Kristin Snyder is dot.LA’s Editorial Fellow. She previously interned with Tiger Oak Media and led the arts section for UCLA’s Daily Bruin.
With a name pulled from the phrase “first round’s on me,” the Los Angeles-based dating app launched Monday on iOS and Android devices. Through partnerships with local bars, restaurants and coffee shops that can help determine where users want to meet, FROME wants to encourage people to actively plan dates and converse outside of the app.
Founder and CEO Joe Feminella said his own frustration with people not feeling motivated to meet in person after connecting on dating apps inspired him to launch FROME.
“The more time I spent swiping, the more I realized it wasn’t an effective way to make a real connection,” Feminella said in a statement. “Technology has solved so many problems in today’s world, but one thing it hasn’t done and probably will never do, is help people fall in love. That needs to be done in person.”
FROME’s method for getting users to meet in the real world: Users begin each swiping session by choosing if they are available to meet up on that day or later in the week. From there, users request to match with one another with a specific time and place for a date. Users can message six hours before their scheduled date. They can only link up with one person per day.
Partnering with The Bungalow, Cha Cha Matcha, Juneshine, Library Alehouse, Independence Bar and Bravo Toast, FROME intends to help users pick a location by offering discounts-though the indoor mask mandate, which is set to come back by the end of July, may impact where people decide to meet.
During the pandemic, dating apps had to rethink their strategy, with a number of new platforms popping up to offer virtual romance. Los Angeles-based Tinder saw an increase in messaging at the beginning of the pandemic, and a number of dating apps now let users share their vaccination status.
Los Angeles’ dating app scene is abundant. Alongside Tinder and Grindr, a multitude of smaller apps are also vying for local singles’ attention. From the hyperlocal L.A. Dating to the TikTok-esque Lolly, more dating apps are turning to trends like audio messaging and metaverse dates
- S’More Dating App Raises $2.1 Million in Seed Funding – dot.LA ›
- Meet the Dating Apps Launched During the Pandemic – dot.LA ›
- Hinge Tests $60 Premium Subscription, WIll Gen Z Pay? – dot.LA ›
- FROME, LA’S NEW DATING APP IS AIMED AT BRINGING BACK . ›
- FROME on the App Store ›
- 28 Dating Apps You Will Actually Want To Use In 2022 ›
Kristin Snyder is dot.LA’s Editorial Fellow. She previously interned with Tiger Oak Media and led the arts section for UCLA’s Daily Bruin.
How Women’s Purchasing Power Is Creating a New Wave of Economic Opportunities In Sports
Samson Amore is a reporter for dot.LA. He holds a degree in journalism from Emerson College. Send tips or pitches to and find him on Twitter
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