Dating industry goes virtual as pandemic continues – KRQE News 13

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Companies are setting up virtual dates for singles to meet during the coronavirus pandemic. With social distancing in place, traditional dates like taking someone to dinner, aren’t happening much anymore.

“It definitely has impacted of course the business aspect of things and it’s definitely impacted how people are meeting,” said Sandra Hatton, Vice President of Sales for matchmaking service, It’s Just Lunch. “Luckily and thankfully, it really has still allowed people the opportunity to connect.”

It’s Just Lunch operates in select cities in the U.S. and around the world, including in Albuquerque. Hatton says they had to think quickly when restaurants started closing and started setting their clients up on ‘virtual dates’ instead.

“Obviously, virtual dating was the first for that, what can we do, how can we do that, so just like you and I are talking on Zoom, we began immediately setting up Zoom dates,” said Hatton. “It has impacted the way in which people are meeting but we haven’t really changed our processes and how we’re connecting people and what we’re connecting them on.”

Hatton says it’s been a learning curve since the coronavirus spread and public health orders were put in place. For It’s Just Lunch, business has actually picked up as the quarantine extends.

“I think we definitely saw more people reaching out a few weeks to a month into quarantine because at first they were thinking, this isn’t going
Source…