Greg DulanOwner
Running a restaurant is in Greg Dulan's DNA. His parents, Adolph and Mary Dulan, opened a hamburger stand in 1975 in the Crenshaw neighborhood of Los Angeles. As a child, Dulan spent a lot of time at his parents' restaurant which fostered his own entrepreneurial spirit.
"From a very young age, I was exposed to the business and what it meant to operate a restaurant — and I loved it," Dulan recalled.
After attending Howard University, Dulan returned to LA and opened Dulan's on Crenshaw soul food restaurant in 1992. Today, the multi-year James Beard Award semi-finalist serves traditional Southern classics like fried chicken, collard greens, mac and cheese, and peach cobbler — and the restaurant has become a neighborhood staple.
Stepping into the restaurant feels like walking through history, with articles about Dulan and his father alongside photos of famous guests lining the walls. In addition to the restaurant, they also operate the DulanVille food truck to serve customers all over Los Angeles.
— Greg Dulan, Propietario, Dulan's on Crenshaw“Cuando los clientes disfrutan de nuestra comida, queremos que se sientan como en casa de la abuela. Queremos que piensen en el hogar, en cenas familiares, y simplemente llevarlos de vuelta a un momento especial”.
Having grown up in Crenshaw, Dulan has deep roots in the neighborhood. The area has long been known for its cultural significance, particularly within the Black community.
But over the last few years, the neighborhood has seen massive changes. SoFi Stadium opened nearby in 2020, offering access to NFL games, major concerts like Taylor Swift, and even the Big Game. In 2022, a new light rail line debuted in Crenshaw to improve transit access for the South Los Angeles community. Meanwhile, new high-rise apartments and major construction projects are reshaping the area, and the city is preparing to host the 2028 Summer Olympics. And Dulan's on Crenshaw itself went through a years-long renovation, having just reopened in 2024 after a series of construction delays.
"There are 900 apartment units currently under construction within a half mile of our restaurant," said Dulan. "We're thankful that the area is growing, and we want to position ourselves to be able to serve the growing customer base here."
The team needed a way to reach the influx of new community members in the Crenshaw neighborhood, as well as let people know they're open again for business.
At the end of 2024, Dulan's on Crenshaw joined DoorDash as an exclusive partner — their first time on any third-party delivery platform. The team was impressed by DoorDash's reach — 42 million customers — and also saw an opportunity to fill a gap on DoorDash for soul food in the area.
DoorDash makes the Dulan's on Crenshaw offerings more accessible, serving new residents moving into the neighborhood as well as senior citizens or other guests who can't visit the restaurant in person. Dulan's on Crenshaw was also recently approved to accept EBT on DoorDash.
Dulan's on Crenshaw uses Marketplace to offer delivery and pickup on the DoorDash app and make their offerings more accessible. They can reach new residents moving into the neighborhood as well as senior citizens or other guests who can't visit the restaurant in person.
Christian Ferrell, General Manager of Dulan's on Crenshaw, likes that he can easily edit their DoorDash menu in real time if they have a special, want to add a modifier, or change the price. They use DoorDash's POS integration to add descriptions and adjust hours across all ordering channels to minimize mistakes.
— Greg Dulan, Propietario, Dulan's on Crenshaw“Desde que comenzamos nuestra relación exclusiva con DoorDash, nuestros ingresos han aumentado en un 25%. Eso ha tenido un impacto tremendo en nuestro balance final. Ha aumentado nuestra rentabilidad y nos ha expuesto a una clientela más amplia”.
The Dulan's on Crenshaw team uses DoorDash's suite of marketing tools, and appreciates the help that DoorDash provides. "They often provide marketing support in terms of dollars or coming up with creative ways to market our business on DoorDash," noted Dulan.
63% of their DoorDash sales come from DashPass customers
As part of their Marketplace plan, Dulan's on Crenshaw is enrolled in DashPass, helping them reach DoorDash's most engaged customers with $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees.
Promotions campaigns resulted in 1,449 new customers, nearly $14,000 in sales, and an average 5.8X ROAS.
To boost sales during slower shifts, they offer a 20% off Promotion on DoorDash. "That increased our sales by 25% in the evenings," noted Ferrell. They're also planning to run promotions around special occasions, like Mother's Day.
Sponsored Listings campaigns delivered $13,764 in sales and a 10X ROAS.
Dulan's on Crenshaw also runs ads, known as Sponsored Listings, to reach more customers. "The ads are performing very well. They boost the visibility of our DoorDash store and our promotions," said Ferrell.
