened to have a drink printer on hand, why wouldn’t this reader have Samantha’s card printed onto the foam of their espresso martini? The only appropriate response to finding a dating business card. Editor’s note: more to come on the drink printer. We have questions too.
Photo Credit: Gina Guccione
A little internet sleuthing led us to Samantha’s Instagram profile, and naturally, we had to learn more. Samantha shared that the idea was her best friend’s: “It was my [birthday] last week and my best friend thought it would be funny to make these,” she told HG. “She made them without telling me and gave us each 20, we had 200 in total.”
Read More: The Viral Hoboken Rescue Dog, Milo, Who Stole the Internet’s Heart
The two-sided cards are a 3-D dating profile, with a brief bio about Samantha. “You’ll probably find me at 8th Street. I can read a book a month. Sometimes I like to go for walks. Vegetarian.” There’s a poignant testimonial from Samantha’s cat, Louis: “If you can only do one thing in your life, it should be a date with Sam.”
Photo Credit: Gina Guccione
Unfortunately, no business deals were signed that night, but Samantha said that “everyone we gave them to thought it was hysterical.” As of Friday, March 1st, there were even some cards on display in the window at 8th Street: “A friend was just throwing them around.”
Samantha made it clear that the cards are very much a friend-orchestrated joke, but nevertheless, we love the idea — and are doubly obsessed with the idea of printing them onto our drinks.
See More: Where to Get the Best Espresso Martinis in North Jersey
For more fun Hoboken + Jersey City stories, follow @thehobokengirl on Instagram + TikTok and subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.
Disclaimer: This story is for entertainment purposes only — The Hoboken Girl is not affiliated with and does not endorse any specific dating apps, methods, or parties involved with this story.
