Category: Lunch Actually

Violet Lim on Taipei: From Failure to Reinvention

Posted on September 19, 2025
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LINKEDIN – Violet Lim, CEO & Chief Cupid of Lunch Actually Group, recently reflected on one of her toughest lessons. After early wins in Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong, the 2011 launch in Taipei stumbled. Campaigns that worked elsewhere failed to connect, trust was low, and the board eventually advised closing the office, a painful decision for Violet. A decade later, Lunch Actually returned with a new approach: partnering with local experts and respecting cultural nuances. This time, the difference was dramatic. Taipei is now one of Violet’s proudest turnarounds. Her key lessons: never assume product–market fit, stay confident but avoid complacency, and remember that failure isn’t final.

See full article at LinkedIn

Lunch Actually Has Set up 160K First Dates

Posted on April 10, 2025
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MUST SHARE NEWS – Violet Lim, CEO and co-founder of Singapore-based matchmaking agency Lunch Actually, has spent 21 years in the business, arranging 160K first dates and matching 4,500 couples across five countries. Despite industry challenges and rising competition from dating apps, her agency boasts an 85% satisfaction rate. Lim says success in love isn’t just about data or checklists – mindset, self-awareness, and dating skills matter. With a 60/40 female-to-male client ratio, mismatched expectations and unrealistic standards remain common hurdles. After merging with app Paktor, the agency expanded its reach and added coaching services, but Lim admits: chemistry can’t be engineered.

by Prudence Lim
See full article at Must Share News

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Lunch Actually and Paktor Merge to Lead Asia’s Dating Scene

Posted on September 9, 2024

Violet Lim, Lunch Actually and Alex Tam, PaktorLINKEDIN – Lunch Actually, a prominent matchmaking service in Asia, has merged with Paktor, a leading digital dating platform, to form the Lunch Actually Paktor Group. This merger blends Lunch Actually's 20 years of experience in personal matchmaking with Paktor's expertise in digital dating, aiming to provide singles with a comprehensive approach to finding love across six Asian markets: Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. The new group will combine traditional matchmaking methods with digital innovation, addressing evolving customer needs and dating fatigue.

See full article at LinkedIn

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Younger Singles in Singapore Increasingly Approaching Matchmakers

Posted on February 15, 2024

MatchmakingCHANNEL NEWS ASIA – In Singapore, dating agencies are seeing a rise in demand, particularly from younger singles in their early 20s seeking a more curated approach to finding a partner. Agencies like GaiGai and Lunch Actually have noticed an increase in clients looking for serious relationships, with some even considering marriage. Additionally, there's a growing interest from older singles in their 50s to 70s seeking a second chance at love. The trend towards professional matchmaking is driven by disillusionment with online dating apps and the desire for a safer, more personalized dating experience.

by Marcus Tan & Darrelle Ng
See full article at Channel News Asia

How Dating Apps Master the Art of Marketing Matchmaking

Posted on November 30, 2022

Bumble It started with helloCAMPAIGN – According to Data.ai, dating app global downloads have increased 173% from 293M in the H1 2017 to 799M in the H1 2022. Global consumer spending on dating apps increased 320%, from $643M to $2.7B. "Dating apps give singles 'the paradox of choice' – when we have too many choices, we end up not making any," says Violet Lim, co-founder and CEO of Lunch Actually Group, the largest dating agency in Southeast Asia. Lunch Actually differentiates itself from others by focusing on handpicked matches and real dates rather than casual dating. Other apps, including Coffee Meets Bagel, are entirely dedicated to helping daters find serious relationships. Coffee Meets Bagel continually celebrates their #CMBcouples – couples who have met and formed serious relationships on the app – and this continues to drive word of mouth. Bumble has seen success with campaigns like 'It Starts With Hello' that ran in the Philippines and Singapore. The campaign was driven by the insight that some women might be overwhelmed by the idea of starting the conversation on Bumble, so the campaign encourages them to overcome their hesitation by making it as simple as typing 'hello'.

See full article at Campaign

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Q&A With Violet Lim of Lunch Actually

Posted on November 11, 2021

Lunch Actually Violet LimAUGUSTMAN – Having been in the market for 17 years, Lunch Actually – a dating agency – boasts having highly compatible and a quality list of single people waiting to be paired up. And all of which is done with complete privacy.

Q: How did Lunch Actually come about?
A: I started Lunch Actually with my then-boyfriend-now-husband Jamie Lee in 2004. At the time, I noticed many of my colleagues were single and not dating. It was rather puzzling for me as they were attractive and eligible people; I realised that it is because they were working really long hours. When I came across the concept of lunch dating, I was immediately attracted to the idea because lunch was 'short, sweet and simple'. I decided to quit my job and start a new career as a modern-day matchmaker.

