Whether you’ve moved to a new city or find yourself traveling alone, not everyone is comfortable rolling up to a restaurant and asking for a reservation for one. Timeleft has sought to solve this social anxiety by helping participants connect over dinners organized in cities around the world. Each Wednesday, participants can opt in and be assigned to a group. The platform promises an invitation to meet several others, but there is no guarantee who will actually arrive. Only two other participants showed up at the dinner that I attended.
The dinners themselves aren’t hosted or guided, but Timeleft has developed an app that provides a series of icebreakers to keep conversation rolling should discussion run dry. Our small group didn’t rely on the prompts until toward the end of the meal. Prior to participating in the dinner, we answered a brief set of questions, including dietary preferences and budget, before being sent the list of the other attendees a few days before the event. Our small group wondered if we had selected different answers how this might have impacted the experience.
Additionally, Timeleft doesn’t reveal the restaurant’s name or location until the morning of the dinner event. This calls for a bit of flexibility, yet also contributes to some excitement about the social experience. For those with nerves, Timeleft offers a list of tips for participants to consider before, during, and after the dinner to increase the chances of a safe and fun experience.
In search of connection over dinner
Co-founder and CEO Maxime Barbier told Max Branstetter that a big appeal of Timeleft is the expansiveness and reach in terms of location of the dinners and the age of the participants attending. At my dinner, our all-female roster was comparable in terms of age and occupation. Timeleft provided testimonials, however, including one from a traveler to New York who made friends and another event in which participants forged relationships that led to planned vacations. “I think everything worked because we were all there with open minds and open hearts, looking for new experiences, and that’s exactly what we found,” said one guest. The company is clear that Timleft is not meant to be a dating platform.
After dinner, participants can connect through the Timeleft app or choose to exchange information in person. I’ve kept in touch with both attendees from my dinner, but have not attended another Timeleft experience. While there is no set price for a Timeleft ticket (it varies according to location), options include paying for a one-off event or signing up for a subscription service that allows you to secure spaces at weekly dinners. At the venue, participants are then responsible for paying for their own meals and drinks, which will require some negotiation regarding splitting the bill. Yet if you are tired of hosting dinners at home or are looking for a unique way to make new friends, attending a Timeleft dinner can be a fun alternative to explore.
