Editor’s Choice Award of Excellence — It’s Just Lunch® Matchmakers Inspire Singles to Stop Swiping & Start Meeting in Person

The Short Version: Since 1991, It’s Just Lunch has helped busy professionals meet and build long-term relationships. This global matchmaking firm streamlines the dating process by arranging first dates for clients in 150 cities worldwide. As a leader in the industry, It’s Just Lunch has won our Editor’s Choice Award of Excellence in recognition of its exceptionally passionate and dedicated team.

When It’s Just Lunch (IJL) launched its matchmaking service in 1991, online dating didn’t exist. No apps. No swiping. No ghosting. It was a simpler time. The matchmakers didn’t use algorithms to set up their clients. Instead, they relied on their personal knowledge and intuition to handpick matches for their clients.

It’s Just Lunch’s high-touch service has helped the company attract modern daters away from ineffective dating sites. IJL has stuck to the personalized matchmaking formula that has worked for nearly three decades.

The experienced matchmaking team knows how to get results, and they have thousands of success stories to prove it. Their hands-on approach to arranging dates has led to many happily-ever-afters around the world.

It’s Just Lunch is a premier matchmaking company with a global singles network.

It’s Just Lunch may seem a little old-school in today’s fast-paced swiping-happy dating scene, but it’s like that by design. The matchmaking team firmly stands by the idea that meeting in person is always going to lead to better connections, better relationships, and an overall better dating experience.

“We’ve always believed that the best way to meet people is face to face,” It’s Just Lunch CEO Melissa Brown said, “and we’ve been saying that for years. That’s what It’s Just Lunch was built on.”

When singles get rundown by their online dating experience, It’s Just Lunch is there to pick them back up and make the process easier to navigate. The professional matchmakers remind clients that dating should be fun and encourage them to take chances and try new things. After all, a first date isn’t a big, scary commitment — it’s just lunch (or drinks after work)!

The IJL team differentiates itself from the online dating world by getting to know their clients on a personal level. They use a proprietary process to vet new clients and potential matches seeking a relationship. Dating Specialists interview these singles over the phone and ensure they’re a good fit for the company.

It’s Just Lunch CEO Melissa Brown understands the dating needs of single professionals because she used to be one of them.

“Our clients are so incredible,” Melissa said. “They’re good-looking and college-educated, but they haven’t necessarily come across a person meant to be with them. And that’s where we come into play.”

Once a new member joins the service, the matchmakers get to work combing through the IJL database in search of great matches. They take the client’s preferences into account and recommend dates based on compatibility. Each time a match is selected for a client, the matchmaker will share information, such as the match’s job, age, and personal attributes, but It’s Just Lunch never gives out anyone’s contact information or last name.

The concierge matchmaking team arranges every detail of the first date, from choosing a venue to setting a time, and they also follow up for feedback from both individuals after the date is over. That way, the matchmaker can learn what worked and if anything didn’t. The team’s personalized coaching and support can help clients gain insight into the dating scene and hone their communication skills on a first date and beyond.

As soon as members meet someone special, they can place their membership on hold while they pursue a relationship. If it works out, great. But, if it doesn’t, It’s Just Lunch will be there to pick up right where they left off and continue the matchmaking process.

“We are always exploring ways to enhance our clients’ dating experience,” Melissa said. “We’re always thinking about what we can do to help them get that much closer to meeting The One.”

It’s Just Lunch works with singles who are ready to date and meet that special someone. These busy professionals invest in the matchmaking service because they haven’t found what they’re looking for on a dating site or at the bar, and they want to save themselves the time, energy, and stress of seeking a perfect match on their own.

“When our clients come to us, they’re ready for a different approach to dating,” Melissa said. “They’ve tried online dating, and it hasn’t worked for them. So it’s really about going back to the traditional way of dating.”

The It’s Just Lunch database includes singles in over 150 cities in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, and Australia. The international company has grown by leaps and bounds thanks to its steadfast commitment to helping singles enhance their dating lives and improve their chances of meeting someone special.

Whether you live in Boston, Dublin, or Sydney, It’s Just Lunch can help you find high-caliber dates.

Melissa said that client feedback has shaped the direction of the company and the services over the years. She and the IJL team have adapted to meet the needs of their clientele and improve the matchmaking experience from start to finish. Clients go to them looking to wind up in a long-term relationship, and the matchmakers do everything possible to make that happen as quickly and effortlessly as possible.

Over the years, It’s Just Lunch has gotten matchmaking down to a science and streamlined its process to facilitate deep connections over lunch or drinks. As a result, high-quality singles have trusted the It’s Just Lunch team with their hearts and hopes.

“Our clients are very serious,” Melissa said. “When a client signs up with us, they want to meet the one. That’s why they’re investing in our dating service.”

You can tell a lot about a matchmaking company from its success stories, and It’s Just Lunch has many heartwarming testimonials to its name. Some clients found love on the first date thanks to IJL, while others built confidence by going out on multiple dates before meeting one who stood out from the crowd. These stories inspire the matchmaking team as they work to bring more love into the world.

Rick Swanson met Kristina, the love of his life, through It’s Just Lunch.

Rick Swanson was recently divorced when he saw an advertisement for It’s Just Lunch in an airplane magazine and decided to see what the matchmaking company had to offer. Early on in his membership, It’s Just Lunch set him up with a confident and bubbly single mother named Kristina, and he knew his search for love was over.

“It’s like a piece of me that had ceased to be is back again,” Rick said. “Dating is a real challenge in our fast-paced, always connected, and frequently impersonal world. Having a real person on your side, helping to find the right partner, is a huge plus.”

Another client said It’s Just Lunch helped him feel excited about dating. “The It’s Just Lunch dating process helped me narrow down what I was really looking for in a woman,” said Amin Tran. “The date scheduling was flexible, which worked with my busy lifestyle.” Amin is now happily married to Rebecca, a yoga-loving dietitian whom he met through the matchmaking service.

Melissa told us about a client in Oklahoma City who put her membership on hold after her first introduction. Anna said she wanted to see where things with Sean would go. As it turned out, they went all the way down the aisle. The couple got married in February 2018, much to the excitement of the It’s Just Lunch team.

“We celebrate those types of success stories and get excited about it,” Melissa told us. “We share all these success stories internally, and I think that’s a big part of why everyone loves coming to work. Matchmaking isn’t a job — it’s our passion.”

A lot has changed in the dating scene since 1991. Singles can now meet one another online and build connections one text message at a time. However, if they want to start a real relationship, singles still have to put down their smartphones for an afternoon or an evening and have a conversation in person.

Technology cannot replicate the chemistry and sparks that fly between two individuals meeting for the first time — and that’s why It’s Just Lunch continues to attract singles who are looking for more quality and less swiping in their love lives.

Through the years, It’s Just Lunch has maintained the human element to the matchmaking process and kept impersonal, high-tech tools at a minimum. The firm’s certified matchmakers use their best judgment to arrange dates in cities around the world.

“We hope that when someone has a dating need, they think of It’s Just Lunch,” Melissa said. “We would love to see singles trust the dating process and know that chemistry only happens face to face — not behind a profile or app!”