Columnist Susan Snyder: Just Lunch serves up singles

Friday, Aug. 6, 2004 | 8:38 a.m.

Making a first date a lunch date gives an easy out when Ms. or Mr. Maybe turns out to be Maybe Not.

"You can always say, 'I've got to go to a meeting,' because you probably do," said Cindy Taylor, owner of It's Just Lunch, a matchmaking service that just opened a Las Vegas office.

Clients of It's Just Lunch sign a 12-month contract that guarantees 16 first dates -- about one every three weeks -- with people who are handpicked for them by the service's workers.

Each date is just lunch or just a drink after work.

The one-year fee is just $1,500.

Which sounds just ridiculous if you're like me. My checkbook just exploded. I just can't imagine wanting a date that badly. But then, a guy who paid $1,500 just to meet me probably wouldn't think a ditty bag o' charms just dropped into his lap, either.

But the service isn't for everyone, Taylor said. In fact, some folks are turned away if their needs and desires can't be met by the clients currently in the service's database. One potential Las Vegas client was only interested in meeting young Jewish women who had never been married. But there weren't enough of them in the database to assure him his 16 dates.

Still, that's not typical -- especially in Las Vegas, Taylor said. The Lake Tahoe-area resident also owns an It's Just Lunch franchise in Portland, Ore., and she said Portland people are pretty picky.

"Vegas people are so open. Very few are particular about race, religion or ages," she said.

Many Las Vegas clients are divorced, with some entering the dating scene for the first time in a long time. And "it's a little bit tougher to meet people" in Las Vegas, Taylor said.

"A lot of them seem to be new here, and they don't have a support system yet," she said.

She was referring to the standard system of parents, relatives and longtime friends through which single people typically can meet other single people.

It's Just Lunch guarantees clients they will meet 16 new people. And about 70 percent of them will go on more than just a first date, Taylor said.

Prospective clients fill out a questionnaire then participate in an interview that lasts about an hour. After the counselor is satisfied that there is a big-enough pool from which to draw matches, the matchmaking begins. All are done by hand, not computer.

Computers, Taylor said, can match similar words but can't determine demeanor or judge body language.

"Eventually, you get to know all your clients. By the time we're finished talking with someone, we probably have three or four clients in mind already," she said.

The service makes reservations at one of several restaurants chosen for their atmosphere, food and service. The wait staff automatically gives first-date diners separate checks, eliminating the who-pays bugaboo.

Another first-date fear is dead air. Taylor suggests keeping a mental list of topics for questions, such as where the person lived before moving to Las Vegas, his or her job and what he or she does for leisure, travel or on weekends.

And for heaven's sake, start the date with a handshake and a smile.

"That takes care of a lot of it," Taylor said.

For information call 436-4600 or log onto www.itsjustlunch.com.