
Laurel Chiten
Founder
Hello there. I am the founder of Dinner Mates.
I am an award winning independent filmmaker and have made films for over 30 years. (Blind Dog Films) I am also a foodie. I live in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. One summer day in 2019, I walked into a restaurant around the corner from me, and I had a vision of people in my neighborhood sitting around a table eating together.
That was it! The idea of Dinner Mates was born! I dropped my film career, made an 180 degree turn, and now focus 100% on this dream coming to life.
I made films because I wanted to move people, to create impact and bring audiences together over a topic or an issue and get them talking with one another.
I bring that same passion and sensibility to Dinner Mates-- I created Dinner Mates to bring people together, to make a difference in our personal lives, and our world.
Our mission is: Break Bread, Make Friends, Build Community.
One neighborhood at a time. One meal at a time.
Even though we are all living at home on our own, we can still connect and share a meal and conversation. Virtual Dinners is a bridge until we can meet up again in person.
Each dinner and/or event is raising money for Feed the FrontLine NYC, and helping support our local restaurants.