In 2004, I founded MasterMenu in Newcastle, sparked by a simple yet powerful observation: the daily barrage of poorly designed, crumpled takeaway leaflets flooding my mailbox. I saw an opportunity to help local restaurants and takeaways stand out and streamline their marketing efforts. With the area packed with students and an abundance of takeaways, I knew I could make a difference.
Within just three days, I had signed up 10 of the top takeaways in the area, offering a smarter, more efficient solution. By designing, printing, and distributing a high-quality brochure, we could cut costs by nearly 50% compared to what each takeaway would spend on their own. The concept was an immediate hit.
The first day we distributed the brochures stands out as one of my most memorable startup moments. This was before online ordering had taken off, and we had the capability to track every single phone order that came in. Takeaways usually saw a 1% return on leaflets, but on that first evening, we hit 100 orders. From there, it only grew—eventually surpassing 500,000 orders, with takeaway owners and customers alike embracing the model.
Fast forward 10 years and after my appearance on the BBC's Apprentice, we experienced a surge of over 5 million visitors, pushing our site to its limits. This attention led to a strategic partnership with another startup, and within six months, we brought 850 takeaways online. Shortly afterward, we successfully sold the database to the market leaders, marking the end of a rewarding journey with MasterMenu.
Within just three days, I had signed up 10 of the top takeaways in the area, offering a smarter, more efficient solution. By designing, printing, and distributing a high-quality brochure, we could cut costs by nearly 50% compared to what each takeaway would spend on their own. The concept was an immediate hit.
The first day we distributed the brochures stands out as one of my most memorable startup moments. This was before online ordering had taken off, and we had the capability to track every single phone order that came in. Takeaways usually saw a 1% return on leaflets, but on that first evening, we hit 100 orders. From there, it only grew—eventually surpassing 500,000 orders, with takeaway owners and customers alike embracing the model.
Fast forward 10 years and after my appearance on the BBC's Apprentice, we experienced a surge of over 5 million visitors, pushing our site to its limits. This attention led to a strategic partnership with another startup, and within six months, we brought 850 takeaways online. Shortly afterward, we successfully sold the database to the market leaders, marking the end of a rewarding journey with MasterMenu.