With the spread of COVID-19 resulting in significant impacts on the restaurant and takeaway sector, national New Zealand food delivery service, Menulog, has announced it will halve its commission for local restaurants until 1 June 2020, to support them as they reopen in line with New Zealand moving to COVID-19 Alert Level 3.
The Menulog App and website will reopen from 7.00am Tuesday 28 April 2020, with Menulog operating at half its standard commission for restaurants, moving from 14% to just 7% until 1 June 2020.
More than 800 existing Menulog partners can take advantage of the half commission offer, with the support initiative also open to new restaurant partners that may need Menulog’s Contact-Free Collection and Delivery services to help them meet the requirements of an Alert Level 3 situation.
Menulog will also continue to waive all sign up fees, which it announced prior to Level 4 restrictions in March, so that there is no additional cost for restaurants to take advantage of Menulog services.
Menulog has supported local restaurants for more than eight years, providing online ordering and delivery integration technology to restaurants with their own drivers. Menulog is not only available in large cities, but in regional areas across New Zealand’s North and South Islands.
Amid COVID-19, Menulog has worked closely with all partners, as well as industry groups, to develop initiatives to support both restaurants and customers and keep everyone in the Menulog community safe.
Menulog implemented Contact-free Collection and Delivery for all orders by default last month and will continue to support all restaurants with guidance on how to continue to implement this both at the restaurant location and when delivering to customers.
The Menulog service in New Zealand will be completely cash free, with all orders able to be paid for prior to collection or delivery.
Restaurant Association CEO Marisa Bidois said: “We welcome this effort being made by delivery service, Menulog, to do what they can to help our battling industry. We continue to work with Government and industry stakeholders to help drive cost-saving initiatives from all delivery services, so to see Menulog halve all commission nationally to 7% is a very welcome move.”
Menulog Managing Director, Morten Belling said “We know this is one of the most challenging times restaurants have ever been through. We’ve launched our 7% commission initiative, along with Contact-free collections and deliveries, to help restaurants reopen, recover and operate in line with Level 3 restrictions.
“Our partners across New Zealand tell us that high fees for delivery logistics are not feasible for them and so we’re working with many restaurants to help them to redeploy existing employees as delivery drivers and take online orders through the Menulog self-delivery platform.
Not only does this help keep Kiwis employed, but it provides a way for businesses to generate orders at a significantly lower cost. “The food delivery industry has a crucial role to play at this time of national crisis and it is only right that Menulog steps up to help our partners so they can keep delivering for the communities that need them.”
Menulog will continue to work closely with restaurant partners, industry and community organisations on initiatives to support local businesses and customers as New Zealand enters Level 3 restrictions next week. As additional safety measures, Menulog has also made available free delivery bag seals and in-store signage and will continue to update its online information hubs for both restaurants and customers with the latest guidance from health authorities
