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If you ’ve been feeling lonely over the past few years , you ’re not alone . According to a 2023 report from the U.S. sawbones general , about half of U.S. adults reported feeling lonely , even before the COVID-19 pandemic . The report warns that solitariness and isolation can lead to physical consequences , such as a 29 % increased endangerment of heart disease and a 32 % increase risk of chance event .
A new app calledBuffetis direct to address the loneliness epidemic by helping user meet new citizenry by quickly matching them with a person and a situation to meet up ( think Tinder + OpenTable ) . The app is project to slay the barriers and hassles that come with meeting newfangled hoi polloi and then trying to find a place to hang out . Buffet aims to help users suffer likeminded individuals , whether they ’re looking for a new friend , romantic partner or gym buddy .
At launching , Buffet is uncommitted in Los Angeles , with expansions planned for additional cities after this class , jump with New York City .
The app is the inspiration of Buffet CEO Rich Hacking and COO Sean Emery . The pair worked as fiscal analysts before starting Buffet and come up with the idea for the app while they were on a business trip in Dubai .
“ We go discombobulate this idea around , and recollect , hey , there ’s something there , ” Hacking narrate TechCrunch . “ We learn the loneliness epidemic and saw that the market was in penury of something new . The monolithic incumbents have lack innovation in the last tenner . There was an obvious key opportunity for disruption . So we put one foot in front of the other and initiate building Buffet . ”
To get commence with Buffet , users enter five of their interests , such as motorcycles , horseback equitation or version . The app then ask a series of five questions to get a better understanding of their personality and what kinds of place and masses they would be interested in .
Buffet ’s algorithm then pairs users . If interested , they can institutionalize an invite to the person they ’re matched with ; the matched pair can then message each other via the app to decide on a metre and date to meet . Buffet is designed to allow people to do most of the talking and getting - to - bang - each - other in - person . Buffet encourages people to go beyond a chatbox and digital communication and actually run into up in the literal world .
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If there ’s a peer with someone , but the app - suggested meeting place is n’t a good match , exploiter can choose from a lean of other places that might be more interesting . And if users are n’t concerned in their peer partners , they can freshen up and get matched with someone else .
Buffet ’s prey demographic is people who have been affect by the loneliness epidemic the most : 18- to 25 - year - olds . The app also want to point unseasoned master in the recent to early 30s . Hacking conceive that if Buffet can gain ground over the middling 25 - year - old female professional , it can bring home the bacon over anyone .
“ The app will be free to use for the foreseeable future , ” Hacking say . “ We want to win over users . We want to ramp up trustingness and right now , when you read the market , people are frustrated with all of the paywalls . ”
In terms of the app ’s business model , Buffet will leverage advertising . The company plans to build up an in - app community meeting place where local business enterprise would be able to publicise directly to exploiter and promote felicitous hours and other discounts .
The app is presently only available oniOS , but the troupe be after to set in motion an Android app in the future .
