SALT LAKE CITY — Finding love can feel like a game at times, but for some, the risk is a part of the thrill.
“At the end of the day, I’m just trying to put myself out there," Jimmy Glasscock, 25, said while inside Quarters Arcade Bar downtown.
On Sunday night, Glasscock and his best friend, Jack Cropper, presented each other to a crowd during a singles event, "Date My Mate." Basically, you get on stage and present your single friend with a PowerPoint. You can hype them up, roast them, or do both. Before and after presentations, you mingle.
Brandon Luong and Bite Club SLC created the 'Date My Mate' event last August. According to Luong, the event started out as a joke but has sold out multiple times since it started last summer.
“I just thought it would be funny for me and a group of friends to go up on stage and roast each other and maybe get each other some dates," Luong told FOX 13 News.
He says whether you're single or just there to support a friend, everyone's welcome. “This event is about finding love, but it’s also about loving your friends, too," he said. "Just seeing people come up on stage and hype up their friends — I don’t think I’m ever going to get tired of seeing that.”
Date My Mate
Inside Quarters Arcade Bar in downtown Salt Lake City, the lights were dim, and the room was buzzing with conversation as people waited for presentations to start.
“Jack is a little sweetie who loves back rubs and sweet nothings whispered in his ear," Glasscock said while on stage and pointing to a projector screen. “Jack is 6’3" and a whole lot more if you include his personality.”
"How hard is dating these days?" FOX 13 News asked Glasscock after their presentations. "I don’t like being on the apps because they just kinda bum me out," Glasscock, who lives in Midvale, said. "You spend a lot of time on it. You really don’t get a lot of dates out of it or meet people.”
Marriage Trends
Utahns are waiting longer to tie the knot, too.
According to analysts at the Kem. C. Gardner Policy Institute, in their April 2025 report, “Utah’s Marriage Trends: Young, Married, and Changing," Back in 1980, about 63 percent were married. In 2023, that number was under 55 percent.
Watch: Why Utah has one of the lowest divorce rates in the country
Nationwide, the share of married people fell from 57% to 48%. In Utah, the biggest drop has been among younger adults. For people ages 25-34, the share who are married has fallen more than 20 points since 1980.
With more people waiting longer to marry, some are rethinking how they find love, too.
“People are interested in in-person events and finding people authentically vs. swiping. They’re burnt out of being ghosted and tired of short-term pals that don’t turn into actual relationships," Loni Harmon, a dating counselor based in Layton, said.
Date My Mate isn't really about finding 'the one.' If you do, great. But you might also just make a new friend.
“I’m starting to build more confidence in myself because of your presentation," Cropper, 25, who lives in Sandy said. "Thanks buddy, I love you."
