Author Topic: NANY 2010 Release: Open Menu (Read 87,575 times)

Veign · « **Reply #25 on:** June 02, 2010, 09:54 PM »

Open Menu Search:
http://openmenu.com/search/

Check out what will be the first search engine for locating restaurants serving the food you're looking to eat. This is still an extremely early release populated with about 30K restaurants and about 2.5 million menu items.

Check it out and let me know what you think. Feedback always welcomed.

cranioscopical · « **Reply #26 on:** June 02, 2010, 10:59 PM »

Looks as if it's going to be a very neat thing.
At the moment it's weighted to urban settings: using the postal code of a Toronto suburb, the listings are for downtown Toronto.

Veign · « **Reply #27 on:** June 02, 2010, 11:07 PM »

The conversion from a postal code to a location is performed by Google. There may be issues where the returned results go into neighborhoods and such. This is something that will be refined over time.

The Open Menu Format can let you drill down to a suburb or neighborhood so the limitation is in how someone would use the results from the API (which is being developed so other developers can create tools like Open Menu Search).

Veign · « **Reply #28 on:** June 02, 2010, 11:13 PM »

@chris - Can you send me the postal code so I can file it for review when I get some time. Also, when you send it please send me how the locals refer to the location - what I should be looking for from the results from a Geocode. Use PM if you don't want to make the information public.

Thanx.

JavaJones · « **Reply #29 on:** June 04, 2010, 04:50 AM »

Very cool, I'll check it out. Sorry I haven't responded to your emails. Will do shortly.

- Oshyan

Veign · « **Reply #30 on:** June 04, 2010, 01:57 PM »

No worries Oshyan. I kinda figured you were busy.

When you get a chance drop me an email.

Veign · « **Reply #31 on:** June 23, 2010, 04:28 PM »

What's new with Open Menu:
1) OpenMenu.com now has a Restaurant Search. You can locate restaurants contained within the Open Menu Database. This gives you a peek of what the database holds.
2) Menu Embedding. You can embed a menu from Open Menu into your website. You choose the menu size, what data source will be used, if the menu display one column or two and Open Menu gives you the code
3) Working on getting into the corporate world. Contacting corporations who hold large quantities of restaurants.

I'm also looking for any professional level developer interested in creating a project powered by Open Menu. Anyone interested. I want to get independent developers pushing out projects which can be showcased by Open Menu.

Open Menu continues to move forward.

(comments and feedback always welcomed)

cranioscopical · « **Reply #32 on:** June 23, 2010, 05:29 PM »

Quote from: Veign on June 23, 2010, 04:28 PM

Open Menu continues to move forward.

Excellent, best of luck with it!

Veign · « **Reply #33 on:** July 02, 2010, 08:56 PM »

Open Menu will be on the upcoming talk radio show called Hospitality 101. With about 4000 listeners in the restaurant and hospitality business this is a big step in Open Menu gaining recognition.

Looking forward to the interview. Should be fun...

Paul Keith · « **Reply #34 on:** July 02, 2010, 11:05 PM »

Ouch! There are no restaurants in your country.

I wonder if independent places can submit their contact info. This looks like a concept that needs some kind of feature similar to WikiMapia.

Veign · « **Reply #35 on:** July 02, 2010, 11:13 PM »

Not sure what you mean 'there are no restaurants in your country'.

Sorry, but I really don't know what you mean...

cranioscopical · « **Reply #36 on:** July 02, 2010, 11:16 PM »

Quote from: Veign on July 02, 2010, 08:56 PM

Open Menu will be on the upcoming talk radio show called Hospitality 101. With about 4000 listeners in the restaurant and hospitality business this is a big step in Open Menu gaining recognition.

Looking forward to the interview. Should be fun...

Hey, well done!

Veign · « **Reply #37 on:** July 02, 2010, 11:20 PM »

Quote from: cranioscopical on July 02, 2010, 11:16 PM

Quote from: Veign on July 02, 2010, 08:56 PM
Open Menu will be on the upcoming talk radio show called Hospitality 101. With about 4000 listeners in the restaurant and hospitality business this is a big step in Open Menu gaining recognition.

Looking forward to the interview. Should be fun...

Hey, well done!

Thanx. Its been a lot of work to get to this point and there is still tons of work to be done.

mouser · « **Reply #38 on:** July 03, 2010, 01:27 AM »

Congratulations chris

Paul Keith · « **Reply #39 on:** July 03, 2010, 02:12 AM »

Quote from: Veign on July 02, 2010, 11:13 PM

Not sure what you mean 'there are no restaurants in your country'.

Sorry, but I really don't know what you mean...

This: http://openmenu.com/search/location.php

Type Philippines in there and you'll see 0 restaurants.

I didn't spot the get listed option on the bottom page though so my bad.

Veign · « **Reply #40 on:** July 03, 2010, 01:08 PM »

Open Menu is brand new. It will take time to get coverage around the world. Have to stay focused and right now that is from the US outward.

JavaJones · « **Reply #41 on:** July 04, 2010, 02:03 AM »

Sitting in a restaurant right now, need to get their menu converted (I'm friends with the owner). I have been completely swamped and haven't had time to reply to your email, but I haven't forgotten, and when I get more time I'll definitely be working to spread the word.

- Oshyan

Veign · « **Reply #42 on:** July 04, 2010, 02:06 PM »

Thanx Oshyan.

When you're ready, I'm ready :-)

When you get some time I really want to talk as it's come along way since we last chatted.

Veign · « **Reply #43 on:** July 14, 2010, 01:54 PM »

The re-branding of Open Menu has begun. Starting with the brand new logo:

What do you think of the logo?

JavaJones · « **Reply #44 on:** July 14, 2010, 04:53 PM »

I think it looks good! I like the font, the impression in the logo of an "open menu" and how the M echoes the imagery. The only thing I'm not certain about is the green and whether overall it gives you enough of an idea of what Open Menu *is*. But then how many logos really tell you the whole story? No, I think it's good.

- Oshyan

mouser · « **Reply #45 on:** July 14, 2010, 05:01 PM »

i agree with everything JJ says.

and if you WANTED to add some kind of imagery to suggest this was about meals/restaurants/etc you could always stick a small illustration of some sort inside the green circle or under the "M".

Veign · « **Reply #46 on:** July 14, 2010, 05:46 PM »

Trying to convery "what" open menu is in a logo would make it too complex. IMO, simple logos work best.

Wanted to keep it clean, professional, with a hint of a menu in the logo.

steeladept · « **Reply #47 on:** July 14, 2010, 05:51 PM »

I think it is perfect. I wouldn't want the logo any more busy than that either.

Veign · « **Reply #48 on:** September 03, 2010, 11:05 PM »

The first official Open Menu Wordpress plugin has been developed (by me) and released. This is my first ever Wordpress Plugin and I think it came out great.

Link: http://openmenu.com/wordpress-plugin.php

tsaint · « **Reply #49 on:** September 15, 2010, 12:39 AM »

Open menu got a review at makeuseof.com/ today. And the Open menu site looks great!