It’s been another year of ups and downs for the restaurant industry. But restaurants and food trucks adapted, showing tremendous resilience throughout 2021.
This past year, Menufy published over 40 articles to the blog in hopes of assisting our 12,000+ restaurant partners and their customers. Our articles explored the ever-changing landscape of the service industry, featuring how-to guides, marketing tips, digital strategies, and consumer trends.
Let’s look back at 2021 and revisit our favorite blog posts from throughout the year.
The Menufy Blog Favorites
New Menufy Tools & Features
In 2021, we improved our online ordering platform, adding customizable features that increase convenience for customers and restaurant operators. Discover how we've changed our products to benefit those we serve!
Menufy's new customizable features allow restaurateurs to capitalize on this consumer trend. When enabled, they add a level of convenience for customers.
QR CODES: A PAPERLESS RESTAURANT MENU EXPERIENCE
Offering a QR code menu is the newest way to improve the diner experience and ensure the health of your customers and employees. Not only are paperless menus convenient and cost-efficient, but they also help relieve the pain of staffing shortages.
Our new free email marketing tool is an excellent way for restaurant partners to connect with repeat customers, promote new menu items, and announce upcoming specials.
FOOD TRUCK OPERATORS: MENUFY ONLINE ORDERING IS NOW AVAILABLE
We're excited to announce that stationary and mobile food truck providers now have a dedicated dashboard to configure online ordering and location scheduling!
Restaurant Industry Tips
Marketing and consumer trends are constantly changing, making the service industry feel overwhelming for some business owners. Luckily, 80% of Menufy employees come directly from restaurants and are here to share their professional experiences. Explore our favorite restaurant-focused solutions, tips, and how-to-guides from 2021.
Ask any restaurant worker, and chances are they'll tell you they've been on the receiving end of harassment when interacting with customers. Here are six tips for ensuring that your employees feel safe and empowered in the workplace.
SOLUTIONS FOR RESTAURANT STAFFING SHORTAGES
Restaurants that are feeling the stress of employee shortages do not need to panic. Menufy associates have compiled creative solutions to help our partners until staffing shortages stabilize.
INSTAGRAM STORY LINKS ARE NOW AVAILABLE
"Link" stickers are now available to every account, regardless of follower count, allowing everyone to share their favorite hyperlinks on Instagram Stories. Learn how to use Instagram's newest hyperlink feature and start marketing your restaurant websites for free!
Here are easy-to-follow guidelines from industry experts to help you take tasty pictures of your dishes.
Acquisition and Partnerships
Menufy has grown so much over the last twelve months! Through added partnerships, we've expanded the network of restaurant partners we are able to serve. Learn how far we've come this past year:
HUNGERRUSH ANNOUNCES THE ACQUISITION OF MENUFY
HungerRush, a leading cloud software provider for the restaurant industry, announces it has acquired Kansas City-based Menufy, an industry-leading online food ordering platform, and network.
UBER EXPANDS MENUFY’S DELIVERY REACH FOR RESTAURANTS
Menufy teamed up with Uber to help restaurants meet the increased customer demand for delivery.
MENUFY INTEGRATES WITH SQUARE TO FURTHER SUPPORT RESTAURANT GROWTH
Restaurateurs that use a Square for Restaurants point-of-sale (POS) system with Menufy can now benefit from streamlined workflows, improved web visibility, and reduced technology costs.
Our Neighborhood
The restaurant industry has always played a leading role in feeding communities. Explore how individuals and businesses can give back to the neighborhood they call home.
Getting involved in charitable events benefits the local community and has the potential to boost company morale and attract new customers! We suggest following our tips for hosting a restaurant-sponsored food drive.
DO YOUR PART TO REDUCE FOOD WASTE IN OUR COMMUNITIES
Whether you are cooking at home, ordering food online, or are a restaurant operator, be mindful of the food waste you are creating. By implementing small changes, we can all significantly reduce the amount of edible food that is thrown away each year.
PLASTIC STRAW BANS IN RESTAURANTS: 6 ALTERNATIVES THAT DON'T SUCK
An estimated 500 million straws are used every day in the US alone. If you're considering the move to more sustainable solutions but want to make sure your menu is accessible to everyone, here are some of the best plastic alternatives.
2021 Is 86'd
That’s a wrap of our favorite blog posts of 2021!
Thank you to our restaurant partners and customers who read the Menufy Blog. We hope you found inspiration to give back to your community, increase your online presence, and boost your bottom line.
We look forward to bringing you many more exciting Menufy feature developments and industry insights in the new year.
To order takeout or delivery, visit www.menufy.com or download our mobile app (Android or iOS).
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Melissa Dimmitt, Marketing Communications Coordinator
Melissa began her digital marketing career nearly a decade ago at a restaurant group. She worked with restaurant managers and executive chefs while coordinating seasonal menu releases, executing photoshoots, and creating fresh digital content.