PHILADELPHIA -- On a Wednesday night around 7, Morgan Steffy arrived at El Rey in Philadelphia's Center City area, following directions from an app she had downloaded two months ago. The app directed the 30-year-old West Philly software engineer to sit at Table 2, where she joined a Temple University doctor, a nomad who works in health care technology, a developer for a finance firm, and this reporter. Steffy didn't know anyone at the table, but the group of five had come to the restaurant that night for the same reason: to dine with strangers, facilitated by a new app called Timeleft.

Over plates of enchiladas, plantains, and fajitas, introductions and questions bounced from one person to the next as the quintet of strangers naturally fell into a conversation.

"What do you all do for work?" someone asked between bites.

"Are you guys big foodies?" another chimed in.

"What motivated each of you to come out tonight?" this reporter asked.

"I was so excited to find a way to meet people organically -- that wasn't a sports league or kickball," Steffy said.

Her reply reflected a common theme among the group: a desire to build community without the pressure of dating. While other supper clubs and Facebook groups offer similar experiences, Timeleft is becoming the go-to for a growing number of Philadelphians.