— Greg Dulan, Propietario, Dulan's on Crenshaw“Cuando los clientes buscan opciones gastronómicas en DoorDash, Dulan's es el primer restaurante en aparecer. Nuestro restaurante está siendo presentado a muchos de los nuevos residentes que se mudan al barrio, y eso está atrayendo a muchos nuevos clientes a nuestro local, ya sea a través del servicio de entrega o de su propia visita”.
DoorDash Online Ordering allows Dulan's on Crenshaw to offer delivery and pickup ordering from their own website, commission-free. Ferrell customized their Online Ordering page's logo, colors, and fonts to reflect the Dulan's on Crenshaw brand.
Results: Increased Online Ordering sales by 30% (comparing January-February 2025).
Their Online Ordering average order value is $48.29 — which is $8 higher than their average Marketplace order value, but without the commission.
Descubre la Plataforma de comercio— Christian Ferrell, Gerente general, Dulan's on Crenshaw“Las órdenes en línea nos ayudan a parecer que tenemos nuestra propia Plataforma de Comercio electrónico, con nuestra propia marca. Nuestro sitio web recibe cientos de visitas cada día y convierte esas visitas en ventas reales. Eso está teniendo un gran impacto en nuestro negocio”.
For Dulan's on Crenshaw, partnering with DoorDash has been more than just a way to offer delivery — it's a well-rounded, strategic partnership that's driving real growth.
— Greg Dulan, Propietario, Dulan's on Crenshaw“Para mí, el mayor beneficio de trabajar con DoorDash es que realmente se siente como una asociación. Aportan su experiencia, invierten en marketing y nos ayudan a llegar a un público más amplio”.
This growth has had a direct impact on their profitability, and the incremental cash flow has given them opportunities to invest in their business. "We've been able to buy more material for the kitchen, reinforce our stations, and be more efficient because of DoorDash," said Ferrell.
On an operational level, Ferrell is pleased with the collaboration with the DoorDash team: "DoorDash as a company has our best interest. I couldn't ask for a better partner. Communication is everything — their responses are instantaneous. All the drivers have been very pleasant, we haven't had any issues."
— Christian Ferrell, Gerente general, Dulan's on Crenshaw“Me gusta tener DoorDash como una forma de ofrecer más a nuestros clientes. Basta con mirar nuestras ventas: esas ventas antes no existían. Definitivamente, el negocio está creciendo a través de la asociación con DoorDash”.
In addition to the restaurant, Dulan's on Crenshaw operates the DulanVille Food Truck, bringing their signature soul food to more neighborhoods and events across Los Angeles. The food truck allows them to stay connected to the community in a more mobile and flexible way, ensuring that their comforting, home-style meals are always within reach.
After the Los Angeles wildfires ignited in January 2025, Dulan's on Crenshaw partnered with World Central Kitchen to provide meals to families in need and first responders with their food truck. "The looks on their faces… they were in shock. They were in tears. And to get a hot meal… They were so appreciative that we were there," Dulan recalled. "So we're just proud and happy that we're able to provide a little bit of support and comfort through providing hot, delicious meals to the people in need."
So far, the Dulan's on Crenshaw team has served over 30,000 meals to those impacted by the fires — long after the news coverage of the tragedy has stopped. This sense of responsibility and community has always been at the heart of the Dulan family restaurants.
— Greg Dulan, Propietario, Dulan's on Crenshaw“Cuando era joven, veía a mi padre retribuir a la comunidad. No siempre se trata de beneficios, sino de lo que sientes en tu corazón. Cómo das, cómo tratas a la gente... eso es lo que hace que un negocio sea un ícono en una comunidad. Eso es algo que me enseñó: cuando das, siempre vuelve”.
What's next for Dulan's on Crenshaw? A major milestone for the restaurant. "2025 actually marks our family's 50th year in business. It's a tremendous honor for me to carry on the family legacy," reflected Dulan. "So this year, our goal is to continue growing the business, serving good, wholesome meals to families and friends and neighbors here in Crenshaw, and keep building a strong community."
*from Jan-Feb 2025
Jim Cervone se resistió durante años a trabajar con DoorDash por culpa de las comisiones. Seis semanas después de darse de alta, Crust Pizza ya elaboraba 300 más cada semana.
A Ali Chetkof Rhodes le aterrorizaba que la entrega acabara con lo que hacía especial a Moonrise. Esta es la ingeniosa solución que demostró que estaba equivocada.
Erik Göranson pensaba que DoorDash era el enemigo. Un año después, Recess había recibido 10,000 nuevas órdenes y había obtenido $270,000 en ingresos que antes no tenía.
Daniel Borrego dejó DoorDash. Entonces apareció un comercial, lo escuchó y lo cambió todo, lo que se tradujo en $400,000 en ventas y un aumento del 25 % en el valor promedio de las órdenes.
Simplifica tus operaciones y amplía tu alcance.
Comenzar