We tried the app that brings strangers together for dinner in Denver
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Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
A new app is bringing people together for Wednesday night dinner dates around Denver.
Why it matters: Making new friends as an adult can be tough, especially in our digital age. Building new connections is crucial to our well-being.
The big picture: The Timeleft app aims to tackle "big-city loneliness" one meal at a time in almost 50 countries.
- It launched in the U.S. in April and has since expanded to 35 cities, including Denver, where it arrived in late June.
How it works: When you sign up, Timeleft asks questions about your job, personality, lifestyle and dietary preferences to match you with a group of five compatible diners.
- Dinners take place Wednesdays at 7pm, and you have the option of picking a restaurant around Capitol Hill/Cheesman/City Park or Highland/RiNo/LoDo.
- To help kick off the conversation, the app unlocks an icebreaker game once the date begins.
The intrigue: You don't know who you're meeting until the night before when the app reveals your dining partners' industries and zodiac signs. The location is shared the morning of the dinner.
- Multiple TimeLeft groups meet at various restaurants across the city. After dinner, the app reveals a bar where everyone using the app that night can join for an after-party, allowing you to meet even more strangers.
If you go: It costs $16 to book a one-night dinner. Subscriptions are also available.
My experience: I met my assigned group for dinner at Blue Agave on the 16th Street Mall and was quickly comforted by how easily the conversation flowed. (Margaritas helped.)
- Everyone at the table was in their 30s and worked in different industries, which made chatting really interesting — so much so, we didn't have to use the app's icebreakers.
- Post-dinner, we went to the after-party at Honor Farm Haunted Spirit House, where I had a lot of fun meeting other Timeleft users and hearing how their night went.
What's next: One of my tablemates invited me and my husband on a double date with his wife, which we've scheduled for next week!
The bottom line: Timeleft was a fun way to meet new people and step out of my comfort zone. I'd definitely recommend it and do it again.