JANESVILLE For adults looking to make new friends, the answer might be as simple as sitting down at the dinner table at a local restaurant with five strangers.
Thats the idea behind Localish Janesvilles Dinner Club, a monthly event that uses a personality survey to match participants with others for a meal at a locally owned restaurant, giving people a chance to connect with each other.
Katie Myers, the founder of Localish Media, said she got inspired when she became a local social media content creator. Myers saw she had 80 million views 50 million of which were for videos shed made about happenings in the community.
Myers noticed people wanted to support local businesses, but they didnt know how.
Her idea for Localish Janesville was to act as a digital Main Street for people to learn about all the great things happening in the city.
Myers focus is to help people get involved in the community by supporting local small businesses. She doesnt plan to host events at chain restaurants.
Its about connection, and Im super passionate as a small business owner about supporting the small businesses in our community, she said. I just think this is such a great way for people to get out, support small businesses
Myers Localish Janesville operates through a national software company that runs the dinner club project. It allows people to sign up for $16.
The dinner club presents entrants with a brief self-survey. On the day of their dinner club event, entrants receive a text message with the location of their dinner. They dine with five other people that share their table. Dinner partners are matched up based on the survey. Usually, age, food and dinner preferences are the main factors in the quiz.
Afterward, people receive a text for an optional after party where each group can come by and mingle.
Myers said within the first four months, Localish diners had spent more than $6,000 at Janesville restaurants.
Myers said she has seen friendships form out of the dining events, with some people exchanging numbers or attending multiple events. She said its encompassed a diverse group.
We have people from their 20s to their 70s, and most of the people that have signed up have said that theyre looking for friendships, she said. So I think it also really shows that people are looking for that connection and to meet new people.
Alongside the monthly dinner club, Myers said she is offering two other events in the coming months a singles night in October and a Moms event in November.
Myers has heard a from people who say it can be hard to date in Janesville because its difficult to meet people. Some moms have told her its hard to find other moms in a casual setting.
Weve seen a lot of the people that come to the dinner club work from home, she said. Ive had women show up that say, Im a widow, I lost my husband, and Im trying to get out. Its for everybody and anybody, and the conversations usually flow. Its just been so fun to watch.
Myers said even if people are not having a good time, the stakes are low. Its just an hour of their night.
She thinks Localish helps bring more community spaces to what she sees as an increasingly disconnected world.
People still crave interaction, Myers said. How do you meet people as an adult, especially if you dont have children, or your children are grown or you dont work in an office.
Myers said when she moved to Janesville in 2020, it was the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. She became active on social media but was afraid that in-person interactions would never happen again. So she wants to encourage people to make more connections with others.
I never want to take the in-person things for granted again, she said.
The next event is Oct. 15. More information can be found at the website: