First dates are vital to get right. After all, you only get one chance to make a good first impression. Unfortunately, a woman’s date seemingly backfired after she apparently was taken to an Applebee’s.
The viral clip, which has amassed 2.1 million views, consists of TikToker @herownboss looking unimpressed as an Applebee’s Cookie Dough Pie is brought out to her.
As she sits across the table from the person recording, on-screen text reads: “When you try not to come off as bougie so you humbly let him pick the place for your 1st date, and he picks Applebees.”
The TikToker didn’t immediately respond to The Mary Sue’s request for comment via TikTok comment and Instagram direct message.
@herownboss_ BLOCKED HIM as soon as he passed me my phone back ? #firstdate #applebees #fyp #funny #cheap ♬ original sound – Herownboss
People aren’t on her side
However, it soon became clear that commenters didn’t appreciate the TikToker’s joke.
“He dodged a major bullet,” one wrote. “Good for him.”
“Since when did it become embarrassing to eat at normal restaurants?” a second asked.
“My first date with my wife of 15 years was a cup of coffee in the afternoon,” a third shared. “We talked, laughed, and started falling in love. You’re too focused on the wrong things. You’re not dating to know someone. You’re dating for a social status.”
Similarly, a fourth sniped, “People think they’re so much better than what they are…”
And a fifth said, “The comments are not what she expected but I’m glad she getting humbled.”
The official Applebee’s TikTok account even weighed in, commenting: “Sounds like a man with taste!”
But there’s a twist
In a follow-up ‘storytime,’ @herownboss revealed that the video was actually a skit. She explained that, rather than being on a date, she had a business meeting, after which she and her friend decided to go to Applebee’s. She remarked how commenters were “really upset” by her standards, but insisted that while she wasn’t against Applebee’s, she wouldn’t personally go on a date there.
With some commenters going “crazy,” @herownboss remarked how these commenters were perhaps reacting like this as a result of their own “projection and trauma.” But for the TikToker, the most egregious part was the commenters calling her not a real Christian; to which she responded by saying the Bible doesn’t settle for less.
She also urged viewers to “stand firm on your standards.”
Is it normal to go to Applebee’s on dates?
It’s definitely not unheard of to go to Applebee’s on a date—so much so that the restaurant is even building a promotion around it.
In a recent viral TikTok on the official Applebee’s account, the food chain invited users to “shoot their shot” in the comments section in order to win free Date Night appetizers.
So, given that the company is specifically marketing “date night promotions,” it’s arguable that the place is a pretty solid dating stop—even if not everyone agrees.
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