menu

What menu does

menu, Inc. (menu株式会社) is a Japanese food delivery and takeout platform that operates a three-sided marketplace connecting restaurants, consumers, and independent delivery personnel (menuクルー) across all 47 prefectures of Japan. The company was founded in 2018 (originally under the name TAPGO) and is headquartered in Yotsuya Tower, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, with 101–250 employees. The platform is exposed to end consumers through a smartphone app (iOS/Android), to restaurants through a web-based store portal and tablet-based order management application with audio/visual order alerts, and to delivery partners through a dedicated crew application — with onboarding of restaurants handled direct via the website, typically completing in 1–2 weeks. menu differentiates through two structural assets: (1) deep integration with KDDI's Ponta Pass loyalty program, which gives the platform top-of-funnel access to KDDI's au mobile subscriber base, and (2) an exclusive "至高の銘店" (Supreme Establishments) content series featuring Michelin-starred and internationally acclaimed restaurants (Tim Ho Wan, Ginza Kyubey, Taimeiken, etc.). Following the 2021 KDDI investment and a 2023 joint venture consolidation with KDDI and Reazon — under which menu became majority-owned by the two — the company has repositioned itself as a broader last-mile delivery and quick commerce platform, with grocery and daily-necessities delivery added to the consumer app. The platform's product is reinforced by a published Information Security Basic Policy (effective April 1, 2024, signed by President Nobuta Atsuo) and a 24-hour support desk for restaurant partners.

menu makes money through a transactional take-rate model layered on top of a logistics service. The primary revenue stream is a service/commission fee charged to restaurants on delivered orders, with restaurant-paid platform usage fees and delivery handling fees; takeout service was free as of 2022. A second stream is the customer-facing delivery fee collected via the app and passed to delivery partners. A third, smaller stream is advertising and promotional campaign placements, with some restaurant partners reporting ¥500万+ (>$33K) in incremental monthly sales during active campaigns. Restaurant onboarding is structured to minimize friction: ¥0 initial setup cost (limited-time promotional), no renewal or cancellation fees, optional tablet rental, and optional WiFi-free SIM tablet rental for restaurants without their own devices. Settlement to restaurants is monthly, with transfers held until balances exceed ¥5,000 (capped at 6 months). The customer base is highly distributed across SMB and mid-market restaurants (no single logo dominates the case-study set), and consumers self-serve through the app stores. The 2023 KDDI/Reazon restructuring and stated ambition to evolve into a "last-mile platform" position menu to potentially productize its delivery infrastructure beyond its own restaurant marketplace, though this remains aspirational rather than disclosed revenue.

Name

menu

Legal name

menu株式会社 (menu, Inc.)

Website

https://store.menu.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

menu is a Japanese food delivery and takeout marketplace connecting restaurants, consumers, and delivery crews across all 47 prefectures, operating as a KDDI/Reazon joint venture with Ponta Pass loyalty integration and premium Michelin-affiliated restaurant content.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Food Delivery

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251), Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Restaurant Meal Delivery Platforms & Aggregators (AFAIAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Delivery & Restaurant Logistics Platforms (BPAMAHAB), Restaurant Meal & Prepared Food Delivery (CRAFAFAB)

Keywords

• Food delivery platform
• Restaurant marketplace
• Takeout service
• Delivery logistics
• Quick commerce

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Delivery Service Commission: menu charges restaurants a service fee/commission on orders. Restaurants pay usage fees and delivery handling fees on delivered orders. For takeout, service was free as of 2022.
2. Delivery Fee: Delivery fee charged to customers for delivery orders, separate from food price. Collected via the app and passed to delivery partners.
3. Advertising/Promotion: Restaurants can run promotional campaigns on the platform. menu offers campaign placements that drive significant sales impact (e.g., monthly 500万+ JPY in sales reported by some partners).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

menu operates a three-sided food delivery and takeout marketplace in Japan, connecting restaurants (via a tablet-based order management portal) with end consumers (via iOS/Android apps) and fulfilling orders through its own network of independent delivery partners called menuクルー. The platform processes orders and payments, charges restaurants commissions and customers delivery fees, and has expanded into grocery and daily necessities delivery. The service is differentiated by Ponta Pass loyalty integration with KDDI's au subscriber base and an exclusive premium restaurant content series.

