Takeout Menu Binders [Reposted from archive]
 

Hello all,

New to the forum. Reading as much as I can. I already run my own business but I have the bug and am always looking at new money makers.

I usually like opportunities that piggyback on the services I already perform and offer new ideas to my clients that are not that far off of our current business relationship.

So this morning I am thinking about some of the takeout menu and place mat ideas (Don Alm et al) that have been knocked around and been successful for folks. It felt like I could dovetail something like that into what I am doing. I had my smartphone out and fiddled a little with a food delivery app I had loaded. I was thinking of a way to enhance a restaurant's delivery revenues. Maybe create a delivery brand to promote an app for them or??? But with the app I was looking at, everything is so small to view but I know delivery is a huge trend. Can we capture some of those food delivery dollars?

I thought about who is probably the most profitable deliveries a restaurant needs to pay a driver and still make a few bucks on each delivery. When I worked in cube world our offices ordered in a lot for lunch and had dozens of our favorite restaurant delivery menus laying around.

It kinda hit me then and this probably isn't a new idea, a Restaurant Takeout Delivery Menu Binder. Something big enough so you don't have to squint at a menu on your phone. There is no way a receptionist or intern is enjoying ordering food for a dozen people on a phone's tiny keyboard and screen.

Would a couple dozen local restaurants with delivery, pay to have their 8x12 heavy card stock menu placed into a heavy duty three ring office binder and designed and titled "Restaurant Delivery Menus"? Would they pay to have it hand delivered with a pitch to a couple hundred local businesses that are currently ordering food in on a regular basis? Would they pay extra for exclusivity, for instance only one pizza shop is allowed in the binder?

Would businesses pay for the binder (say $19.95) if you added some coupons, discounts and maybe some order pads to make putting together the daily lunch order easier? Could you make this an ongoing promotion by delivering more coupons and food order pads periodically to each of those businesses.

How might you renew a restaurant, annually, quarterly to keep their menus up? New updated menu? Discount coupon packs? How much to charge a restaurant per year, per quarter? Can I charge them extra for prime placement in the binder (front page)?

This is making my head swim. I can imagine the front desk person or receptionist always having this binder at the ready for lunch orders. She or he just have to see what everyone is hungry for, go to the appropriate tab, sub sandwiches for instance, and everyone can look at a full sized menu while the intern jots down their orders.

I can also imagine other extensions/sections of this binder with an emergency services section for maybe emergency plumbing and electrical advertisers. You could also distribute other inserts and discounts later on because now you are known as the Menu Guy.

Apps and yellow pages have their place but this seems like a win win win for my advertisers, local businesses and my pocketbook. Am I missing something?

Cheers!

Chris

Re: Takeout Menu Binders [Reposted from archive]
 

Holy Camoly......20yrs ago (1994) I was in a Ch of Comm luncheon when the speaker asked; "Can I have a show of hands of how many here have a Fax in their office?"

Out of about 200 people in the room almost every hand went up. I happened to be sitting at a table with 3 restaurant owners. I looked over at the 3 guys and asked; "Hey! Why don't you guys get the Fax Nos from the folks in this room and Fax them your Daily Specials?"

One of the restauranteurs responded with; "Hey Don! Why don't YOU put something together....I'd be the first one in!"

The other 2 chimed in with; "Ya....include us too!"

So....I went home to my "man-cave" and put together a Sample "Daily Special Fax Sheet"

This was a standard sheet of paper with a Banner Headline....room for 4 Daily Specials from 4 restaurants....and....Ad Spaces around the edges.

To determine the "audience" I phoned local offices asking to speak to the Office Mgr. When she came on I said "I'm putting together a Daily Special Fax Sheet with daily specials from 4 local restaurants and...if she would give me their Fax # I'd Fax over the sheet every day b4 noon....as a convenience
for her office personnel.

Almost every office mgr I spoke to LOVED the idea and quickly gave me their fax #. I soon reached my goal of 25 offices.

I started out by charging each restaurant $50/week for 13 wks = $650 x 4 = $2,600......and charging $40/wk for 13 wks = $520 x 12 Ads = $6,240 for a nice $8,840

I then proceeded to go to 4 other nearby towns and.....had to pay a programmer to rig up a Fax System to send out 100 faxes a day.

So...I then set up an affiliate in 7 other towns.

I was nick-named "Fax Man".

Thus....once again....a profitable business from just an idea.

AND....faxes are STILL with us...probably more so now. So....why can't someone give this a try?

When the "Junk-Fax" Law came into being.....it always tickled me when I'd post info about my Fax Biz on a Forum and invariably someone would comment that; "Ya can't do dat anymore, it's Illegal!"...even after I explained I PHONED each recipient office and "Got Their Permission"!

Don Alm......bringing back fond memories

Re: Takeout Menu Binders [Reposted from archive]
 

Ooopps....I almost forgot;

When "Magnetic Printable Sheets" came out I started a service for Car Dealers where someone in the Dealership would take a photo of New Car Buyers...just b4 they left the Dealership....and I'd pick up the film each week (this was b4 digital cameras)

I'd then print out the Dealer's Name, Logo and Contact Info at the top...a photo of the new car buyer...then a Calendar at the bottom half (with the delivery month first)

I was getting $25 for about $4 investment per calendar. Car Buyers would put the magnetic calendars with THEIR photo on their Fridge...so that everyone entering the kitchen would SEE the calendar and where they bought the car.

Great promo for Car Dealers.

And....while I was doing that I was also providing free Menus to local restaurants (I put 2 local biz ads on each page and the back) Because I had a good Magnetic Sheet supplier I thought...."Hey! Why don't I put part of the Menu on the Magnetic Sheets (half of a sheet).....with Ads and provide them FREE to restaurants as "Take-Out" Menus!

Restaurants LOVED them and so did the Advertisers.

Don Alm

Re: Takeout Menu Binders [Reposted from archive]
 

Ya......"Menu Magnets" are STILL bringing in Bux. Businesses LOVE to have their Ads sitting ON refrigerators all over Town. Here's a photo

Don Alm