In this economic downturn folks are increasingly turning to take away deliveries as a cheap alternative to eating out. Rapid growth for the likes of Dominos & KFC is mirrored in an increase in interest in websites such as 118menu.com that provide a convenient online solution. Profile article below

It�s not often that a late night bout of the munchies leads to an inspired business idea but that�s exactly what happened to Mark Hall, founder of www.118menu.com. In 2007, the Ilkley-based entrepreneur hit upon the idea of launching a website with the facility to order all of his favourite take aways on-line. It now boasts 15,000 users with a rapidly growing number of restaurants signing up. �I�d just returned from the pub and was feeling peckish,� explained Mark �but the fridge was empty! I hunted high and low for a take away menu without success and I think I had to settle for a bowl of cornflakes that night when I needed something a bit more substantial! �It got me thinking as to how I could develop an online service that delivered whatever you want direct to your door and from that 118menu.com was born! �I do love my fast food,� added the 30-year-old former chef and sales manager �but like many people I get bombarded with take away menus which I rarely keep hold of. �To have one site that you can visit and chose between a host of take aways seemed like a common sense idea and the web presence was launched late in 2008,� added Mark who has established an office with five staff in the Headingley area of Leeds. He went on: �Headingley is a big student area and students are an obvious target market when it comes to this kind of service. �We decided to make the site a fun place to visit with addictive games, regular competitions and promotions and a cartoon character called Mr Menu which is really just a basic version of me!� added Mark who supplies takeaways with a host of goodies for both staff and customers. �We provide them with pizza boxes, carrier bags, staff T-shirts, soft drink promotions and a host of give aways such as key rings, mugs and condoms that are then distributed to customers ordering through 118menu.com,� explained Mark. The process is a simple one and it�s catching on with takeaways and restaurants all over the UK although the initial emphasis has been on Leeds and London. Each take away that signs up gets free equipment which is used to send through orders. �From there it�s down to the take away to deliver the goods and we are seeing a big growth in demand at the moment as the economic downturn leads many to chose fast, convenient, cheap, comfort food delivered to their home over eating out,� added Mark. From a takeaway�s point of view there�s a myriad of advantages of linking up with Mark�s site, not least the potential to tap into a vast market of online users eager to satisfy their hunger cravings. Habib Hussian, who runs Milanos pizza outlet on the edge of Leeds city centre, is full of praise for the idea and is already seeing the benefits: �It�s a clever idea and a good way of marketing your venue and range of dishes on the internet to an audience of millions. �Being linked to the site adds an element of fun to how we promote ourselves with staff kitted out in their T-shirts and customers getting to benefit from promotions and free merchandise. �We�ve seen a steady stream of customers since signing up and I�d recommend any restaurant or take away to look into it,� added Habib. From the registered users point of view it�s all about convenience as Ben Macrow who lives in South London confirms: �It�s great to know that any time of the evening I can log on and place an order that I know will arrive within half an hour. �You have all of your choices of take away laid out in front of you. Whether it�s Chinese, Indian, Italian or Thai, kebabs or kormas. All you have to do is chose and then select from the online menus. �A lot of my friends are now using the site and it seems to be delivering the goods,� added Ben. Another advantage is that 118menu.com is firmly committed to helping charities raise funds with 5% of all profits donated to community organisations close to the hearts of each take away. Site users can add to that contribution if they wish. Word is spreading fast about Mark�s new initiative and he�s even attracted interest from soft drinks giant Pepsi who have partnered up with the site in a recent agreement. It�s clear that www.118menu.com is a website that will strike a chord with the taste buds of fast food lovers across the UK!

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For further information, please contact: Rob Wilkinson Tel: 01535 656104 Email: robjwilkinson@live.co.uk