Joandra and Corey Williams want couples to know a date at home can be more than popcorn and a movie.
After all, the newlyweds live by advice that was given to them before their nuptials: Even though you're married, never stop dating.
"We always made time for date night; it was a priority in our relationship," said Joandra Williams, 29, who moved to the the south suburbs from Dunning three months ago. "But we were living in Chicago, things are costly."
So, the couple launched Datelivery in May, a service that sends all the necessary ingredients and instructions for a night at home in a box once a month at a cost of between $25 to $29 based on the length of a subscription. Each month, couples get a themed box of items the Williams' have concocted and tried themselves. The date nights are never announced beforehand, adding an element of surprise to the subscription.
"It's kind of a mystery, we don't really say what the date night's going to be," Joandra Williams said.
The model mimics several other similar services that send themed, ready-to-use boxes of goods to users, including beauty subscription service Birchbox or ready-to-make meal delivery service HelloFresh.
The small startup ships its first themed box in June, which includes ingredients to make pizza, a chef uniform, pizza cutter and instructions on how the date night plays out. Typically, Corey Williams, 32, said, an introductory instruction card will let couples know if any additional items or ingredients are needed.
"We're just trying to get some word-of-mouth out right now," he said. The couple sources the items and ingredients locally, sometime buying in bulk.
As the business grows, the plan is to post each month's previous date on their website to give users a flavor of what they will get for a night in. The couple said they are targeting married or serious couples between 25 and 35 for the service.
"If we struggled sometimes to go out for date nights, we're sure other people struggle," Joandra Williams said. "You can't always go out. We don't want people to feel like you have to stay home and watch a movie on the couch, you can have a fun date night at home."
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