Menulog Alternative
A Menulog alternative that puts the app under your own name
Bite2Byte is a Menulog alternative for Australian restaurants: instead of a listing on a shared marketplace, the restaurant gets an ordering app and website carrying only its own name. Payments run through the restaurant's own Stripe account, and no marketplace commission is taken on orders placed through the app.
The short answer
- Menulog is a shared marketplace. Bite2Byte builds one branded app and website per restaurant.
- Orders and payments settle into the restaurant's own Stripe account, not a shared marketplace ledger.
- Loyalty points, punch cards and a loyalty scanner cover app orders and till orders alike.
- A menu file, or a link to an existing online listing, can be imported with photos, usually the same day.
- Pickup and pre-orders are live now. Native delivery dispatch arrives with the public launch.
Where a marketplace fits and where a branded app fits
Menulog is an established marketplace in Australia, and a listing there puts a restaurant in front of people who are already deciding where to order from tonight. For a restaurant trying to fill quiet shifts or reach a new postcode, that is a real advantage, and a standalone app will not replicate it on its own.
The trade-off is what happens to the customer relationship after that first order. On a marketplace, the account, the order history and the messaging channel belong to the platform. A weekly regular can still be effectively a stranger to the restaurant unless they introduce themselves in person.
Bite2Byte sits on the other side of that trade-off. The app and website carry the restaurant's own name, and the restaurant holds the customer account, the loyalty history and the ability to send a push notification directly. It is built for the customers who already know you.
Bite2Byte and Menulog: two different models
| Capability | Menulog | Bite2Byte |
|---|---|---|
| Ordering channel | A listing on a shared marketplace app | A dedicated app and website under the restaurant's own name |
| Customer ownership | The marketplace holds the account and order history | The restaurant holds the account, order history and contact details |
| Commission on orders | Commission that varies by platform and plan | 0% marketplace commission on orders placed through the app |
| Payment settlement | Processed through the marketplace's own payment system | Settles directly to the restaurant's own Stripe account |
| Loyalty program | Any rewards belong to the marketplace and its wider customer base | Restaurant-specific points, punch cards, milestones and a till scanner |
| Direct marketing | Limited to what the marketplace app allows | Push notifications and promo codes set by the restaurant |
| New customer discovery | Strong: people browsing the marketplace for somewhere to order from | Depends on the restaurant promoting its own app |
What sits around an order in a branded app
These pieces come with the order once it is placed through the restaurant's own app.
Menu control down to variants
Dishes, variants and add-ons are edited live, and a sold-out item can be snoozed in one tap mid-service.
A dashboard built for staff
A live orders dashboard for the floor and kitchen, plus a vendor dashboard for hours, promos, loyalty and analytics.
Points that work in person too
A loyalty scanner lets walk-in and till orders earn the same points as app orders, so loyalty is not app-only.
Scheduling for busy periods
Customers can book a pickup time slot in advance, which spreads the kitchen's load across the shift.
One codebase, every platform
The same build powers the web app, iOS and Android, so a menu or branding change applies everywhere at once.
Moving from a marketplace listing to a branded app
A workable sequence for a restaurant already listed on Menulog.
- 1
Send the current menu across
A menu file, or a link to your existing online listing, is enough to import dishes and photos into the branded app.
- 2
Go live on the web first
The website ordering link launches first, with guest checkout, while the native apps go through store review.
- 3
Point regulars to the new app
Receipts, in-store signage and social links direct known customers to the branded app, where loyalty points start building.
Questions, answered
- Is Menulog the same kind of platform as Bite2Byte?
- No. Menulog is a marketplace that lists many restaurants together and takes a commission on each order. Bite2Byte builds one branded app and website per restaurant, with no other restaurants listed alongside it and no marketplace commission on orders placed through it.
- Can a restaurant run Menulog and Bite2Byte together?
- Yes. Nothing stops a restaurant doing both. The marketplace can keep bringing in people who are browsing it, while the branded app handles orders from customers who already know the restaurant, along with loyalty rewards and promo codes that belong to the restaurant.
- How long does it take to launch a branded app?
- Setup is handled for the restaurant, including build, store submission, hosting and ongoing updates, so no developer or technical skill is needed. Launch is measured in days rather than months for the web ordering link, with the iOS and Android apps following once store review clears.
- What happens to loyalty built up on Menulog?
- Loyalty history recorded inside a marketplace stays in that marketplace's own system. A branded app starts its own program from scratch, with points, punch cards and milestone rewards that belong to the restaurant from the first order onward.
See how your menu looks in a branded app
Book a demo and we will bring your current menu across, so you can compare it against your Menulog listing directly.
Book a live demo