Menumate collapse may slow food orders

Coffee lovers and restaurantgoers may face big queues after the collapse of Menumate due to poor management of the business, the liquidators say.

Menumate is a computerbased cashier, ordering, menu management, stock control and accounting system used by hundreds of cafes, restaurants, bakeries and fast food outlets around New Zealand.

One Christchurch restaurant owner, Michael Turner, said if liquidators failed to find a buyer quickly there would be major disruptions.

It would take several days and significant reorganisation to switch to other providers, and restaurants would have to use manual systems in the meantime, Turner said.

‘‘In many cases you buy the hardware as well as software from Menumate so it’s a big thing for the hospitality sector especially in Christchurch where they have a big market share. It’s highly inconvenient and I think it would take days to switch over to another system,’’ Turner said.

The main competitor to Menumate is WizBang, one of 20 potential bidders for the sale of the business as a going concern, which is expected to include three shareholders of Menumate.

WizBang co-owner Jamie Hansen said Menumate had been pricing unsustainably and had created unrealistic expectations among business owners.

‘‘But it would be a nightmare if all their clients came to us at once. There are smaller providers so people will be looking at their options.

‘‘We can switch clients over so they can continue to use their own hardware and install our software. The Menumate software has no value for us.

WizBang had prepared information material for Menumate clients and some had already approached his company, Hansen said.