Business Spotlight on MenuSpring and Ali Meruani
In the lead up to our FoodTech dinner next week, we like to spotlight the companies that will be joining us. Today, it’s MenuSpring and their founder Ali Meruani. We first met Ali at last year’s dinner and we have stayed in touch since.
What’s the elevator pitch for your startup?
MenuSpring is an online portal connecting restaurants, publishers and consumers. The company’s platform enables restaurants to publish and manage all digital content (such as menus, photos, promotions, news, etc.) online, which is distributed and updated in real-time to partnering digital publishers; including TimeOut, Hardens, Tastecard. For consumers it provides a location-based search and discovery engine with dish level details to satisfy any craving or preference. Currently focused on the Greater London market, the company has the largest data base, maintaining content for over 9,000 restaurants. With over 800,000 dishes we can satisfy any of your food cravings.
What were you doing before you launched your startup?
I was doing my MBA at London Business School.
Where did you meet your co-founders?
Through some mutual friends.
What’s your biggest ‘hindsight’ moment?
Focus on design and UI. After a lot of struggle I have realized that I am in a hyper competitive market and the product needs to be so much better
What will 2014 bring?
Excitement! We are launching our mobile app as well as some new exciting products
1 piece of advice for someone starting a business in the food space?
It is an extremely competitive space with some big players, make sure your product can compete against the incumbents.
Convince someone to use your product/service in under 50 words.
Hungry? Craving a particular dish? Search for it on MenuSpring and satisfy your food craving.
What’s your favourite startup in the food space (not including your own)?
The digital lollipop
What’s your favourite London restaurant?
Kateh, Persian restaurant on Warwick Place – small family run restaurant creating amazing food.
Thanks Ali. A new must-try restaurant for our ever growing list!
Thanks to our partner for this dinner, Taylor Wessing.
