Signed, Prepped & Delivered

By Naperville Magazine
Appears in the January 2025 issue.

By Peter Gianopulos

DwellSocial provides city eats to suburban doors

One night, during the pandemic, Allen Shulman felt a sudden irrepressible yearning for pizza. Not the doughy mozzarella-caked Frisbees collecting ice burns in his freezer. He wanted a serious Chicago pie: a cracker-thin, tavern-style beauty from Pequod’s Pizza.

The problem? Shulman lived miles away, in Northbrook. But sometimes cravings make hungry men (and pregnant women) do courageous things. Shulman phoned Pequod’s, which made him an offer: Find 10 neighbors willing to order their own pizzas, and one of its drivers would make a special one-time delivery to Shulman’s neighborhood. One Facebook post later, Shulman had found 10 takers, all of whom enjoyed Pequod’s pizzas from the comfort of their dining rooms later that night.

That pandemic pizza miracle got Shulman thinking: What if he launched a food-delivery service designed to import Chicago dishes to the burbs? Flash forward and Shulman’s delivery platform and app—DwellSocial—now partners with more than 40 Chicago restaurant who work with Shulman’s team to bring their best menu offerings to your front door.

If you live in or near Naperville, there are options galore. A fresh dozen from Do-Rite Donuts. Deli classics from Manny’s. Bisques and snow crabs from Joe’s Seafood. And Vietnamese delicacies from HaiSous. Here’s the twist: Unlike Uber Eats and Grubhub, DwellSocial works with chefs to ensure these long-distance drops—or “events,” as Shulman calls them—taste ultrafresh. Most orders need to be finished at home in simple ways, like boiling some water so your pasta is properly al dente before the restaurant’s sauce is applied. Or throwing a parbaked pizza in your oven to crisp it up.

“We’ve learned that delivered meals taste better this way,” Shulman says. “Nothing’s soggy or cold. The food is melty and warm, like you’re eating them at the actual restaurant.”

Here’s how the platform works: Log on, find an event and day that works for your family, and pick your meals—you’ll often need to make selections early in the day or a few days ahead of your expected delivery date. DwellSocial charges set service fees, so no additional tip is needed. When your preselected delivery window arrives, favorites of the Chicago dining scene land right on your doorstep.

Photos: DwellSocial; Do-Rite Donuts; Warren’s Ale House