I'm embarrassed that I fell for this scam and can't believe I wasted all of this money on false promises and worthless matches. They have amazing sales people and make you believe they have a robust database of clients - but, I haven't been matched with a single person worth dating. So, either all of my criteria and requirements for a match were lost after my intake session or they are pairing me up with the other handful of suckers that forgot to check Yelp before wasting thousands of dollars on this service. No wonder it takes so long to get your next date - they have to spread matches out across months, otherwise you would blow through their entire client base and they would have to admit there is no one else. Do yourself a favor and spend your money elsewhere. read more

A great way to safely re-enter the dating landscape. A solid effort to meet me and the potential dating partners/friends. Bri and the other ijl staff members are attentive, thorough and encouraging. They understand the needs and wishes of their clients. I have met two interesting people so far and look forward to continuing this adventure with confidence and fun. read more

They will tell you everything you want to hear to take your money. Do NOT sign a contract with It's Just Lunch. It is a total scam. I registered for It's Just Lunch because I am a busy professional who doesn't have the time to meet people on my own. I spent $3,000 on this service so they could set me up on dates. I made it very clear in my initial interview what I was looking for and that I wasn't in a hurry so if they didn't have someone to match me up with right away, that was okay! I was willing to wait it out. I also live downtown which is very congested with traffic. So, I was not able to commit to spending my limited time off in hours of traffic commuting to meet someone I really know nothing about. And, a relationship with someone who lives over an hour away just wouldn't be sustainable. They said all the right things to get me to sign up and the money I work hard for went down the drain. They assured me that they have plenty of people that fit my criteria that live in the city and they could easily get me more than 6 matches. Here are a few examples of the lousy dates (or dates that never even happened): * I was matched with someone who canceled at the last minute. I understand things come up and agreed to reschedule. I showed up for the date and was stood up! IJL can't control if someone does this, however, they should not agree to continue servicing someone who clearly doesn't respect other's time or the company. IJL had the audacity to ask me to give him a third chance when I believe they should have terminated services for that person. * I gave a wide range of ages - I believe 5 years younger to up to 10 years older than me. I was matched with someone who I believe to have been 20 years older than me! * These are blind dates. The last thing I want to do on a blind date is go to a fancy steakhouse. They scheduled a date at a fancy steakhouse. I asked them to change the place to somewhere more casual, but they refused. We went and they would not seat us at the bar. The waiter (rightfully so) was annoyed that we only wanted to order drinks and he moved us to the bar. That set the date off on a completely awkward note. I let IJL know and asked not to be sent to a fancy steakhouse again. Guess where the next date was? A fancy steakhouse! If I have to spend this much time managing these dates, then what am I paying them for? * Even though I made it clear I couldn't commute far outside the city, I was set up on a date that took me 90 minutes to get there. The guy drove 15 minutes. They claim they make it accommodating for both, but that is clearly not true. * I was set up with someone outside the city who then told me he couldn't date someone who lives in the city. I do understand that since I know it's not sustainable, but how could IJL count this as a date for me when the guy had no intention of dating? * I was set up with someone and I asked his age and where he lived beforehand. I was given the wrong age and was told he lives in the city which he doesn't. When I voiced my concerns, my advisor straight up laughed at me. It doesn't matter if she likes me or agrees with me. I am the customer and that is completely unprofessional. I asked to speak to a manager. The response I got was that she appreciated the feedback and will use that going forward. But, that doesn't help me now. They could not have been more excited to tell me that my contract is complete. I hope I can save someone else from being scammed by this business. read more

Wish I could leave zero stars for this matchmaking service! They are the biggest waste of money I have ever experienced. They supposedly introduce you to people in a personal manner selecting someone that is similar to you in interests. Not true. They choose the restaurant and it has to be one on their list. Caveat Emptor! Awful waste of money! read more

Hire the professionals. They will work with you and you will feel safe and comfortable. Vanessa and Paige are awesome

