I'd say just start with girls at first. Guys make it more complicated, and they don't have as much of a draw. I could be wrong here.
You'd have to have really in depth profiles of the girl of the week/day. Video intro, multiple pictures, in-depth Q&A, etc. If you're giving the restaurant for the date decent exposure, you may not really need to even pay for anything.
I think once you figure the traffic formula out, it's game over (in a good way). Creating attention and buzz for it will not be hard.
The thing I'm thinking about is, IF the girl is decently attractive enough to warrant such bids and attention, she should have no trouble getting dates. She might actually be wary of displaying herself on a meatmarket full of hungry males with 99 cents to lose.
I had a somewhat similar idea I fleshed out a couple of years ago that also involved local dating, but was more targeted at the 9-5 working crowd and bringing them together on an invite/want basis for quick coffee/lunch dates that brought a couple together long enough to 'get to know' but not so long that it got uncomfortable. What I couldn't figure out was how to monetize it, but your 99 cent 'participation' fee is intriguing me enough to try and resurrect it. I wouldn't mind exchanging a couple of no-strings emails with you if you'd like to discuss.
You'd have to have really in depth profiles of the girl of the week/day. Video intro, multiple pictures, in-depth Q&A, etc. If you're giving the restaurant for the date decent exposure, you may not really need to even pay for anything.
I think once you figure the traffic formula out, it's game over (in a good way). Creating attention and buzz for it will not be hard.