Hospitality Business Magazine

Menulog invests in full food delivery services

Menulog’s Delivery Service has been launched in Central Auckland and plans to roll it out across wider Auckland in March are underway, followed by a further 23 cities and towns by April, including Hamilton, Wellington, and Christchurch.

Menulog has operated in New Zealand for nine years with its core marketplace business providing self-delivery and online ordering technology for more than 1,000 local restaurants nationwide.

Now, with the launch of the Menulog Delivery Service, Menulog is believed to be the widest reaching hybrid food delivery marketplace in New Zealand.

For the first three months, Menulog is removing all delivery fees with a $10 minimum order before moving to a tiered system with an average delivery fee of $5 and as low as $1.99 during off-peak times.

Morton Belling.

Morten Belling, Menulog Managing Director, says the company is committed to growing order demand for restaurants, creating jobs in both cities and regional areas, and providing greater choice for customers.

“We’ve made a significant investment to launch the Menulog Delivery Service and we’re focused on delivering greater value to our customers, providing new opportunities for our restaurant partners, and supporting them to grow their businesses.”

Menulog’s new delivery technology provides a new customer experience, with greater visibility of their order from door to door and new features such as courier tracking with an integrated map.

“Technology has transformed the hospitality industry and the customer experience and Menulog’s world-class technology enables restaurants to share their delicious food with more customers.” Restaurant Association of New Zealand Chief Executive, Marisa Bidois, says facilitating self-delivery can be a stressful and expensive process for restaurants in the current market.

“Online marketplaces like Menulog offer restaurants the opportunity to diversify their offering and reach more customers.

“Covid-19 has highlighted the importance of including an online offering in your business; it allows you to have more touch points with your customers and removes barriers to the ordering process.”

Combining Menulog’s core marketplace business with its new delivery service will mean the company will have more than 1,800 restaurants on its platform by April 2021.

“By  mid  2021,  the  establishment  of  Menulog’s  Delivery  Service  will  see  the  number of New Zealand restaurants with access to a network of food couriers increase by 200%,” says Belling. “The number of restaurants on the platform is growing daily as the New Zealand hospitality industry continues to grow and evolve and restaurants are looking to diversify revenue streams and provide their customers with the best possible service.”

Menulog, which is part of global group Just Eat Takeaway.com, enables its restaurant partners to identify and adapt quickly to changes in customer demand, which ultimately helps restaurants drive orders.

The company’s hybrid delivery model allows restaurant partners to secure lower commission rates if they facilitate  their  own deliveries or take advantage of Menulog’s network of food couriers as part of the Menulog Delivery Service.