I have had a fantastic experience working with It's Just Lunch. Naomi and the team put a lot of care into finding my matches, cheering me on, and making the overall experience enjoyable. If you are tired of all of the work of online dating, and want someone to do all the 'annoying parts' of dating for you, I can't recommend It's Just Lunch highly enough. I look forward to going on my dates now, and know that I will have a good experience and meet fun and interesting people. It's such a welcome change from the drudgery of online dating! read more

The process getting started with IJL was simple and easy. Very quickly they were able to help get multiple dates set up, which made me feel confident I would have the right opportunity to meet someone special. The experience has been fun and exciting thus far, and I am looking forward to continuing to work with IJL. read more

I have worked with Naomi and Vanessa and they have both been very good. Definitely great at communicating the needs and providing any valuable feedback. read more

So far my experience with IJL has been great. Namoi is very up beat and introduced me to some very nice dates. Haven't found my match yet but no it will happen. Namomi is very easy to work with and concerned about finding my forever match. read more

My advisor is helpful and patient. She has worked with me to find the best match and has remained accommodating throughout the process.

RUN. I absolutely DO NOT recommend IJL services to anyone. I entered their process with an open mind and heart (and wallet) and very quickly felt misled, taken advantage of, and constantly gaslit when trying to express my dissatisfaction to the team. Please do your due diligence in researching IJL (I took the overall Google rating at face value) and asking questions before signing a contract and making a commitment. Something to look for in "positive reviews" is a lack of feedback on the quality of dates or success stories - there tends to be a lot of fluff. I suggest reviewing client feedback on Google, Yelp, The Better Business Bureau, and Glassdoor employee reviews - the former employee reviews are incredibly telling - as they all validated my poor experience and IJL's misleading and unethical practices. 1. Quality of Dates: Your matchmaker will lead you to believe that with their service you will have access to a high caliber network of men as well as matchmakers who will be thoughtful in the dates they select for you. I completed 4 first dates and was very disappointed with the quality of men and did not see my feedback taken into account when selecting new matches. Because this area of feedback can always be deemed "subjective" I'll focus on two more objective areas of discontent. I was not informed that my second date lived 115 miles away in another state (approximately 2.5 hours to travel) even though the understanding and expectations that IJL set that matches were "Chicagoland and immediate surrounding areas". All IJL employees who I went over this point with refused to acknowledge what a poor practice this is, what an inconvenient situation it creates, and take accountability for their lack of transparency. My 4th date had a 22 month old son that he had nearly sole custody (80%). I was very clear with my matchmaker, Alexis, that I was not interested in birthing or raising children but I'd be open to men who had children from previous relationships. I would expect my matchmaker to discern that he would not make a good match knowing how clear I was in my reproductive and lifestyle choices. 2. Customer Service & Objection handling: They will promote a notable time savings with their coordination services but like the rest of the service, it has little to no value. On my first date, the restaurant where IJL made a reservation was closed when my date and I arrived, I've never received a separate check as expected, and I was often calling their offices after waiting for a coordinator to call me at a designated time. While everyone you meet is very poised and pleasant in their demeanor, their tactics to objection handling are to gaslight their customers and put the ownership on you as to why you are unhappy. "You need to be more open minded", "your feedback on your last dates wasn't that harsh", "What if he could be the one!" They create false hope and prey on vulnerabilities to avoid accountability and keep you as a paying customer. This led to some very heated calls. While I wish I had been able to keep my emotions in check, quite honestly dealing with IJL staff is reminiscent of the same experience many of us have had with men: to be made to feel crazy or that my feelings were invalid. 3. Matchmaker Qualifications & Company Legitimacy: Their matchmakers have no related training, education, or certification that makes them any more qualified than the average joe to match folks on dates. They have no data or success rates to back up their services - simply their word. Furthermore, when I addressed the poor reviews across several platforms, both my Director, Alexis, and the Regional Director, Hope, made claims that positive reviews are taken down due to the fact they don't market through that company. It was an insulting and absurd argument. The fact that a senior member of their leadership team would even try to make that claim as legitimate is an embarrassment. 4. Pricing & Contracts: I uncovered through a date that their pricing structure is vastly different for men & women and so while we may all be financially invested, it isn't apples to apples. In addition, you can see by their responses on their own complaints, they are a ZERO REFUND company. Any truly "customer focused" company does not hold individual consumers to such contracts when expressing dissatisfaction early on. This is usually an indication of a pattern of poor business practices/ethics or an inability to reach company revenue/financial targets. They refused to give me 2 months of subscription fees returned ($200) even with the $2900 upfront cost I had already made. Look forward to the typical response IJL has given all of their poor reviewers: lacking empathy or understanding of their clients, an unwillingness to accept any wrongdoing or accountability of their own, and never a customer-centric solution or one that would include reimbursement. read more

