Lunch Actually

Company Profile — Lunch Actually

Violet Lim is CEO and co-founder of Lunch Actually, a Singapore matchmaking agency.  Revolving around the concept of lunch dating, Lunch Actually started off in 2004 as a service to match singles for a lunch date. Today, its offerings have expanded to include date coaching and image consultations as well as its own dating app, LunchClick.

Origins and Evolution

Working in a bank after graduation, Lim observed that many of her eligible colleagues were single and not dating due to long hours at work and busy schedules. She came across the concept of lunch dating during a trip to Japan. Recognizing that it could work for busy professionals, Lim grasped the business opportunity and co-founded Lunch Actually in 2004 together with her then-boyfriend, now-husband.

The service quickly found traction among working professionals, and the following year, the company started expanding its presence in the region, setting up an office in Kuala Lumpur. Offices in Hong Kong, Thailand, and Indonesia were set up subsequently.

Between 2010 and 2012, Lunch Actually increased its offerings and services. It started organizing singles events, as well as launching date coaching and image consulting services, creating a one-stop platform to learn tips on dating, getting matched, and going on dates.

In 2015, it acquired MeetnLunch, Thailand’s largest dating agency, and launched LunchClick, a dating app for serious singles.

Bolstered by an increased yearning for interpersonal connections during the pandemic amid isolation, the company successfully pivoted from providing physical, 1-1 services to virtual consultations, coaching sessions, webinars and dates.

Most recently, in 2022, it has expanded its presence to Taiwan, in collaboration with Aimm, a Taiwan-based match-making agency.

Corporate culture and vision

In keeping with its matchmaking identity, Lunch Actually’s vision is to be the world’s most effective dating service connecting eligible singles in a caring, comfortable, and convenient manner.

To achieve this, Lunch Actually has dabbled in various ventures, in its efforts to reach out to more singles of varying interests and predispositions. For example, the female-centric mobile dating app LunchClick was launched to cater to women looking for serious relationships. A personalized coaching academy, Lunch Actually Academy, was founded to coach singles on the art of dating, under the tutelage of professional date coaches and certified image consultants.

Innovation is also at the heart of their vision, with plans to release an online love advisor that promises to marry AI and blockchain technologies to help singles as well as attached and married couples level up their relationship game. Other novel approaches include collaborating with e-commerce platform Lazada’s livestreaming service to raise awareness of their brand.

Awards and Honours

Not only was Lim the first Asian to be certified by the Matchmaking Institute in New York City in 2004, she presently sits on its Professional Advisory Committee, lending a steady presence in upholding quality control and a code of ethics in the matchmaking industry. Concurrently, she is executive director of the South-east Asia branch of Matchmaking Institute.

Lim was also a Winner at Women Entrepreneur Award 2017 in Singapore, for demonstrating outstanding entrepreneurial qualities.

In 2022, Lunch Actually hosted Global Love Conference 2022, in partnership with Global Love Institute (formerly known as the Matchmaking Institute) and Social Development Network (SDN), further cementing Lunch Actually’s position as one of the pioneers and industry leaders in the region.

Lim is also widely featured in traditional and social media, both locally and internationally.

Did You Know?

As of May 2021, Lunch Actually has successfully matched more than 4,500 married couples and arranged more than 150,000 dates, including 800 virtual ones. Its aim is to successfully match 1 million married couples.

References

Lim, Violet. (2022, n.d.). “Violet Lim”. https://sg.linkedin.com/in/violetlim

Tech Collective. (2022, March 8). “We discuss the evolution of matchmaking with Violet Lim”. https://techcollectivesea.com/2022/03/08/matchmaking-lunch-actually-violet-lim/

Time Auction. (2017, n.d.). “Meet Violet Lim, Co-founder and CEO of Lunch Actually Group”. https://timeauction.org/en/auctions/162-meet-violet-lim-co-founder-and-ceo-of-lunch-actually-group-violet-lim

Stewart, Melissa. (2021, May 27). “How Tinder and K-dramas changed dating preferences in Singapore” https://www.channelnewsasia.com/people/violet-lim-lunch-actually-matchmaking-singapore-1923331

Lunch Actually Group. (2022, n.d.). “Company Story”. https://www.lunchactually.com/sg/about-us/company-story/

Matchmaking Institute. (2022, n.d.). “Advisors”. https://matchmakinginstitute.com/home/advisors/

Ong, Grace. (2021, Jan 18). “Dating firm Lunch Actually taps on Lazada’s livestreaming prowess ahead of Valentine’s Day”. https://www.marketing-interactive.com/dating-firm-lunch-actually-taps-on-lazada-s-livestreaming-prowess-ahead-of-valentines-day

Lunch Actually. (2022, July 18). “Asia’s Leading Lunch-Dating Company Lunch Actually and Global Love Institute to Host the World’s Largest Dating & Matchmaking Conference on 18 July 2022 in Singapore”. https://en.prnasia.com/releases/apac/asia-s-leading-lunch-dating-company-lunch-actually-and-global-love-institute-to-host-the-world-s-largest-dating-matchmaking-conference-on-18-july-2022-in-singapore-368576.shtml