• GigaOm, Thursday, May 31, 2012 10:39 AM

Do people want help organizing dinners with like-minded people whom they might not know in an offline setting? Betting that they do, investors -- led by GRP Partners -- are pouring another $5 million into Grubwithus. Betakit attributes the startup’s appeal among VCs to “its pioneering status in what looks like it might be the latest trend among foodies,” i.e., dining with strangers.

“The new cash will be used to help Grubwithus reach out to more restaurant partners, focus and expand marketing efforts, and help drive growth,” according to Betakit. “So far, the site has managed to operate in almost 50 different cities and has doubled its user base, but there’s still plenty of opportunity to grow."

Co-founder and CEO Eddy Lu told BetaKit said that one of the startup’s goals for the funds is to drive more frequent engagement. “Our whole mission is to just kind of be a real life social network,” he said. “We want to further that mission, and right now you’ll check the site once or twice a week to see if there are any meals happening, and you’ll go have a meal experience and have a great time, but what about in the future knowing when these casual friends you’ve met are doing other things?”

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