Black Woman Entrepreneur Expands Dockside Delivery to
10 Chicago Harbors
Innovation and Creativity Spur Growth Amid Covid
CHICAGO, IL — Just in time for the start of Chicago’s boating season, local entrepreneur Terri Evans is launching the expansion of Dockside Delivery, a South Side minority-owned business delivering food, liquor and essentials to boat owners and boat charter companies at Chicago’s 10 Lakefront harbors.
Using her South Loop eatery, Windy City Ribs and Whiskey, as her anchor, Teri Evans founded Dockside Delivery during the pandemic as a creative way to conquer the choppy business conditions brought on by the Covid pandemic.
During her first year of business during the 2021 boating season, Evans doubled her workforce and brought all hands on deck to meet boaters’ demands. The Northwestern Kellogg School MBA is now scaling Dockside Delivery in 2022 to serve all Chicago marinas, thanks to her team’s hard work and the resources and mentorship from the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago’s Breedlove Entrepreneurship Center.
“I realized during the pandemic, that being on a boat in Lake Michigan was one area of our City that wasn’t restricted. While boating is a luxury sport, it is also a ton of work. It involves hauling gear and supplies to the marina, and then to your boat slip. Dockside Delivery is a great convenience, and eliminates the planning and the hassle of carrying food, beverages and supplies needed for thousands of craft owners across the city,” said Evans.
Evans' goal is to serve all 6,000 Chicago boat owners while transforming her business into a national franchise to bring Dockside Delivery’s unique and hassle-free services to the estimated 100 million American boat owners. She’s already getting rave reviews from local boaters.
“Dockside Delivery was a great resource for us during the last boating season,” said Captain Lindsey, Owner of Excelling in Excellence Boat Charters. “It was great to provide my clients with catering options that didn’t require my crew to have to do any more work in preparation for the charter experience. I am excited that they have this offering and will continue to support the business this summer and fall,” she added.
As a member of the YWCA’s second Breedlove Entrepreneurship Center cohort, Evans has joined other successful Black women entrepreneurs in an accelerator program led by food industry experts who’ve armed the women with the tools, knowledge, and access to capital to grow their businesses.
“With support and mentorship from the YWCA’s Breedlove Entrepreneurship Center, I am gaining the tools and knowledge that will turn Dockside Delivery from a local delivery service into a nationally respected brand,” she added.
Dockside Delivery started by delivering food and liquor from Evans’ Windy City Ribs and Whiskey, as well as hosting pop-up experiences and catering private events for clients on the boat. But Evans didn’t keep the orders under her own roof, giving clients the option to order food from other minority owned businesses in Chicago. Evans’ plan to grow Dockside Delivery and support other minority owned businesses is part of a larger mission of eliminating racial wealth gap through franchisable business models. Her team also volunteers a number of hours annually to serving on boards, volunteering and donating money to causes that impact underserved communities.
Evans is not the first entrepreneur in her family. Her great grandfather, born a slave in Lexington, Mississippi, took his 40 acres and a mule in 1865 and eventually acquired 3,600 acres of land before his death. He would become a well-known business owner, selling everything from land and whiskey. Inspired by his story, Evans’ goal is to build a national brand by doing the same thing – selling a ton of whiskey.
To learn more about Evans and her restaurants, visit the following websites:
- www.docksidedelivery.net
- www.windycityribs.net
- llinkedin.com/in/terrievansmbainkedin.com/in/terrievansmba
About Dockside Delivery
Dockside Delivery is a South Side minority-owned business delivering food, liquor and essentials to boat owners and boat charter companies at Chicago’s 10 Lakefront harbors.
Founded by entrepreneur Terri Evans, Dockside Delivery is the sister company of Windy City Ribs and Whiskey, based in Chicago’s bustling South Loop, and just minutes away from McCormick Place and Wintrust Arena, home of the DePaul Blue Demons and Chicago Sky basketball teams. Dockside Delivery and Windy City Ribs are holding companies of Rylon Smokehouse Partners, LLP. Evans has an MBA from the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, and is a proud graduate of HBCU Spelman College, and member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She credits her success to her deep network, which has enabled her businesses to not only grow, but thrive during the Covid pandemic. To learn more, please visit www.docksidedelivery.net or www.windycityribs.net.