Making A Date Of It

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by Julia O'Donnell   

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Delightful Dining brings singles together in the suburbs.

Going out for a meal has been a human dating ritual ever since, well, ever since the first caveman wooed his bride with a succulent leg of Woolly Mammoth.

Though times have changed, the challenge of finding a suitable dinner date remains for many single suburbanites. With the aim of taking the time and stress out of finding compatible meal partners, several dining-related clubs and dating services have sprung up in recent years.

Married one year ago this September, David Bugniazet and Bonnie Lewis met at a city-based singles dinner club three years ago. Residents of Lombard, they felt that the western suburbs could also use an organization for single professionals who enjoy fine dining. In April of 1998, they kicked off Delightful Dining with a dinner party at The Clubhouse in Oak Brook. Thirty-six people attended, only five of which were official members. Today, membership has risen to 275, a number of couples have formed, and one couple is engaged.

Despite its success at bringing together eligible singles, Delightful Dining is not a matchmaking service, Bugniazet cautions. He and his wife hold dining events two to three times each month, with 50 to 70 people typically in attendance. The first hour is spent mingling, with Bugniazet and Lewis serving as host and hostess and helping to introduce people. The social hour is followed by a sit-down dinner with six people seated at each table. Bugniazet and Lewis arrange the seating according to age, interests and hobbies, based on responses to a survey that members fill out when they sign up. Bugniazet finds that this personal touch takes the pressure off the members and creates a relaxed environment.

If dinner sounds a little too formal, there's always lunch. After her fiance broke off their engagement weeks before the wedding, Andrea McGinty suddenly found herself single at the age of 30. She tried dating services, but had no luck. All she wanted was a low-pressure lunch date with a pre-screened professional like herself. So, in 1992 she decided to start her own dating service, It's Just Lunch.

McGinty's first target audience was downtown Chicago and Lincoln Park. The concept quickly caught on and It's Just Lunch is now the third largest dating service in the United States, with 30 offices coast to coast.

Though It's Just Lunch offices are located mainly in large cities, two years ago the firm opened a branch in DuPage. "We felt a need for it," said Jodi Meyer, director of the Chicago suburbs office. "Where are you going to meet singles in the suburbs? It's a very family-oriented community."

Meyer and her crew are currently helping 800 suburban singles find lunch dates. First they spend an hour interviewing each client in order to get an idea of what their client is looking for. Next they go through their members and find a suitable match. Finally the clients receive a first name, a day to meet, and the name of the restaurant ¾ no pictures and no videos.

The lunches typically only last about an hour and the bill is shared. Clients can set up dates for other times if lunch is too hard to arrange. And Meyer asks for feedback after every date to see what her clients liked or didn't like. So far the Chicago suburban branch of It's Just Lunch has helped set up more than 1,000 couples, 15 of which have gotten engaged.

Members for both Delightful Dining and It's Just Lunch range in age from late 20s to 50s and are typically busy professionals. Most Delightful Dining members come from DuPage while It's Just Lunch's Itasca office serves all Chicago suburbs. Both Bugniazet and Meyer say that there is a good mix of men and women in their memberships.

Along with dinner, Delightful Dining also plans Sunday brunches, theme parties, and dinner dances. One afternoon the group had brunch at the Oak Brook Polo Grounds and then watched a polo match. "We go where you always wanted to go, but not alone," Bugniazet said. "Many members come back to the restaurants with clients, friends, and family."

Delightful Dining membership costs $98 a year plus the cost for each dinner. Members can go to as many or as few dining events as they like.

It's Just Lunch is significantly more pricey. Clients can sign up for one of three packages: six months or eight dates for $775, nine months or 12 dates for $900, or 12 months or 16 dates for $1,000.

For more information about Delightful Dining, visit the web site at www.delightfuldining.com.

(Article re-printed from West Suburban Living, Sept. /Oct. 1999)


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