Making friends as an adult is notoriously difficult, even in a place like Manhattan. “I was having a hard time meeting people and building community, and I found myself eating alone quite often,” explains Laurel Chiten. “I walked into a restaurant one day and I had a vision: what if we filled this dinner table with community members every Wednesday night, and then replicated this in all kinds of neighborhoods around the world?”
A former filmmaker, Chiten decided to make a professional pivot and founded Friends with Forks (previously called Dinner Mates), a members-only club that brings people together around food. After its initial success in New York, the club (along with Chiten, her dog, and her bicycle) moved to Portland during the pandemic. A brief post on NextDoor created buzz around the club, which quickly amassed an extensive wait list.
Today, Friends with Forks members meet once or twice a month, either at a host’s house or at a local restaurant, to cultivate connections—often with a theme like a murder mystery dinner or oyster bar and art demonstration. “There’s no other organization that simultaneously brings people together over food, supports local venues, and helps our whole community grow stronger,” says Chiten. “I made films because I wanted to connect people,” she explains. “Now, I’m doing that with these unique food experiences.”
Learn more at friendswithforks.com.
“There’s no other organization that simultaneously brings people together over food, supports local venues, and helps our whole community grow stronger."