It’s Just Lunch is a 32-year-old matchmaking company that services singles from all across the country.

Its tagline is “[A] private, premium dating services for busy professionals.”

Today we want to dive into the ins and outs of It’s Just Lunch.

We’ll find out how it works, how it’s rated by customers, how much it costs and dive into possible alternatives to help you find your next romantic partner.

It’s Just Lunch: How It Works

It’s Just Lunch (IJL) takes a 4-step approach to finding you a partner.

1) Interview

IJL will conduct a 15-30 minute interview asking questions about your dating history, what you look for in a partner, and will further explain the It’s Just Dating process.

2) Match Selection

Matchmakers will then begin to dirty their hands as they use “intuition, decades of experience, and what they’ve learned about you to carefully hand-select your matches.”

IJL will search through their database of paying members, former members, and non-members to help find you a date. It’s been reported that the company has a dearth of male users, so it will occasionally recruit men to join.

IJL will choose the dates for you and set up dates that are (ideally) based on your preferences.

I should note that the membership option you select will dictate if you have a dedicated matchmaker as well as how quickly you will be matched.

3) The Date

All IJL dates are in person.

Most first dates will be low-key lunch, coffee, or after-work drink dates.

It’s Just Lunch takes special care not to reveal any of your personal information to matches. They won’t share your picture, name, address, email, or even phone number. However, this works both ways.

You’re essentially being set up on blind dates. Your dates will only ever be as compatible as your matchmaker can find on It’s Just Lunch’s limited database.

Prior to the date, the only information you will be given includes “a description of your date as well as share why we think you are going to enjoy meeting this match.”

4) Date Feedback

After the date takes place, you’ll share feedback with your matchmaker so they can further refine the matchmaking process.

It’s Just Lunch Reviews

It’s Just Lunch sounds like it might be worth signing up for. Especially if you have disposable income, have struggled on the dating apps, and are impressed by the idea of a personal matchmaker combing over thousands of eligible women to set you up with.

While there is no doubt It’s Just Lunch has helped thousands of singles find love, it’s also left thousands more feeling more hopeless than ever.

Here is how It’s Just Lunch is rated on a few popular ratings websites:

Consumer Affairs: 4.2/5 (6,674 reviews)

yelp: 2.0/5 (437 reviews)

Trustpilot: 3.4/5 (397 reviews)

Google: 4.5 (129 reviews)

Reading through these reviews, there are certain aspects of the company that are praised over and over again. One positive pattern that continually pops up is for those that sign up for a membership with a personal matchmaking coach. They heap praise on their matchmaker. They claim that they are hard-working, caring, good listening, etc.

Despite all these positive qualities, many still say they haven’t found someone they’re compatible with. This review sums up this pattern perfectly.

Here’s another review that also sings the praises of the matchmaker but laments the actual dating experience.

When we look at the negative reviews, we also see a pattern.

There are three complaints we often find in negative reviews:

• Waiting months on end to be matched with a date
• Can’t easily cancel the fee (most members pay a monthly fee of around $100 after an initial fee)
• Low-quality matches

The person below wrote a 1,000-word response that cited all three of the aforementioned complaints. This excerpt was particularly memorable.

She later went on to say that:

Always read the reviews before dishing out thousands for a dating service. In many cases, It’s Just Lunch clients agreed that when it comes to this dating service, It’s Just Awful.

It’s Just Lunch Lawsuits

When Andrea McGinty founded It’s Just Lunch in 1991, she would have never imagined her company being sued on numerous occasions (McGinty sold the company a few years ago). McGinty founded the company after her fiance called off their wedding weeks prior to the big day.

Just like that she was single again and thrust into the dating world. She struggled to find singles to date, went on blind dates with no hope, and was told by matchmakers that, “Well, you are getting old, you know, and you’re quite tall, but at least you are semi-attractive.”

As a consequence of her poor reintroduction to the single life, she started her own matchmaking company.

So many singles have found It’s Just Lunch because, like, McGinty, they too were fed up with the dating scene.

Yet instead of finding everlasting love, many have found just another reason to give up hope on finding love altogether.

At least four class action lawsuits have been filed against It’s Just Lunch.

In 2016, It’s Just Lunch agreed to pay $60 million in date vouchers and $4.75 million in cash to settle claims that the service “overcharged customers while ignoring their dating preferences.”

The lawsuit also alleged that “dating matches were not made by professionals but rather employees with no background or training in offering matchmaking services to clients.”

