Bumble is opening an IRL hive where you can meet your dates

Dating apps make it easy to connect with people, but what if they could also give you a place to meet up in the flesh?

Bumble is doing just that. They're opening an actual brick-and-mortar location in New York City for the month of June. It's called The Hive, and it’s meant to give the app’s users a place to mingle IRL. So what exactly is meant to happen in this posh yellow space?

Whitney Wolfe, Bumble’s founder and CEO, told Mashable: "It will follow the format of Bumble and offer something for everyone. A place for dates to meet, friends to do activities together, and co-working for our bizz users. Bumble has allowed you to build your hive digitally, and now we're giving you an extension of that physically."

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

They're clearly trying to appeal to more than just singles, as the app makes a push to become a place to find friends and expand your professional network too. And the good news is that means you probably won't be stuck standing in a room full of people who are all on first dates. *shudders*

They’ve also scheduled a series of events with partners like Forbes, Whispering Angel Rosé, and Drybar to keep things busy, and there’s a coffee bar and a real bar too -- thank goodness.

This particular Hive is a short-term proposition, but Wolfe told us the plan is to make them a permanent fixture in select cities. She said they want their “users to convene is a safe place where only positive interaction is welcome.” Sounds like a dream compared to most of the messy interactions that litter the online dating landscape.

They’ve even made a cheeky nod to one of those unpleasant realities of online dating: the unsolicited dick pic. They've installed a dick pic wall, but fear not: it’s all pictures of famous Richards. (Think Nixon, Burton, etc.) Phew.