An insane scam! I signed up for the service around 2011 in Chicago but never paid any money or went on any dates. Ever since then I get contacted every 3 months or so by a sales rep. I keep blocking their numbers but they somehow make it through. The latest call was today, September 1, 2022. I've been married for 6 years and cannot get this stupid service to stop bugging me. I've screamed and cursed at every rep to get my number of their list. Please, please, please DO NOT give these people any information, let alone any money. Just run! read more

The Team is incredibly friendly and a pleasure to work with. They make the process simple and stress free.

Great people to work with. They will take the time to get to know you and work WITH you to find the best match.

It is great working w them! They are very diligent working with me, and the service is great. Fully recommended.

I would highly recommend! Rebecca and the rest of the team have been great to work with.

This is a scam, plain and simple. I am disabled and they lied to me when I was in a very, very bad place in my life. They took advantage of my disability and my ignorance when I was suffering, and I plan to sue for damages. I encourage all of you other people who are reading this and considering giving them your money to THINK really, really hard about it, and do a LOT of research beforehand. Learn from my mistakes, please. Thanks for reading! read more

Really enjoy working with Naomi. She's funny, down to Earth, and works hard to set us up for success.

I joined April 19, 2023, with a 3-month contract for $3300.00 I had a terribly disappointing experience. None of the 4 matches were appropriate, and none matched my stated preferences. It's a very expensive service (average $875 per date), and unlike professional matchmaking services, they only match with their existing clients. They refuse to share key details about the individuals (i.e., where they live) They can (and do) throw whomever they want together and consider their contractual obligation completed. The information conveyed to me was often inaccurate, and dishonest. I spoke to them several times about my concerns, to no avail. Toward the end of the contract, I wrote to them (company president, local office manager, dating "coach" and regular contact) about my disappointment and concerns, and NONE of the 4 addressees bothered to reach out to me. I then called the woman assigned to me as the regular contact and the result was very unsatisfactory--I offered several options for resolution, and i was brushed off. I should have trusted my gut and not joined; the original salesperson was very persuasive, and, sadly learned was misleading. read more

I signed up for this service two years ago now. I ended up staying for only 6 months as most of my matches didn't have anything in common with me. turned out that they were just trying to get me to spend $$$ on an 'elite' service to the tune of $35,000/year. I'm writing this review now as I just got another call from this elite service despite being absolutely clear that I do not want to be called or solicited by them anymore. this is her second attempt this year to get me back into their service. don't do it, it's a waste of your time and money read more

Rebecca was a great matchmaker to work with. At the start she took the time to ask insightful questions and really listened to what I had to say in order to put together a good profile. I felt like I had better connections with the later dates, and I think a lot of that had to do with Rebecca adjusting my profile based on feedback after each date. Talking through things with her also helped me realize what I value more in a partner and that was a nice extra benefit. read more

Rebecca is such an amazing staff member. She is always on top of everything. She is very pleasant and extremely helpful. She has a very positive attitude and super outgoing. She always makes sure I have all the information I need before my date. I am super happy with everything she has done for me. I'm very pleased with It's just Lunch and would recommend it to all of my friends. Thank you for all you do. read more

