Cook and Date

Cook and Date, created by Cristina Mucciardi, is a company that connects the pleasures of gourmet cooking and dining with people looking to meet new people.

The idea came to her when she was unmarried and dating. "My friends were already all married and had children. Every two weeks, friends or family members introduced me to a different man. After two to three blind dates, I realized that this was not for me. I looked to the Internet to see what was available there for singles. There were dating sites, but they seemed far too impersonal to me. Moreover, I had already participated in evenings speed dating, but I found the sessions to be too short. So I developed my concept by trying to do better."

Inspired by a concept already present in France, she took the initiative to launch Cook and Date in Montreal. Having worked in restaurants and bars, she approached chefs that she knew to find out if they were interested in working with her. After only six months, 200 members were registered and she was already organizing an event every two to three weeks.