Manny's Deli adds suburban pickup locations to keep business going during COVID-19 pandemic

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Manny's Deli has been a Chicago institution for decades, catering to the downtown lunchtime crowd. Now that workers are staying home, Manny's is coming to them.

In Clarendon Hills there was a traffic jam caused by the pickup line for Manny's Deli. Filling orders in the suburbs has helped boost business during the pandemic.

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It all got started with a Facebook post from longtime customer Genia Rackos.

"Just to put the idea out there, I said is anyone interested in a Manny's Deli order? Within an hour it was inundated with responses," she said.

Since, Bonnie Lane has been busy with three big delivery orders from Manny's in just the last month.

"Everyone is waiting and telling stories and what did you order, oh I got the soup this time and the beef stew this time," Rackos said.

Restaurants have been hit extremely hard during the pandemic, and many are just barely hanging on.

Dwell Social, the Chicago-based company connecting restaurants to suburban customers, stepped in to help Manny's and other restaurants at no cost. Dozens have signed up.

"For now, with Manny's and everyone else, we are not charging them, and we feel good about that," said Allen Shulman, CEO of Dwell Social.

It's a community effort to help restaurants survive during these uncertain times.

"I feel like we brought a piece of the city to the suburbs," said Rackos.