Frequently Asked Questions

How does DwellSocial work?

We bring iconic Chicago restaurant food and experiences to your community. To get these restaurant meals and treats delivered outside of the radius of traditional delivery apps, we create group restaurant events. Check out our website or app to see events that are coming to your areas and choose a restaurant you love or want to try. View the menu, pick your items, and place your order. We'll bring the food to your door.

How much does it cost?

The DwellSocial mission is to bring great food from the city to areas where it’s not otherwise accessible. At our foundation, we are able to bring this food miles from the city because of the efficiencies of group orders, so we try to keep costs as low as possible for everyone. In addition to efficiencies on the customer side, we are also proud to take a much smaller percentage of sales from our restaurant partners.

In short, when compared side-by-side with on-demand delivery services, DwellSocial is a lot less expensive.

So how does your fee structure work?

We’re happy you asked–because we are proud of what your order provides our team.

We pay everyone in the DwellSocial ecosystem, from our restaurant partners, to our team, to our drivers a fair, consistent, and equitable wage. Driving to the suburbs in traffic is a hassle we’re solving for our customers, so we want to make sure everyone who makes it possible is treated well. Some more detail:

Reservation Fee: This is what it costs for us to manage the service that provides you with delicious food. Our team works with dozens of restaurant partners and organizes more than 300 restaurant events per month to make different options available to you.
Delivery Support Fee: This 18% fee, in lieu of tips, covers the cost of delivery from the city to your doorstep. We're traveling far! Our events are up to 40-miles away from a restaurant and take us hours to deliver, with limited space in our vehicles. Because we compensate our drivers well, they don't rely on tips to make a fair wage.
Tax: Because it’s one of the certainties in life. And it also goes to build the roads we drive on.

Why not ask for tips?

We used to ask our customers to add tips, but have moved to a service fee model. Why? Aside from cultural and historical problems with folx, primarily drivers, relying on what someone may–or may not–tip to pay their bills, it also makes our business operationally less consistent when we ask for tips rather than charge a flat fee.

Why do you mention driver payment several times?

Because it’s something we’re really proud of. The gig economy has been great for many, in so many ways. But it has also allowed some people to get services at a rate that is less than they should be, forcing others (oftentimes drivers as with rideshare or other food delivery services) to work for less than a livable wage. We’re not about that.

So, do I tip my driver then?

Nope, no tipping needed! Because who has cash anyway. (but you are welcome to if that person went above and beyond!)

How do I know what restaurants are coming to me?

A few ways. You can periodically check our website, enter your zip code, and peruse the upcoming restaurant events. You can download our mobile app for iOS in the App Store. You can also sign up for our emails, which we recommend..because we often send out exclusive offers. Wink wink.

What time will the food be delivered to my door?

Since we’re still working on group efficiencies here, we plan our driving routes after all the orders are finalized. For this reason, we can’t provide an exact timeframe when you place your order, but will provide you with a delivery window. Don’t worry, it’s not quite as broad as the cable company. We'll provide a closer estimate the day before, and a link to follow your driver's location within the hour of your delivery.

Not home? No sweat...many of our customers place a large cooler on their doorstep or porch, and we leave the food there.

Won't my food be cold by the time it gets to me?

Your food, most likely, didn't leave the restaurant kitchen ready to eat, rather prepared to be finished at home. This is how our chef and restaurant partners ensure the best at-home experience...by crafting careful instructions on how to recreate the quality of the restaurant experience as closely as possible at home.

Most meals will come in plastic containers, and some components may be microwavable. Please carefully follow instructions provided. Please note: unless otherwise stated, plastic containers are not oven-safe, and items need to be transferred to an oven-safe dish.

Why did you stop offering order pickups in centralized locations?

For several reasons. Firstly, this system was set up in the height of Covid, when people were home more and there weren't as many other activities--or as much traffic. So customers were able to leave the house, pick-up delicious food, and be home in a matter of 20-30 minutes. Now...we're all busier. Our drivers are hitting more traffic, as are our customers, which makes for late pickups, and later deliveries for the next stop. So, by expanding our delivery zones and offering more people home delivery, we're able to bring more food to more customers.
Still wanting DwellSocial, but outside our delivery zones? Since we work on group efficiencies, we could add your area to an upcoming delivery if you have others who would be interested in the same restaurant event. Send us a note and we'll see if we can make it work--together! Email: support@dwellsocial.zendesk.com

How often do you add new restaurants?

Every month!

Can I request that a specific restaurant be offered on DwellSocial?

YES! That'd be great. Here's the link to tell us what you're craving: Restaurant Request Form

I love your restaurant selections and would like to have DwellSocial bring one of them to my neighborhood on a specific day. Is that possible?

Maybe! Reach out to us at support@dwellsocial.zendesk.com, and let us know the order size, day, and time you would like. We will work with the restaurant to try and facilitate an additional event. Purchase minimums will apply, so this is usually best if you have an event coming up, or are willing to wrangle a few of your neighbors into a group order.

I'd like to set up a fundraiser for a group I'm a part of--how does this work?

We work with all sorts of organizations on their fundraising efforts. Learn more and submit your organization here.

Wondering about something else that we didn't cover?

Ask away! You can reach us here: support@dwellsocial.zendesk.com