In a 2020 class action lawsuit, the attorney representing the plaintiff claimed that It’s Just Lunch is, “a massive scheme to defraud tens of thousands of single professionals throughout the country.” It also claimed the company, “overcharged its clients” and that “matches are driven entirely by monthly quota requirements.”

One of the most outrageous accusations the lawsuit claims is that male It’s Just Lunch employees would go on dates with female customers just so that they “could at least have a date with a man.”

Time after time, we have read and heard stories about men and women paying exorbitant prices to wait ages only to go on a handful of mediocre dates.

If you want to hear one of these horror stories, just listen to what Mindy Miller went through when she signed up for It’s Just Lunch.

It’s Just Lunch Cost

So how much exactly does It’s Just Lunch cost?

Before signing up for a matchmaking service with a spotty history, you’ll want to know how much it’ll cost.

The issue is that it’s difficult to know exactly how much you’ll pay until you talk with a sales representative from the company.

If you head over to their website in search of pricing clarification, you’ll be left with more questions than answers.

Only one portion of their website addresses pricing. It’s an FAQ that reads, “How does your pricing compare to other dating options?”

To sum up their response, it costs what it costs. 

The answer mostly talks about their process and kicks off their long-winded and

To start their long-winded and off-topic response that mostly discusses how their service works as opposed to its costs, IJL writes, “As far as pricing goes, It’s Just Lunch is like everything else in the world… you get what you pay for.”

If we read between the lines, IJL strongly hints that its service is expensive. It goes on to say that it offers “high touch service at an affordable cost,” and that “we bridge the price gap between online dating sites/dating apps and high-end millionaire matchmakers.”

None of this of course answers the question of how much the service costs.

To help answer that question, here is a collection of prices that have been reported by emlovz students along with former It’s Just Lunch clients.

• $2,000 for four dates
• $2,700 (lifetime membership) + $90/month fee, which can be canceled at any time
• $3,000 for four dates
• $4,700 for a 6-month membership
• $15,000 for a higher tier membership (Consumer Reports complaint)
• $5,000 for six dates, VIP Membership for $30,000 (emlovz student)

After pouring over reviews, we’ve seen IJL clients say they paid anywhere between $2,000 to $30,000. However, most have said they paid between $3-5k for a limited number of dates.

Something to note is that IJL loves to pitch backend offers. One of our students paid an initial $5,000 for six dates. A couple of days after making this payment, It’s Just Lunch attempted to sell him a $30,000 VIP package that promised more matches, a more personal service, and a higher success rate. As most matchmakers are also salesmen, expect a backend offer when you’re at your most vulnerable.

We have also read about former clients claiming that IJL wanted to charge clients to see photos of prospective matches.

While there is a lot of information out there, what’s certain is that It’s Just Lunch prices are opaque, and they do that on purpose. They hope to upsell desperate singles whenever possible. Your matchmakers often double as salespeople who seem to care more about how much you’re willing to pay them than finding you a compatible partner.

It’s Just Lunch Alternatives

Using a matchmaker could be right for you (though we recommend not using It’s Just Lunch).

If you’re a super busy person who has no time to meet women on your own, using a matchmaker would be just what you need. However, every matchmaker has their limitations. They all use limited databases, will pair you with women you’re not super compatible with, and will end after a certain number of dates.

At emlovz we don’t stop coaching and supporting you after you’ve went on a certain number of dates.

We offer a lifetime membership to all our students. This is because we’re vastly different than a matchmaker.

emlovz

When you team up with a matchmaker they do the fishing for you. At emlovz we give you the skills you need to fish for yourself.

We not only teach you how to find women, but how to court them, plan amazing dates, and ultimately choose the best partner for you.

So how do we do all this?

It all starts with MegaDating.

MegaDating

A single man’s biggest problem is meeting women.

So many of our students haven’t gone on a single date in months, if not years, prior to joining us.

The only way to meet your ideal partner is to date. And I’m not just talking about dating one woman for a while before then dating another. I’m talking about dating prolifically. That looks like going on a date with Sally on Tuesday, Marley on Friday, and Sam on Sunday.

At emlovz we show students how to go on 20 dates in 90 days. 

Dating at warp speed is like a shortcut to finding a partner that you’re really compatible with. Instead of settling for the first woman who smiles your way, dating multiple women at once allows you to sort through women in order to find your perfect partner.

The Perfect Profile

Dating a couple of new women every week sounds great and all but how do you accomplish it?

If you haven’t met a woman in years, how can you plausibly expect to meet enough to go on various dates a week with?

