History: The concept of Speed Dating has been around for 20+ years! Speed dating actually started in Los Angeles in 1998 when the first event was held by Rabbi Yaacov Devo, at Petes Café in Beverly Hills CA Speed Dating eventually crossed the Atlantic and is hot in the UK and many other parts of the world now!

When was speed dating invented?

1998 In 1998, Rabbi Yaacov Deyo and his students came up with a new way for single people to meet each other - they called it speed dating. It started as a programme for Jewish singles in Los Angeles, but soon spread all over the world.