IJL is a complete scam and waste of money. Background: I haven't had much luck on the dating apps, and I've heard the radio commercials for IJL, so I figure, why not give it a try? I spoke with Heather a few times, and she assured me that within my criteria there were HUNDREDS of men in Chicago that fit within that. Wildly untrue. The many issues: 1) This is an extremely expensive service- $2,800 initiation and then $100 a month. I would gladly pay this, if it were remotely in line with how it was pitched to me. 2) They set you up on one date, then you HAVE to go into the downtown chicago office to meet with Erika before you're allowed on the next date. I think this is partly a delay tactic and partly justifying the gross spend. It was a colossal waste of time, and I was there 15 minutes to fill out a survey about religious preferences. Bizarre. 3) There are issues with the matching process- I was not clearly explained how cumbersome and limiting the set up process would actually be. I'm in a high pressure job and am extremely busy and on the road very often- It's not feasible for me to plan weeks out for dates with men that don't fit the criteria that I'd initially spoken through. Locations they proposed were not always convenient, the lack of ability to communicate directly with the date is a nuisance, the many phone calls from the team, and having to coordinate between parties for dates/times. None of this is ideal and has just led to being frustrating. 4) The "inventory": I was told that there were hundreds and hundreds of great men within my criteria. The 2 dates I went on were not great. They really try and force you to go out with the one match they've identified, even if you say it doesn't sound like a fit. I had a conversation with them, and they finally came back to me with 2 other options- one that lived an hour outside the city and one that was way way shorter than my preferred height. I understand this sounds bad, but it's the principle. Aren't there hundreds of options? Why would I drive an hour outside the city in rush hour? I also don't like the fact that i have to go out with one guy, give feedback, and only then can i go out with the next guy. It's clearly a delay tactic as there most likely just isn't a lot of inventory. I'm also convinced that they tried to set me up with a felon, I found his arrest record. To be fair- They did try and set me up on a few more dates, as they do have monthly quota dates they need to hit- and many of them I declined or couldn't make. They were all outside of my preferred criteria. Lastly, I also received an email about a class action lawsuit against IJL so this is clearly a common theme. **Do yourself a favor and read the Glassdoor reviews of previous employees that clearly state it is a scam and they're forced to lie to clients. From Glassdoor: "The other reviews are correct, IJL is a scam. They have found a way to take advantage of a vulnerable population, people who are desperate to find love, and suck as much money out of them as possible. Each day I felt like my integrity was being compromised, as I had to convince clients who paid an insane amount of money to go out with people who were outside of their parameters, just so IJL could fulfill their obligation of giving clients one date per month." I wanted a refund, they wouldn't give it to me. It really is a sad business and the fact that they have you sign such an aggressive contract, and have 0 transparency into the pool of matches they have, is a clear testament to their sub-par service. read more

Joined IJL recently and only had to go to one date as it was success right away. The most important thing- it does work!

I found it difficult to meet guys that were serious about finding love on dating apps. IJL makes it easy- only setting us up with people that are just as serious. After two dates, I've already met someone that I'm so excited about. Thanks Alicia and Bri! read more

Buyer be aware! Did not work for me. The associates were nice enough and the planned dates were convenient. What they don't tell you is that they offer an average one date per month. I paid $3300 for 3 months and found that out out 1.5 months in. I would never have signed up. I ended up with 4 dates in 3 months. They did not listen to my feedback. I kept getting offered retired men even after I said I wanted working professionals which is why I joined this service because that's who I thought they represented. After my last date, I still had a few weeks left of membership. Never heard anything from them. Not even an exit interview or thank you. read more

My experience with It's Just Lunch has been totally amazing. The IJL team of Alicia, Briana and Rebecca have great to partner with. Their support and follow-up are high-level. Totally fun and interesting meeting new dates with likeminded vibes. Overall, I highly recommend the service. read more

Friendly and nice people to work with. Experience so far has been good.