It’s all about tapping your social channels to find amazing single women.

You may not realize it but you have access to more women than you think.

Here are some ways you can tap your social groups to meet new women:

• Parties
• Meeting women through friends
• At yoga
• Via Meetups
• The gym
• At work
• Through the social group you recently joined
• Co-ed sports
• Speed dating
• Volunteering
• At religious events
• Through family

But as you’ll see there’s one super popular way to meet women that I’ve yet to mention; via dating apps. 

39% of all new relationships start online.

Online dating is convenient, easy, and if done right, can quickly fill up your romantic calendar.

Via our online curriculum, dating profile reviews, weekly coaching sessions, and community feedback, we’ll quickly optimize your profile so you’re performing in the top 10% of profiles.

You need to be a top performer to garner attention online. Apps like Tinder have a 9 to 1 male-to-female user ratio. Bumble has a 7 to 3 ratio. You have to be at the top of your game if you want to succeed online.

Another reason why meeting women online is so popular is because it’s the largest singles database that you can find.

Larger than that database the It’s Just Lunch matchmakers have, dating apps are home base for all the single people in your city. In just a couple clicks you can have access to thousands of single women.

After you start scoring matches, it’s time to chat it up.

MegaMessaging + TDL

Matches are nothing more than trophies if you don’t talk to them.

As soon as you hear that little jingle denoting a new match, it’s time to shoot her a message.

If you’re new to dating apps you might think that because you two matched, she’s receptive to having a conversation – that’s not the case.

Women receive dozens, if not hundreds of likes every day, which translates to basically as many matches as they care to have. This means that she only has so much time and energy to invest in messaging.

To win over her attention, you need to send her an opening message that is worth responding to.

In our coaching program, Dating Decoded, we’ll break down opening messages, how to quickly build rapport online, and how to pivot into the real world by using a TDL.

When using a TDL to ask her out, be sure to include the time, date, and location. 

Doing so shows her you’re serious about taking her out, unlike all those other men she matched with online.

The Dating Blueprint

If you’re MegaDating, you need a dating plan that maximizes your chances for love.

This means going on dates with defined parameters.

Here’s what that looks like…

First dates should last no longer than an hour and cost no more than $20. First dates are brief because in reality you’re probably going out with a stranger. Why agree to spend your valued Saturday afternoon with a stranger you may dislike the second she starts talking?

Second dates are active and free. Active because heart-pumping dates are fun and lend themselves to breaking the touch barrier. Free because a free second date will weed out gold diggers.

If she makes it to a third date it’s time to show her just how special she is. Splash the cash, treat her right and make it a night she’ll always remember.

Dating Decoded

Teaming up with us will give you the skills you need to find the perfect partner. 

We teach our students the shortcut to finding their ideal match by MegaDating. MegaDating is our dating philosophy and it shapes everything we teach here at emlovz. Simply put MegaDating is dating prolifically with the specific goal of going on 20 dates in 90 days. This will give you ample women to compare and contrast so you can refine not only your dating skills but also who your ideal partner is.

To teach you how to quickly find highly compatible women in just weeks and become the most eligible bachelor in town you’ll team up with romantic experts, each skilled in their own unique area to support you.

Our Team

• Emyli (me), co-founder, curriculum developer, head coach, and I host two coaching sessions every week
• Thomas, co-founder, and coach. He’ll lead the biweekly Man Cave event where men come together to talk dating, bond with one another, and support other single men
• Cat, Brooke, and Audrey are mock date specialists. Go on a practice date with them (and receive feedback) before your next date
• Hailey is your new stylist. She’s worked with celebs from every industry and is now about to raid your closet
• Tilly is our holistic sex & intimacy coach. She’ll help you get the most out of your sex life so you and your partner are happier between the sheets
• Aundrea is an award-winning fitness coach. Are you ready to eat right and build muscle?
• Mia is our social media expert. Revamp your Facebook and Instagram profiles with her help and start meeting women online

Our Community

And look, we realize that the single life can be difficult. If accepted into our coaching program, Dating Decoded, you’d be joining a community of supportive men and coaches who are there to listen, support, and encourage you as you navigate the single life.

Our program offers every student a lifetime membership (as if you’ll need it) so the support won’t stop until you’ve found your ideal partner.

If you’re ready to find your forever partner, book a Zoom session with our team today. Together we’ll talk about your dating history, your goals and show you how our program, Dating Decoded, can help you find your ideal partner.

Learn how our students have already improved their dating lives.