A note from Dawoon Kang, co-founder & -CEO of CMB

I know what you’re probably thinking, because we’re all feeling the same type of way: Life is just crazy right now. We’re all adjusting to a new normal. And with working from home and social distancing becoming our new day-to-day, it’s easy to get caught up in feelings of isolation.

My team and I hope you and your loved ones are taking the right steps to stay safe and healthy during this time, but recognize it can take a toll. That’s why we want to do everything we can to help you make real, meaningful connections with like-minded daters around you.

You might now be wondering: “How can I actually meet someone new in a time like this?” Yes, I get it, it can seem like a daunting task. But when you stop and think about it, now is actually a great time to connect with those around you. Because at the end of the day, we’re all experiencing the same thing.

It can be trickier than usual, but CMB is here to help you every step of the way – from setting up your profile to navigating your first virtual date, we’ll make sure you have everything you need to find “your person.”

Over the next few days, we’ll be sharing tips on how to make the most out of Coffee Meets Bagel.

What to Expect

While social media apps, like Instagram and Twitter, are convenient tools when used purposefully, they’re also time-sucks. Infinity pools. Black holes. They’re happy to grab your attention and suck you into endless scrolling: photos of your friends’ vacations, breaking news, pop-culture trends, cats playing the piano.

And when dating apps exploded onto the scene, most of them followed this pattern. In fact, this study says more than one in 10 dating app users swipe for over 14 hours a week.

This didn’t vibe with us, so we chose a different approach.

Welcome to Slow Dating

Here at CMB, we consider ourselves more like a matchmaker than a dating app. Instead of making you swipe all day, we’ll introduce you to select people we think are the best fit, and help you build a real connection.

Our “slow dating” approach emphasizes finding delight in the dating process. And with our new-normal that is social distancing and pausing IRL dates, now’s the perfect time to pump the brakes on swiping to help you savor each meaningful connection.

Slowing down means we can stop making decisions on someone as quickly as possible. Instead, we can take the time to go deeper with one person at a time and give them a proper chance. In a funny way, slow dating can actually be a faster way to find that person you’re looking for.

But this approach doesn’t take more of your time; in fact, it’s the opposite. Because we focus on quality > quantity, checking your potential matches should take just ~5 minutes per day. When you’re done, you’re done.

Plus, this approach has attracted a special kind of community: Eighty-six percent of CMB daters are looking for long-term relationships – so that means you’ll be in good company.

Checking Your Bagels

We’ll use information — like the preferences you set and who you’ve liked or passed on in the past — to introduce you to a limited number of your best potential matches (aka bagels). Then, we send them to your Suggested section in the app just once per day.

And then, before you can see your next bagel, make a decision to like or pass on them. Every time you like or pass on a bagel, we’ll learn more about you and your type, so tomorrow’s bagels will only get better.

It may even take a week to get your first match (when you like someone and they like you back). But that’s OK, too. Instead of feeling swipe-fatigue like on other apps, you can take a break and just live your life. We’ll continue working in the background to set you up with someone great.

Learnin’ the Lingo

Now that you know what to expect, let’s dive into a few terms that will help you better navigate Coffee Meets Bagel.

💜 Bagels: Your potential matches (That means you’re someone’s bagel, too!)

💜 Suggested: Every day at noon, we’ll use this section to introduce people picked just for you. Our matchmaking is based on your set Preferences, activity on the app, and more – meaning these are your most compatible bagels!

💜 Discover: The section that’s “the schmear on top,” for when you want to browse extra bagels nearby beyond our suggestions. They may not meet your preferences, but we think they could still be a good match. Use beans to like bagels in this section.

💜 Beans: Earn beans by signing in, exploring, and more. Trade them in to unlock special features such as liking extra bagels. Need more beans? Pick some up at the Bean Shop.

💜 CMB Premium: Our subscription package that includes special features such as: Activity Reports, which give you access to more info on bagels including how often they send the first message; Read Receipts, which let you know when your messages have been read; and Likes You, where you can see everyone who likes you at once and match instantly.

The Next Steps

Now that you know what to expect, make sure you’ve checked these must-do’s off your list:

Lots of love and kindness to you as you embark on your dating journey! Remember: it might take time, it might feel slow, or it might even feel discouraging at times. But, I hope you savor and enjoy the process!



Excited to start matching? If you haven’t already, download Coffee Meets Bagel on Android or iOS.