The dinner club with a twist
Making friends and building community over food is the core mission of Dinner Mates.
It is never just about the food, but about sharing meals together, being part of a community and creating sustainable and lasting connections with new friends.
Monthly Events in Restaurants
Premium private prix fixe dining event at a new venue every month. We take over the whole restaurant so we have the space to ourselves!
Events in private homes
Wine tasting, gourmet pot lucks, crêpes parties, craft cocktail happy hours, sushi making parties, high tea and more!
Join the Community
Be connected to each other and become part of the local and global Dinner Mates Community.
Grow with us
Get in on the ground floor and help build a membership that you love.
Locked in price
You are locked in at this low price as long as you stay an active member.
Say goodbye to eating alone!
With Dinner Mates Club, you will always find people to eat with.
The joy of sharing a meal
Whether you prefer to stay in your neighborhood or explore other areas, you can always reach out to other members and share a meal with them. No longer do you have to sit at the bar alone looking at your mobile phone.
Who is Dinner Mates Club for?
This is for you if you...
Are new to town and want to meet people
Want to try out that new restaurant on the corner but don't want to go by yourself
Are a foodie
Miss throwing dinner parties
Are hungry for some spicy conversation with like minded folk
Love being a part of building something amazing
Want to make a difference
Meet your Founder!
Laurel Chiten
Founder
Laurel Chiten was an award winning independent filmmaker for over 30 years (Blind Dog Films). She was also a foodie and lived in Manhattan.
One summer day in 2019, she walked into a restaurant around from where she lived, and had a vision of people in her neighborhood sitting around a table eating together.
That was it! The idea of Dinner Mates was born! She dropped her film career, made a 180 degree turn to make this dream come to life. It took off like a rocket.
But when the pandemic hit, Dinner Mates took a pause. During the pandemic Laurel moved to Portland ME and started up Dinner Mates again.
Dinner Mates was created to bring people together, to make a difference in our personal lives, and our world.
Our mission is: Break Bread, Make Friends, Build Community.
One meal at a time.
Here's some of what you get as a Member
Invitation to prix fixe event each month
Members are invited to a premium private dining event at a restaurant every month. We take over the whole restaurant so we have the space to ourselves!
A taste of some of the events we have had so far: Broken Arrow in Portland, Rubys in Portland, Broad Arrow Farm in Bristol, Dara Bistro in Cumberland, Lucky Cruise and Lobster Company in Peaks (a cruise with a lobster bake), etc.
Host your own event!
As a member you can set up your own event in your home. Crêpe parties, high tea, craft cocktail making parties, and gourmet dinner parties. Anything you want to do around food gatherings, we will support. The sky is the limit.
Dinner Mates platform will do all the ticketing and the administration details for you. All you have to do is enjoy being a host.
Access to the exclusive member site
Once you sign up as a member, you will be given access to the member only part of our website where you can purchase tickets, and learn about other activities and information. Site will be updated frequently.
Connect with the community via our private app
We are partnering with a company who has created a social app designed for building community engagement. Once you join you invited to create your own profile and easily connect with other members.
COMING SOON!
Create impact
Want to create foodie events to raise money for your favorite charity? Many events are set up to collect donations. Want to focus on discussing a particular topic or raise awareness about a cause? You can design your own small private events.
BONUS: Surprise pop up events!
Portland is a foodie town filled with great restaurants and eating activities. You just never know what exciting event might be added to the calendar at the last minute. Well... just for fun!
Everything you get today!
$195/year
FAQ
No. Tickets to our events, which cover the prix fixe cost of the meals, are not included in the price of membership.
The cost of the meal is determined by the individual venues. All the money for the meals goes directly to the restaurant. Dinner Mates only takes a small admin and processing fee.
Yes! You can always cancel, no questions asked. Your membership will automatically cancel after the year is over.
Once you sign up, you will be invited into the private membership site. You can manage your membership there, including cancellation, changing your password, address, etc.
Of course! You are always welcome to rejoin, but the price will be higher.
No! Most people come alone and find it an inclusive atmosphere and easy to get into a lively conversation. The mission of Dinner Mates is to create a comfortable space for members to make new friends while sharing a meal.
No. You now have to be a member in good standing to sign up for any event. However, members are allowed to bring up to 2 people as their guests with an additional fee.
Yes! Members are allowed to bring guests to our events, however, only members are able to purchase tickets to events. Guests cannot attend events unaccompanied by a member and guests must pay an additional surplus charge.
The ticket price for our restaurant events range from around $45.00 to $90.00 depending on the event. Price includes all taxes and gratuity.
The price for the home hosted events is around $20.00-$40.00 depending on the event.
Sometimes the restaurants will include wine or cocktails pairing a separate add on. You can always order drinks as a separate fee paid directly to the restaurant.
Great question! We are going to do our best to accommodate all members for the restaurant events. If we fill up quickly, we will try to add a second seating. Plus, we always have a waiting list if we get cancellations.
If the demand is there, if we continue to grow we will add more events.
Every restaurant tries to accommodate dietary needs, but it depends on the restaurant. ie: If it is a seafood restaurant, it is hard to offer vegan options.
We partner with restaurants that are either 1) well-established and have garnered great press, 2) newly opened and we have tested them ourselves, or 3) come highly recommended by members!
We try to include a variety of different culinary styles, venues, and locations.