Product overview

menu is a Japanese food delivery and takeout platform operating as a multi-sided marketplace with three distinct interfaces: a restaurant store portal (store.menu.jp), a consumer mobile application (app.menu.jp), and a delivery partner application (crew.menu.inc). The platform connects restaurants with consumers through delivery and takeout ordering, supported by menu's own delivery personnel network. Key differentiators include the Ponta Pass loyalty integration with au mobile subscribers, and the exclusive '至高の銘店' (Supreme Establishments) brand featuring Michelin-starred restaurants. The platform has expanded beyond restaurant food to include grocery and daily necessities delivery. menu operates as a joint venture primarily owned by KDDI and Reazon following their expanded partnership in April 2023.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• menu Restaurant Store Portal (store.menu.jp) Web-based portal for restaurants to register on the platform, manage menus, and accept/process delivery and takeout orders via a tablet application with audio alerts and order status tracking. Used by SMB and enterprise restaurant partners across Japan.
• menu Consumer App Smartphone application (iOS/Android) for end consumers to browse partner restaurants, place delivery and takeout orders, make pre-payments, and also access grocery and daily necessities delivery. Covers all 47 prefectures of Japan.
• menu Crew Delivery Partner App Dedicated application for independent delivery personnel (menuクルー) to receive, manage, and fulfill delivery assignments using their own transportation. Used by individual contractors across Japan.
• menu Grocery/Daily Necessities Delivery Delivery of food items, groceries, and daily necessities to consumers through the menu app, expanding the platform beyond restaurant meals into broader on-demand consumer goods.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sales increase of 10x+ month-over-month reported by Tim Ho Wan after menu introduction
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ReazoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 April 2023Reazon and KDDI expanded partnership with menu, with menu becoming a joint venture majority owned by KDDI and Reazon. Reazon collaborates on building a comprehensive delivery ecosystem including data marketing capabilities and quick commerce expansion.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Demaecan (出前館): Japan's largest domestic food delivery platform, operating a three-sided marketplace connecting restaurants, couriers, and consumers nationwide. Directly comparable as menu's closest domestic competitor with similar restaurant onboarding, delivery commission model, and Japanese market focus.
• Uber Eats Japan: Global food delivery leader operating in Japan with similar restaurant marketplace, courier network, and consumer app. Direct competitor with materially larger marketing budget and global parent capital backing, competing head-to-head with menu for restaurant supply and consumer demand.
• Wolt (DoorDash Japan): DoorDash-owned food delivery platform operating in Japan with comparable three-sided marketplace, courier fleet, and restaurant onboarding model. Direct competitor with significantly deeper balance sheet from DoorDash parent and aggressive market entry strategy in Japan.
• menu: The Japanese food delivery platform operated by menu Inc. (formerly TAPGO), offering three-sided marketplace connecting restaurants, delivery couriers, and consumers across all 47 Japanese prefectures with KDDI/Reazon backing and Ponta Pass loyalty integration.
• menu Inc. (formerly TAPGO): The subject company itself - Japanese food delivery and takeout platform operating three-sided marketplace with KDDI/Reazon telecom backing, Ponta Pass loyalty integration, and Michelin-starred premium restaurant content across all 47 Japanese prefectures.

Emerging players

• OniGO: Japanese quick commerce and food delivery startup operating dark-store-based grocery and prepared food delivery. Comparable as an emerging Japanese delivery player with multi-vertical ambitions similar to menu's grocery expansion, though focused on quick commerce versus menu's restaurant-led model.
• Chompy: Japanese restaurant food delivery platform operating similar restaurant marketplace model with courier fulfillment. Comparable as a domestic Japanese delivery competitor with overlapping restaurant supply, though at smaller scale and without menu's KDDI/Reazon telecom backing.

Broad incumbents

• Rakuten Delivery: Rakuten Group's food delivery service operating as part of Rakuten's broader e-commerce and fintech ecosystem. Comparable as a Japanese food delivery player with significant cross-promotion potential from Rakuten's large loyalty/user base, similar to menu's KDDI/Ponta integration.
• DoorDash: Global US food delivery leader operating the Wolt brand in Japan. Comparable as the broader parent of one of menu's most direct competitors, providing strategic context on the global food delivery economics and competitive dynamics menu faces.
• Uber Technologies (Uber Eats): Global ride-hailing and food delivery conglomerate operating Uber Eats in Japan. Comparable as the parent of one of menu's largest direct competitors, with global capital reserves enabling sustained Japanese market subsidy programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/menu_sns
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/menu-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about menu