Matchmaker vs It's Just Lunch

If you're a Chicago professional shopping for a matchmaker, two very different options tend to come up: a national service like It's Just Lunch, or a local, owner-operated firm. Both are real alternatives to the apps. But they work in genuinely different ways, and the right fit depends on what you value most.

We're a local matchmaking firm, so we have a point of view here — but our goal below is a fair comparison, not a takedown. It's Just Lunch is an established service that's introduced a lot of people. The honest question is which model suits you.

Key Takeaways

It's Just Lunch is a national, multi-market service that arranges dates for working professionals; a local matchmaker is an owner-operated firm focused on one region.
The core trade-off is scale and consistency versus deep personal attention and local knowledge.
It's Just Lunch doesn't publish prices and positions itself between dating apps and high-end matchmakers, in its own words.
For Chicago daters who want discretion, hands-on vetting, and someone who personally knows the local pool, a boutique local matchmaker usually has the edge.
Whichever you choose, ask the same questions about vetting, who actually does your matching, and how they know your market.

The short answer

It's Just Lunch is a good fit if you want a recognizable national brand and a streamlined, date-arranging service across many cities. A local matchmaker is the better fit if you want deep personal attention, real local knowledge of the Chicago dating pool, and maximum discretion. Both beat the burnout of the apps — and that burnout is real. A 2020 Pew Research Center study found 45% of online daters came away feeling more frustrated than hopeful.

What It's Just Lunch is

It's Just Lunch is a personalized matchmaking service for working professionals that positions itself, in its own words, as "an enjoyable alternative to apps and online dating." Its matchmakers hold a consultation, select matches, and handle the logistics — you show up at the restaurant for a lunch or after-work date. The company says it has more than three decades of experience and over two million arranged dates across many U.S. markets.

On price, It's Just Lunch is transparent about being deliberately mid-tier: it describes itself as bridging "the price gap between online dating sites and high end millionaire matchmakers." It doesn't publish specific fees on its site, so you'll learn pricing during a consultation. None of that is a knock — it's simply a different model from a boutique firm.

What a local matchmaker is

A local matchmaker is typically an owner-operated firm that works in one region and knows it intimately. At our practice, the same people who interview you are the ones who choose your matches and personally know the singles in our network. There's no hand-off and no central office in another state. That closeness is the entire value proposition.

It also means fewer clients and more attention per client. A local firm lives or dies by its reputation in its own community, which tends to keep the service personal and the vetting careful. If you want to understand what to look for in any firm, our guide to how to choose a matchmaking company lays out the right questions.

The comparison, dimension by dimension

Personal attention

National services are built for consistency across many cities, which can mean a more standardized experience. A local matchmaker offers a smaller caseload and a single team that knows your story start to finish. If you want to feel known rather than processed, the boutique model usually wins.

Local knowledge

This is the biggest practical difference for Chicago daters. A national matchmaker can't know the texture of dating in Evanston versus downtown versus the western suburbs. A local firm does — and that knowledge shapes who you actually meet. Meeting online has become common, but nearly half of people who've tried it come away unhappy: Pew found 46% describe their online-dating experience as negative, in part because volume isn't the same as fit. Local fit is hard to fake.

Vetting and discretion

Both models screen candidates, and you should ask either one exactly how. Where a local firm often pulls ahead is discretion: your search stays inside a small, accountable practice rather than a larger organization. For visible professionals, that privacy can be the deciding factor.

Cost and value

It's Just Lunch positions itself as the mid-tier option, while local boutique matchmaking varies by the depth and length of the search. Neither is "cheap," and that's the point — both replace the hidden cost of the apps: the wasted hours, the flat dinners, and the frustration that drives so many people to quit them. Judge value by cost per quality introduction, not brand name. If you're new to professional matchmaking, you may also want our honest take on whether a matchmaker is worth it.

How to decide

Choose the model that matches what you care about most. Want a known national brand and a simple, repeatable date-arranging service? It's Just Lunch may suit you. Want someone who personally knows you and the Chicago dating pool, keeps things private, and treats your search as their reputation? A local matchmaker is likely the better call.

Either way, ask three questions before you sign anything: Who, specifically, will be choosing my matches? How do you vet the people I'll meet? And how well do you actually know my market? The answers will tell you almost everything.

Frequently asked questions

Is It's Just Lunch a matchmaking service or a dating app?

It's a matchmaking service, not an app. Its matchmakers consult with you, select matches, and arrange the date logistics, positioning the service as an alternative to online dating. You don't browse profiles yourself.

How much does It's Just Lunch cost?

It's Just Lunch doesn't publish its prices and shares them during a consultation. The company describes itself as priced between dating apps and high-end matchmakers, so expect a mid-tier professional fee rather than a budget or ultra-premium one.

Is a local matchmaker better than a national one?

It depends on what you value. A local matchmaker offers deeper personal attention, real knowledge of your regional dating pool, and tighter discretion. A national service offers brand recognition and a consistent process across many cities.

What should I ask before hiring any matchmaker?

Ask who will personally choose your matches, how candidates are vetted, and how well the firm knows your local dating market. Clear, specific answers are a good sign; vague ones are a red flag.

Want to compare us directly to what you've found elsewhere? You can talk with our Chicago team and ask anything — no pressure, no obligation.