It's Just lunch has been terrific so far. I'm in the early going, but Rebecca, in particular, has been very responsive and professional, and has arranged for several dates that I'm really looking forward to. It's an efficient and fun way to go. And a good value for sure, compared to other options. read more

Bri is wonderful and very attentive to what exactly I am looking for. I have had two unsuccessful matches. I know this process takes some time and it does take patience. I had a third match on Friday and waiting to hear back from IJL if there will be a second date. read more

Not personal or client-oriented A money-grubbing service. When I first joined I had a good rapport with the matchmaker, but she left shortly afterward and the next matchmakers did not take the time to get to know me. They set me up with whomever was around and new. I found out the men could join with month-to-month options which were not offered to the women. The idea is to get well-to-do women who can afford the exorbitant sign-up fee. During my second rejoin, they tried to set me up with someone I had gone out with previously. He was a person who continued to pursue me when I was not interested the first time around. So I did not appreciate what seemed like a trap. The service convinced me to join one more time when they knew I was going to move from Washington, DC, to Chicago. It was during the pandemic, and they must have been desperate for new members. They did not fulfill their promises before or after the move. After I moved, they did not call when they said they would, but later claimed they did. They owe me two dates that were never scheduled. I advise you not to trust this service which is not client-oriented. read more

Unfortunately I can't give a good review. I was hopeful to join and meet working professionals. The cost was very high. I was charged $3300 for three months. After two months and only 2 matches I was told one match a month was average. I never would have joined had I known I would be paying $1100 for one date. I was not told that at the start and i assumed 5-6 matches per month. They said it's a numbers game to which I replied you need numbers to play a numbers game. I also found out two dates paid $1600 to join and $100 a month after. As for my dates, I said I was looking for youthful working men, I was matched with men over my requested age range and retired. When I reiterated I thought it was working professionals and not Silver Singles I was called and offered my next match and she started out saying he's retired and after that, I just deleted the message. I don't feel like they have working professionals. At least last night I had my fourth match in the middle of my third month membership so at least my date cost is now down to 825. So if you do want to try this, I suggest lower your expectations and be prepared to spend a lot of money, unfortunately it did not work for me and was an expensive failure Edit: I am honest in my review and feedback. I did not say I wanted to see two of them again. I said we exchanged numbers. All my feedback has been-no chemistry, too old for me. There should be no surprise that I haven't been impressed with the service. The staff I have worked with have been very nice and the restaurant choices fun but frequency and well chosen matches unacceptable read more

So first and foremost - I met my fiancé through IJL - so I can't be too hard on them! My fiancé was my first ever date on IJL. We dated a few times on/off and finally were able to make it work the 3rd time we tried to date! But be prepared to have some really good and really bad matches with IJL. There were definitely times where things clicked with my dates and times when I wondered why my matchmakers had even considered my date for me - so really hit or miss. Also - it was expensive. But for me worth it if I didn't have to weed out creeps from online dating profiles. read more

I have had the best experience with the whole team especially Briana. I have been on many dates through them so far (and in so little time) and we chat after every date and from there, Briana takes into account what worked/what didn't and gives me new dates based on that. I am excited to continue with them and find the one! I am confident I will with them. read more

I highly recommend it's just lunch Brianna is the best. She truly cares as does the rest of the staff from their heart they are not mindless robots like matching Harmony and the rest of them I recommend it's just lunch with five stars across the board. It's a great way to meet new friends and for me I hope one day that friendship will turn into something more. read more

The Staff you work with are extremely knowledgeable. Yes they are good sales people but they encourage you to live the life you deserve. Matches are great. Maybe the first 1 was not your type but there's always a new one waiting. The dates are all set up for you and all the guess work is taken out of it. There's no awkwardness because you both drive to the date and separate checks. It's an adventure and it's fun! Thank you read more

I spent a lot to time discussing what I was looking for with my matchmaker. My matches were not what I was looking for and were very disappointing. My matches were not people looking for relationships, nor had healthy relationship skills. A would not recommend this match making service. It's a waste of your money!! read more

I wish I had checked Yelp before paying for IJL!! I was matched with men not living in Chicago and not in my age preference!! When I talked with my dates, they were not satisfied with the infrequency of matches. I got the feeling I was being matched not for me but for the men!! I felt cheated out any other available men in Chicago. A total waste of my vacation money!! read more

Naomi has been like the perfect best friend when trying to find the best match. Great listener!

IJL has been great ! Working with Bri especially has been a pleasure. I've only had a couple dates so far but they've been with really great guys with the characteristics I mentioned in my initial consultation. Highly recommend ! read more