Foodies + New Friends: Rockford | Dinner Benefits for The Water Project at Restaurant of the Week – Rockford, IL

Meet new friends in the city over dinner with both men and women looking for meaningful connections. When was the last time you did something completely spontaneous? Our series groups together complete strangers for a fun night out. That's right, you sign up, and we book the restaurant. We know life can get busy. Don't forget to spend time making new friends! This project is to host dinners to combat loneliness while supporting locally owned businesses.

More Than a Meetup Giving back to others is a core part of our business philosophy, and one way we give back is by making a monthly donations to The Water Project. Read more about their mission and join us in giving at thewaterproject.org. We are proud to support international cleanwateraccess through our donations.

Each dinner is held at a different restaurant. These dinners are not directly associated with the restaurants, but are simply based on a table reservation. The pin on the map is not the location but a placeholder on Eventbrite. Locations are discussed with registrants. Feel free to reach out prior to signing up to see about number of signups and proposed restaurant of the week for the date you have in mind.

Our segment on Fox 11 Los Angeles.

Please see here for our coverage in Nashville Fox 17's Growing Nashville segment.

This micro-event is intended to be for 4-6 people maximum. If the evening you signed up for does not hit the minimum number of signups, please be open to joining us on another night with a fuller group. Check out our feature in Eventbrite's 2025 TRNDS report about embracing the micro-event trend.

How does it work?

*After you register, you'll be emailed an introduction message including a quick questionnaire regarding age, hobbies, and interests. We utilize your answers to guide us to a reservation at the restaurant of the week!

*Your registration does not include your individual food and drink purchases. A paid ticket simply makes you more committed to actually showing up.

*If you sign up the day of the gathering and do not get a welcoming message from us in time, simply email ermantourageimpact@gmail.com, request a refund, or please be open to joining us on another evening.

Our vision is simple: we take the no gimmicks approach to networking. No need for yet another app to take up space on your phone - just four walls and a roof and good food for people to connect :) We coordinate with you directly, human-to-human.

If you have any more questions, please contact ermantourageimpact@gmail.com!

Brought to you by event series Ermantourage.

Testimonials

"It was so great! I will share pictures of food and if you need anywhere to share the experience! You did it better than AI! All of us were from different parts of the world, somehow having similar interests even though the age was different. Super cozy and friendly and amazing. We had one birthday (Persephone) so we gave her a cake!Thanks for hosting and looking forward to more events!" -Korina from Munich

"Hey, just wanted to give an update months later. I ended up forming a long term friend from this event and am very grateful. Thank you for helping set it up!" - Daritza from Austin

“It was a great event, Erman - thanks -- great group, friendly environment, and a really good way to be introduced to people.... “ - Ron from NYC, dinner with creatives edition

“The organizers did a great job coordinating this event. It was a great selection of people, good vibes all around, and such a fun time. Perfect if you’re looking to connect and make new friends!” -Eden from Los Angeles

“I went in not knowing what to expect, but this ended up being such a great experience. The group was fun and easy to connect with, and the overall vibe felt very natural, not forced or awkward at all. We had great conversations, lots of laughs, and I genuinely enjoyed meeting everyone. We’ve even stayed in touch and plan to meet up again, which says a lot. Would absolutely do this again.” -Claudia from Miami

“I’m glad to say that the events that Erman and his team have put together have surpassed my expectations! I’m also satisfied with how well they have been curated towards my interests and schedule. The uniqueness of these experiences have been much more enjoyable than I could’ve imagined!” -Michael D. from Virginia Beach