Lunch 2.0

We’ve been having some great Lunch 2.0’s here in the Bay Area recently. It’s gotten to the point where some have been wondering how we make money. The answer is, we don’t and as the V.C. of Lunch 2.0 (a.k.a. person who plunked down $5 for the domain name), I don’t want you giving any of the other founders any ideas. As far as they’re concerned, they’d consider it a roaring success if they’d just got a free meal out of it, and I’d like to keep it that way. (I’ve studied venture capitalism and as near as I can figure, the key to success is to keep your companies running at a loss until they sell out.)

Sometimes, living in the Valley, you forget that there is a world outside our little bubble. So since we’ve been hearing some rumblings about Lunch 2.0’s spreading organically around the country, we decided to take a look. (I hope in the future they’d stop stealthing these kick-a— events and keep us up-to-date about these things by cross-posting on this blog.)

New York City

First, Brett Petersel of Lunch 2.0 NYC has managed to score the first Lunch 2.0 in the Big Apple at the Ladders on October 16th. Nice complement to our hit in The Wall Street Journal. I’m going to invite everyone I know in NYC and you should too.

D.C.

I also see that Lunch 2.0 is starting up in our nation’s capitol going so far as to schedule an event on Facebook for October 17.

Oh yeah, FamilyOven is going off to that area. After the clever success of their Lunch 2.0 this week, I’m really bummed. Just when I thought the food at L2.0’s was getting better. (Note to self: a little Piazza Pellegrini risotto and a chefs hat can’t absorb the effects of a few ice cold Moretti beers on a hot roof.)

Los Angeles

If it isn’t obvious by now, Nicole Jordan reminds us that Silicon Valley is not the only place with geeks. She describes the Lunch 2.0 Los Angeles debut where over 200 people showed up! They’ve already scheduled their next Lunch 2.0 at Yellowbot.com in Burbank on October 12th.

Boston

Well, there is no Lunch 2.0 yet in Boston, despite hoping it’ll come true. But they have their own version: tastybytes!

Now, I’m not a big fan of their logo (it’s what, the 70’s?), but I’m a big fan of their idea (free lunch in Beantown). Go, tastybytes! Hope to be seeing another event in October!

Hmm…

I see we haven’t gotten better at dating ourselves in the last thirty years. (Thanks Web2.0V2 Logo Creatr.)

Seattle

Well, maybe we have.

Seattle Lunch 2.0 really has their stuff together, right down to a new logo.

All we can manage in SV is sneaking watermelons into places. Ouch!

As if that isn’t enough, he points out they will have their next Lunch 2.0 at Widemile and looking at their Upcoming events schedule, I see they’re booked up until 2008! Double ouch!

I wonder who that special east side host is in November? These guys? Are you sh—ing’ me? Do you know how long Mark and I have been working at an official invite from them…like ever since he got fired. Triple ouch!

That, as they say, is a Lunch 2.0 T.K.O.

Back in the Bay

If you’d like to host a Lunch 2.0 in the Bay Area, just e-mail Mark, me, Dave or Joseph. We’d love to eat your lunch! (I promise in the future, I’ll try to get some L2.0’s scheduled and not look so bad.) Follow us on Twitter. Hmm, twitter. Those guys really needs to host a Lunch 2.0

Upcoming Lunch 2.0s:

• Tuesday, October 9- H2.0 ZendCon, Burlingame, San Francisco
• Friday, October 12- Widemille, Seattle
• Friday, October 12- YellowBot, Burbank, Los Angeles
• Tuesday, October 16- The Ladders, New York City
• Wednesday, October 17- Lunch 2.0 D.C., Washington, D.C.
• Friday, October 19- TBA, Redwood City, Silicon Valley
• Monday, October 22- Oracle, Redwood City, Silicon Valley
• Friday, November 9 TBA, Kirkland, Seattle
• December TBA, Waterfront, Seattle
• Wednesday, December 12 TBA, Palo Alto, Silicon Valley
• Friday, January 18 TBA, Seattle