I wouldn't care, though I may think it a slight bit odd. My mother, on the other hand, has been know to very rudely berate people that do this. She's special.
I don't think age or gender matters. It's weird but I get in some regions and some types of restaurants it may be more common. Where I live and dine it would be extremely odd.
I think it's regional, so I would assume that person was from one of those regions. I would notice, but it wouldn't bother me and I wouldn't say anything.
There's a grocery store that I hit weekly, and invariably, the same stockperson is always in the front when I enter, and he always says "hiiiiiiii sweetie".
Normally it doesn't bother me, but I was just at a brewery with ~40 coworkers, and I was one of two females. The other female was in her late 50s, and I'm 34. Out of all of my coworkers (including a couple of guys who looked really one - one had turned 21 the week prior), I was the only one carded and the bartender kept calling me "sweetie" and "honey". The whole thing annoyed me because that business trip was my first time meeting many of these coworkers and I felt like it demeaned me. When I'm just with family and friends I don't care.
But if you go to a restaurant, and the person serving you is younger than you and refers to you as "Sweetie" and "Honey" and "Love" multiple times (approx. 10 times throughout the meal), would you care? Does gender matter? This is a young male staff member (early 20's) talking to a somewhat older female (mid 30's).
I love it when people call me sweetie. It sure beats the alternatives.
I can get irked about a lot of things restaurant-related like not taking my drink order quickly--I need my wine dammit--but I'd let this one go.
I prefer it to "you guys" I'm not a guy. Wtf But I think that's regional too
I'm like the biggest feminist I know (except for beans) and you guys could not possibly bother me less. I actually prefer it to what I hear at work, which is often "guys and girls". That burns me up (silently). Girls is NOT the equivalent of guys. Girls is the equivalent of BOYS. CHILDREN. I'd much rather hear you guys and leave out the girls. I think guys can be like, hey you homo sapiens.
I use "you guys" a lot. It was very common where I grew up (CO). I also use Y'all a lot because it is inclusive, but I get shit for it. I try not to use you guys though. The girls thing does bug me.
I HATE when people call me (or others) sweetie, hun, honey, etc. I am not your sweetie.
I'd be weirded out by anyone I'm not close with calling me that, but someone I'm not likely to meet again? I wouldn't say anything. It's not that big of a deal.