Although going out to get pizza doesn’t sound like a traditional first date idea, it is an outing nonetheless.

As long as he is clear that this is a one-on-one meeting, he is asking you out on a date.

His choice of pizza seems strange, but he has his reasons for choosing this particular activity.

His intention is to give this first date a lighthearted feel.

Everyone loves pizza.

The mention of pizza has the potential to trigger a good memory.

A night of watching movies and eating pizza with family when you were a teenager.

A birthday party of a close friend of yours where pizza was aplenty.

A Halloween party with beloved coworkers where drinks and pizza were ubiquitous.

The mention of pizza has an informal, yet, heartwarming feel to it.

Given its informality and how closely we link pizza to hangouts with family, friends and coworkers, it typically isn’t a go-to suggestion for a first date with someone of romantic potential.

Ergo, your confusion as to whether he is asking you out on an actual date in asking you out to get pizza.

He is.

A guy doesn’t need to go out to meet a girl to get pizza.

He has his friends for that.

In suggesting pizza, he wanted to keep the idea of this meeting informal.

This alleviates the pressure for you to think too hard about whether you should say yes or no to it.

Suggesting a more formal date heightens pressure.

For example, by asking you out to a formal dinner date, you are now inundated with a totally different thought process than you would with the suggestion of pizza as a date.

A formal dinner date makes you think about whether you should dress up, what you should wear, whether you are allergic to the food, how much the food costs, etc.

Too much to think about.

Whereas, going out to get a pizza is so devoid of this type of pressure.

The same intent to alleviate any pressure is also a reason why he didn’t give you an exact calendar date for the pizza date.

He says “sometime” rather than provide an exact calendar date.

As a result, you aren’t forced to think about when next you are free, nor put in a position where you have to turn him down because a calendar date he suggested doesn’t work with your schedule.

In keeping it open ended, he gives you less of a reason to think too hard and possibly turn him down.

Furthermore, all of this informality leaves in question whether this is a proper date or not.

This gives him wiggle room.

Basically, he has plausible deniability.

If he should remind you about it in the near future and you turn him down, it doesn’t feel like a rejection.

After all, he was merely asking you out to get pizza.

This saves him any embarrassment or letdown in you turning him down.

Should you agree and follow through with meeting him to get pizza, he has the added benefit of not having to worry about being too formal in his appearance and behavior.

This is unlike a formal dinner date, where he is wound up tight before and during the date, as he does everything in his power to dress the part, watch his table manners, and speak formally.

He has been in situations like this in the past and the end result were disastrous first dates.

By asking you to get pizza, he frees himself from those formal entanglements and is able to be himself.

He believes that this makes for a much more enjoyable and laidback date for the two of you.