Q: Talk us through the process of getting a date via the agency.
A: First, we will invite potential clients to our office to find out more about their profile and preferences. After that, we will offer them a membership package, and do some ID and background check. Based on their profile and preferences as well as our assessment, we will proceed to find their first match. Once the match is approved by both parties, we arrange the date and book the restaurant. After the date, we will contact both parties again to get their feedback. Our dating packages start from RM2,000 upwards ($1800).

Q: What are some of the main criteria individuals look for in a partner?
A: According to our 2020 Annual Dating Survey, for men age (68%), body type (62%) and religion (35%) are the most important things. Meanwhile the top three qualities for women when it comes to men are: income (66%), age (49%) and education (43%).

Q: How does Lunch Actually standout from other dating agencies or apps?
A: Unlike many local matchmakers who are often a one-man or one-woman service, Lunch Actually to-date has a presence in five countries, 80+ full-time associates and 17 years of matchmaking experience – making us the one of the oldest dating services in Asia, with a proven success record.

by Aaron Pereira
See full article at Augustman

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How Tinder and K-dramas Changed Dating Preferences in Singapore

Posted on March 24, 2021

Lunch actually logo 2019CNA LUXURY – Mar 23 – After 17 years, Lunch Actually is still playing Cupid. Founded in 2004, Lunch Actually is the brainchild of 41-year-old Violet Lim. In her early 20s, Lim was working as a management associate in a bank when she realised that most of her peers, though successful, were single. At the age of 24, Lim took the plunge and left her job to start Lunch Actually together with her now husband, Jamie Lee. To date, it has arranged ~140K dates and matched ~ 4,500 happily married couples. The company has also established offices in Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Thailand. Thanks to dating apps, people have become more open to engaging an external party to help them find love, Lim shared. "The trouble with dating apps is that there are all sorts of characters." Lunch Actually started off as a service to match singles for a lunch date but is now offering coaching services. It launched its own dating app, LunchClick, in 2015 which is meant only for serious daters. Last year, the company also launched the Lunch Actually App, which helps its clients to set up appointments with consultants, view their matches, arrange dates, submit their feedback, and chat with dating coaches. Most recently, the company tapped into livestreaming. Lim has witnessed firsthand the changing preferences of Singaporeans. Interestingly, the Korean drama fever has had some effect. More people now are more concerned about physical appearance. "It could also be a result of Korean dramas, or just TV dramas in general," shared Lim. "Or it could be because of dating apps. On dating apps, the first thing you see is a person's photo."

by Melissa Stewart
See full article at CNA Luxury

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Lunch Actually: Hearts Grow Fonder Amid Covid-19 Isolation

Posted on February 11, 2021

Lunch actually logo 2019BUSINESS TIMES – Feb 10 – "Our Annual Dating Survey in 2020 revealed that the pandemic caused singles to feel a longing for a real, meaningful connection with someone", said Lunch Actually's CEO and co-founder Violet Lim. The shift to virtual consultations and dates required training the matchmaking team and convincing clients to get on board. Revenue fell by nearly half in April during the adjustment period, but quickly bounced back to pre-Covid numbers the following month. The numbers hit an all-time high in Q4 2020. In total, Lunch Actually arranged ~800 virtual dates last year with positive feedback, and Ms Lim believes the company’s digital initiatives could be a breakthrough that will last beyond the pandemic.

by Leila Lai
See full article at Business Times

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Lunch Actually Partners With eCommerce Platform Lazada to Launch Matchmaking Series

Posted on January 19, 2021

Lunch actually logo 2019MARKETING-INTERACTIVE – Jan 18 – Matchmaking company Lunch Actually has partnered with eCommerce platform Lazada to launch a four-part matchmaking series leading up to Valentine's Day. The campaign, titled "Match me if you can", will combine shopping and entertainment, and allows the audience to purchase various Lunch Actually services while being directly involved in interactive content delivered by dating experts through a live streaming on the Lazada platform, LazLive. Lunch Actually and Lazada will feature the journey of two singles who are trying to find a match, and viewers can either follow their dating journey, or submit their own profiles to be match with the featured bachelor and bachelorette. Lunch Actually has been operating for 17 years in five countries in Asia, including Singapore.

by Grace Ong
See full article at Marketing-Interactive

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Founder of Lunch Actually Debunks Story of Disappointed Client

Posted on September 16, 2020

Lunch actually icon linkedinTHE INDEPENDENT – Sep 15 – A 49-year-old lady was unhappy with her 59-year-old blind date, since he did not live up to the hype she'd been told about him. When she expressed her dissatisfaction, Lunch Actually, the matchmaking services she hired, reportedly refused to give her a refund. Violet Lim, who founded Lunch Actually with her husband, Jamie, has taken to Facebook to set the record straight. She wrote that her client did not reject the match proposed, and that he was within the age range that she preferred. Ms Lim also refuted a few statements her client made. Ms Lim's main regret in this situation is that it has reached the media, and that her client made many hurtful comments about her match. Ms Lim said that the company will "fight on towards our big hairy audacious goal of 1M happy marriages."

by Anna Maria Romero
See full article at The Independent

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