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

Quick note: If you can’t make it down to South Bay for the Lunch 2.0 @ Plaxo, then check out the Lunch 2.0-inspired, SF Lunch .NET 3.X down at Mastrelli’s Delicatessen in the Ferry building, right next to where Microsoft hosted Lunch 2.0 last month

Seattle

Joshua Maher is kicking ass and taking names with the Lunch 2.0’s in Seattle. The next one is at Cardomain

When: Wednesday, September 12th, 11:30AM-1PM
Where: CarDomain Network, Inc., 1633 Westlake Avenue North, Suite 100, Seattle
RSVP upcoming page

Yes, I know it’s filled up already! Don’t be left out again and check out the seattle.lunch20.com, especially thier upcoming events page which is showing two more. One on September 21st and another on October 12th!

Los Angeles

Did I forget to mention that Lunch 2.0 is officially starting up in L.A.? Their first event is going to be at ThisNext on September 7th, right after Burning Man.

When: Friday, September 7th, 12:05PM-
Where: ThisNext, 1409 3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica
RSVP on Mixergy

There are already 40 people RSVP’d including some very recognizable names. Like Lunch 2.0 elsewhere—it’s a free lunch. So tell all your SoCal friends about it and help Lunch 2.0 LA grow organically…even if we can’t always eat organically.

Also today, hot on the heels of her success at Twiistup 2, Lunch 2.0 L.A. co-organizer, heathervescent, is hosting an her L.A. Geek dinner C & O Cucina in Marina del Rey.

New York City

Brett Petersel has contacted us about getting Lunch 2.0 in the other Silicon *ly: Silicon Alley in New York City. I guess running Web 2.0 Meetup NYC wasn’t enough.

If you’re interested in helping, hosting, or just attending, contact him: info [at] this site and the soon to be launched LunchNYC.com!

Bangalore, India

Speaking of new websites, what’s Oota 2.0?

Bangalore. The Silicon Valley of India.

Rana Singh and Aakash Mandhar inform us that they’ve started a Lunch 2.0 LAN (Lunch Area Network) there, but put a spin on it calling it “Oota 2.0.” I heard it means “lunch” or something in a language other than English. Check out or contact them: rana.singh [at] this site or aakash.mandhar [at] this site, or their blog.

Atlanta

Ben Ramsey, PHP community manager and Atlanta native thinks it’s B.S. that there isn’t one on the south…

answer his question on LinkedIn or contact him: ben [at] this site.

Your area?

The other day I was trying to figure out our Lunch 2.0 mission statement when I happened across one of the first e-mails Mark sent to a couple friends:

Hey Joyce and Adam [of Renkoo], we weren’t kidding about Lunch 2.0. We already bought the domain name. Want to be admins on our community blog? The idea is that we’ll announce where we’re hitting up for lunch and invite people to come along. Then afterwards we’ll post pictures, etc. It’ll be great.

That’s basically our winning formula:

1. Hit some place up for lunch
2. Invite people to come along
3. Afterwards, take pictures, blog about it, etc.

If you meet someone from an area that is starting up a Lunch 2.0 refer them to the people above. Interested in starting one in your area? Contact Mark and me.

Mark was right: “It’ll be great.”

It was… and is… and will be.