DALTON, Ga. — Beginning today residents in Dalton have the option of having their dinner delivered via an established brand that is spreading its service into the area. 

Dinner Delivered, which has partnered with about 30 eateries in town to offer delivery service, began in Chattanooga before expanding into Cleveland, Tenn., and then the Ringgold and Fort Oglethorpe areas. 

Marketing Director Jennifer Weyler said many of their customers in those areas are Dalton residents who work farther north and have requested they open shop closer to home. 

“We have had a lot of requests for the area,” said Weyler. “Dalton is such a fantastic size and it’s growing and growing.” 

The company is owned by Steven Hays, who worked for the business for a few years before taking ownership when the previous owner decided to move on, and his partner, Josh Weyler, who is Jennifer’s husband. 

Beginning today customers can visit dinnerdelivered.com or the company’s smartphone app and browse menus for the restaurants that are part of the service. Orders can also be placed by calling (706) 705-7226. There will be a flat delivery fee of $4.99 for deliveries eight miles or less from the particular restaurant; $8.99 for deliveries of 8-12 miles; and $14.99 for deliveries of 12-18 miles. 

Restaurants also pay the delivery service a commission, so sometimes items on the menu may cost slightly more via the delivery service than they would at the restaurant. Weyler said users will be able to enter their address and see all potential costs up front before they place their order. 

“We try to be upfront about everything because we don’t want our customers to be disappointed,” she said. 

Maureen Rogers has two businesses that will be working with Dinner Delivered — Hamilton’s Food and Spirits and Crescent City Tavern — and she said the service can only be a boon for her establishments as well as for the Dalton area. 

“I think it’s a great idea,” Rogers said. “It’s a great service because it’s something we physically can’t do.”

Rogers noted that while they do sometimes deliver specifically in the downtown district, having the option for people in other parts of Dalton to order delivery will be a great addition to her businesses because they have customers who call and ask often. 

Kadi Jarrett, a manager at Cheesecake Heaven, echoed that thought. 

“It’s really going to help us out a lot because we have so many customers that ask about delivery, but as a small, family-run business, we can’t really accommodate that,” said Jarrett. “It’s really going to help business a lot because we get asked about delivery once or twice a day.”

Dinner Delivered won’t have a physical location locally, but will employ 26 to begin with, and Weyler said she could see that number quickly reaching 40 as the service becomes more established. She said every time they add a restaurant to their roster they usually hire one or two more people. 

“In Dalton, we are only hiring people from Dalton because they obviously know the area,” Weyler said. 

William Hall owns The Chop Shop in downtown Dalton. He cited the experience that Dinner Delivered has amassed as a reason to be excited about the service. 

“I think it’s going to increase business tremendously because you have so many people who can’t get out of their office, or are too busy to  go out, or have had too many adult beverages,” said Hall. “I think it’s great. They have been doing this a while.” 

Dinner Delivered’s hours in Dalton are lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner from 3 to 9:30 p.m.