Lunch Date Review [Best Cleveland Matchmaker For You?]

Lunch Date is a Cleveland-based matchmaking service founded by Mike Green in 1995. Packages start around $595 for 6-8 dates with contracts spanning 6 months to 1 year. The service has a 4.7-star Yelp rating (3 reviews, all from 2015-2016) and an A+ BBB rating with one complaint. Green claims to have helped 200+ couples marry over his 28-year career.

If you’re considering hiring a Cleveland matchmaker, it’s no surprise Mike Green and Lunch Date are on your list of services to check out. Green has been helping Ohio singles for over 25 years.

But is his matchmaking service the best fit for you? This Lunch Date review will help you decide! 

Disclaimer: This review was researched and written by VIDA Select's editorial team to help singles determine the right service for their needs and goals. As a matchmaking service ourselves, we bring a unique industry perspective. Our insights come from 17+ years of matchmaking experience, writing 200+ matchmaking service reviews, analyzing public information including reviews on reputable platforms, and feedback from clients who used other services before hiring VIDA. While this review is updated regularly, it may not reflect the latest public data or current pricing.

Mike Green has been a professional matchmaker for over 28 years, offering personalized services to singles in Cleveland, Akron, and throughout Northeast Ohio. Prior to founding Lunch Date in 1995, he worked in medical sales. 

A graduate of Ohio State University with a degree in marketing, Green also helps other entrepreneurs launch their own matchmaking business, using Lunch Date as a model.

Over the years, Green says he has helped more than 200 couples meet and get married.

Lunch Date (not to be confused with LunchDates, a Boston-based matchmaking service), is headquartered in Cleveland with a mailing address on Wilson Mills Rd.

Catering to single professionals, the Lunch Date team works with singles from their mid 20s to early 70s. The process starts by calling them directly or filling out a contact request via the website.

If you decide to purchase a matchmaking package after your initial consultation, you’ll meet with Green to compile your database profile. You’ll also discuss your lifestyle, perfect match criteria, relationship goals, etc.

Green will then pair you with Ohio singles from his database, sending you an overview of each potential match. Whenever there’s mutual interest in meeting, he’ll arrange a casual date for drinks, coffee, or lunch.

After the date, there will be an opportunity to check in and offer feedback. 

Lunch Date offers a range of matchmaking packages, including 6 and 8 date options. Packages start around $595, and you’ll have the option to purchase additional dates if needed. You can also renew your contract for around $395.

Contracts typically span 6 months to 1 year.

Lunch Date sometimes provides limited time specials on their membership plans, such as a 4-date package, unlimited dates for 6 months or 1 year, or a buy one/get 50% off a second membership.

These types of specials only pop up sporadically, so keep an eye on their website for any new deals that pop up throughout the year.

Next, let’s take a look at what clients are saying about their experience with Cleveland matchmaker Mike Green.

Let's take a look at what clients have to say about their experience.

Yelp Reviews

Lunch Date has been reviewed a handful of times on yelp, resulting in a 4.7 out of 5-star rating.

All three of the reviews are from 2015 and 2016.

Two of the reviews give Lunch Date 5-stars. Both reviewers praise Mike Green’s sincerity, quality of matches, and his approach to getting to know his clients:

The other reviewer gives Lunch Date a 4-star rating, saying he was in a relationship as a result of using the service:

BBB Reviews

Lunch Date has several locations listed with the BBB, with one complaint listed for the Euclid location. 

In her Lunch Date complaint, the client mentioned being set up with men who did not match her specified criteria:

There were several back and forth responses between Green and the client, culminating in this response from Lunch Date:

There are no BBB reviews for Lunch Date, and overall the company has an A+ rating.

When debating which matchmaking service to hire, one of the biggest factors to consider is where the people you’ll be meeting come from.

In the case of Lunch Date and other boutique services, you’ll be meeting other clients and singles from the company’s database. 

And while it’s entirely possible your perfect partner ended up choosing the same service you did, it’s worth keeping in mind that compatibility has to flow in both directions for a pairing to have potential.

That’s why it’s difficult - if not impossible - for any matchmaker to make consistently high matches from within a limited database in any one geographic area. The number of people required to do that simply isn’t there from a statistical standpoint. 

This is why one of the most common complaints in the matchmaking industry is meeting people who leave you wondering why they were chosen as a match. It’s often because you were matched with whomever was available, not someone who fit what you’re looking for and vice versa.

Some matchmaking services overcome this obstacle by actively scouting for compatible candidates beyond an internal Rolodex, but often charge a premium for the extra level of service. 

But VIDA Select doesn’t. In fact, VIDA’s modern approach to matchmaking leverages the single largest source of Ohio singles there is. And that means you can look forward to dates with singles who check all your boxes - and who are excited to meet you, too!

Why not see if VIDA is the right matchmaking for you? Get started here!