Restaurant Online Ordering in Chicago

Eating out in Chicago

From blue-collar hot dog stands to three-star Michelin dining, Chicago's food scene spans every price point and cuisine. The mix spans Italian, Mexican and Polish, with Deep Dish Pizza and Chicago-Style Hot Dog among the dishes that define eating in Chicago. Chicago's food identity is fierce and proud - never put ketchup on a hot dog, and the deep-dish vs thin crust debate is serious business. Diverse neighborhoods each have distinct food identities.

What that means for your kitchen

Lou Malnati's — Butter crust deep dish since 1971 — is not the same kind of operation as a counter-service kitchen, and it does not have the same technology needs. Formats that different — Pizzeria, then Hot Dogs/Italian Beef at Portillo's — put very different demands on a menu, a ticket rail and a delivery hand-off. Running Italian, Mexican and Polish off one system means modifier groups and kitchen routing have to be genuinely flexible. That is the case for owning your own ordering channel in Chicago: the menu, the customer list and the margin stay with the restaurant instead of a marketplace.

Delivery and pickup zones in Chicago tend to be drawn around areas like Fulton Market/West Loop, River North and Wicker Park, plus 2 more across the city. Zones, fees and prep times are set per area, so a Chicago restaurant can price a short hop differently from a run across town.