How it started
A question asked in a New York City retail store, 15 years ago.
15 years ago
I was working in retail in New York City. New to the city, always out, always meeting people, always exploring. I became friends with an Area Manager who was a little older than me. He knew I had my finger on the pulse. He would ask me where to go: where to walk, where to meet, what to eat, what to see.
The conversation
It became a consistent thing. Finally, I turned to him and asked: "Would you ever use a service that helped plan your dates?" He did not hesitate. He said: "I would use a planning service to plan my entire day. I am always busy and I never have the time."
The name
He asked if I was thinking about starting a planning service. I said definitely, and instantly had the name in mind. I told him I would probably call it Dayste. Dating with taste, but with the word "day" in it, because we plan your whole day, not just the date. He gave a courtesy laugh and said: "That is funny, you must have been thinking about this because that was quick. I kind of like it. You should do it."
Life happens
I did not know what to do or how to do it. I got in my own way. Life just happens. The idea stayed with me, but the timing never felt right.
April 1, 2026
I decided to take a break from social media. I needed something to fill that time and put my energy into something real. I started playing around with an AI platform, and somehow Dayste came up. I started building.
Today
15 years later, Dayste is live. Getting smarter, stronger, and more helpful every single day. The idea that started as a question in a New York retail store is now helping people across 100 cities plan better days and better dates.
"Would you ever use a planning service for it to plan my day? I am always busy and I never have the time."
The moral of the story
It is never too late. The idea you have been sitting on, the thing you keep coming back to, the conversation you remember word for word years later: that is worth building. Start whenever you can. Build with what you have. Show up.
— David-Jay, Founder of Dayste
What Dayste does
Dayste is a date planning platform that takes care of the thinking so you can focus on the experience. Tell us your city, your vibe, your budget, and when you are going. We will build a real, curated itinerary around venues that actually exist and are actually worth visiting. We also surface local events and experiences happening around you, from live music and comedy nights to food festivals and pop-up markets, so your plan always has the energy of something happening right now.
No generic suggestions. No placeholder recommendations. Every stop is a real place chosen for a reason, with booking links so you can go from plan to reservation in seconds.
Curated for your vibe
Romantic, adventurous, foodie, chill. We build around what actually suits your night.
Real venues
Named, specific, currently operating venues. Nothing vague, nothing invented.
Instant booking
Reserve buttons link directly to Resy, OpenTable, Google, and Eventbrite.
100+ cities
New York, London, Paris, LA, Chicago, and growing every week.