Reviving the Loop Lunch Group

As people may or may not have noticed, the Loop Lunch Group fizzled over the summer. The lunches scheduled for both August and September were canceled due to a lack of interest and since then no new events have been organized.

I'm interested in getting feedback about the group. There are other lunch groups on LTH that seem to get 6-10 people every month, and I figure more than enough people work in and around the Loop to drum up that level of interest.

Any ideas about how we can increase interest in the group? I really enjoyed getting together once a month and I'd love to see this group reformed.

Hm. I think it's just the nature of lunch? Sometimes your day goes as planned, and sometimes it's a Sh*t storm. So plan something, and then see if people can go? Did you notice more people attending on Thurs or Fri, in general?

Distance and time are usually my main concerns. Also, there always seems to be something that pops up unexpectedly when the Loop lunch group is scheduled!

i wasn't part of the loop lunch group, and didn't read the posts. but i might be interested in future lunches. i don't work downtown, but can get there by train easily. mondays and fridays are always busy work days for me, but the rest of the week i can be flexible. i guess it'll depend where you pick. i'd only be interested in inexpensive eats and, of course, good conversation. justjoan

leek wrote:Did you notice more people attending on Thurs or Fri, in general?

I didn't notice a difference, though we don't have many data points.

I was wondering if people thought the events were too expensive, too far from where they work, took too long, etc. We could plan events at cheaper places in the heart of the loop, but I'd prefer not to make a change to fix a problem that doesn't exist. I personally don't mind traveling a couple stops on the el for something more noteworthy, but I'd rather get a quick, cheap bite with LTHers in the Loop than nothing at all.

If the issue really was just schedules getting in the way then we can continue just planning events like we did before. But if people were not attending the lunches because of other factors, I'd like to know so we can plan accordingly.

The price ranged a lot, and I think one of the more expensive (Prairie Fire) was one of the best attended. Who knows?

leek wrote:The price ranged a lot, and I think one of the more expensive (Prairie Fire) was one of the best attended. Who knows?

That was an awesome lunch.

In general, Fridays and places with cheap valet will probably attract some of us in the non-Loop. Early after-work events are also usually great; there's been some historical success (in and just outside the Loop) at Purple Pig, Gage, Mercat, Avec, etc. Good luck and Happy New Year!

I miss them and hope someone will plan one soon. I think that it was just bad timing, too much going on during the summer, etc. If someone throws out a few ideas, I'm sure we can come up with a plan that will bring people out. Anyone???

I'll make an extra-special effort to help get the numbers up; my peripatetic existence has me in the Loop sometimes, River North sometimes, here in Evanston sometimes -- every day is different depending on who I'm working for so I usually make lunch plans in the morning (a big reason why my attendance at the Evanston group is so spotty). But I'm all for keeping things going!
>>Brent

I never made it to any but always wanted to. My schedule is very erratic and I am out of town a lot, so I can't be counted on. I am most likely to be able to come if it is relatively central (in theory, a couple of stops on the el is not a big deal, but in reality it is probably the difference between a lunch that goes modestly over an hour and a lunch that takes two hours). Price is less important than schedule to me, though I wouldn't want to spend a lot every time. But realistically, I won't make it every time, I've never made it yet, so best not to plan around me. But if you revive it, I will try to come.

So it seems that schedule is by far the biggest factor. So I guess some months we may be light, but there's enough interest to bring it back.

I'll plan the next one.