ENTERPRISING student Leon Doyle aims to become a takeaway tycoon – without cooking a curry, frying a fish or packing a pizza.
Instead, Leon helps takeaway owners boost their businesses by including their menus in a glossy brochure. Customers then pick and choose and take up a range of special offers.
Business experts were so impressed by Leon’s concept – known as The Master Menu – that he represented Huddersfield University at nationwide competition Venturefest in February and was then invited to travel to Manchester to pitch his idea to TV’s Dragon’s Den judges.
Leon, aged 23, who graduated from the university’s transport and logistics department, said: “You walk in after a hard day’s work and you are greeted by 10 to 15 leaflets and tatty menus on your doorstep.
“Certainly, that is the case if you are a student. Most of the menus go in the bin or are used just once because they are so cheap and tatty. So I wondered what would happen if I compiled all the local takeaway menus into a tidy magazine on good quality paper.”
After research among local takeaway owners, Leon went ahead with his idea. The Master Menu appeared in the Headingley area of Leeds – and takeaway owners who signed up for The Master Menu reported a significant rise in sales.
Now Leon aims to roll out his concept to other “student towns” in the UK – as students are the biggest consumers of takeaway food.
His fledgling company is also in the running for the New Business of the Year category in the 2009 Examiner Business Awards.
