Empire Merchants Partners with SpotMenus by BrandMuscle to Offer Digital No-Touch Menus to Assist Hospitality Industry Recovery in the State of New York


CHICAGO and NEW YORK, Sept. 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Empire Merchants and Empire Merchants North, the premier wine and spirits distributor in New York announced today that it is expanding its partnership with BrandMuscle, a leader in local marketing and the nation’s largest menu producer, to offer a digital mobile menu solution. Empire Merchants and BrandMuscle will offer SpotMenus, a QR-code based digital mobile menu platform, to provide a sanitary way for consumers to view menus and help establishments comply with New York’s reopening guidelines to reduce the risk of COVID-19. SpotMenus complements disposable and sanitary menus that BrandMuscle provides, giving New York establishments an array of safe menu choices for reopening responsibly.

Restaurants and bars can now opt-in to deploy no-touch, digital versions of wine and spirits menus backed by Empire Merchants, in compliance with state laws. BrandMuscle will also directly offer the SpotMenus platform for establishments to upload food menus, so that guests have an easy, sanitary way to use their personal mobile devices to instantly view all menus at these locations. Establishments that join the SpotMenus program will receive a welcome kit with QR-code signage for use at the establishment that, when scanned with any smartphone camera, instantly displays menus without the need for sign-up or download.

“As New York State progresses thorough the various phases of re-opening, our partnership with BrandMuscle allows us to be there for restaurants and bars when they need us most,” said David Drucker, Executive Vice President, Sales at Empire Merchants. “SpotMenus allows us to help our clients overcome some of the challenges and concerns presented by COVID-19.”

The SpotMenus platform gives restaurants and bars of all sizes an affordable and easy way to leverage a no-touch digital menu system that allows for easy menu updates and fast menu access on mobile devices. Starting today, any establishment can contact their Empire Merchants sales representative to opt-in to the SpotMenus program.

“Empire Merchants is empowering restaurants and bars across New York with a menu platform that will help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and alleviate customer concerns,” said Michael Marchetti, Chief Customer Officer at BrandMuscle. “We value our longstanding relationship with Empire Merchants and are honored to work with them to offer SpotMenus to local businesses as they re-open safely.”

To Learn More: 

About BrandMuscle 

BrandMuscle is the leader in integrated local and channel marketing, serving over 300 of the world’s top brands, with 700 professionals in seven offices globally. The BrandMuscle Integrated Local Marketing Platform enables brands and their local marketing partners to deliver the greatest marketing impact to each individual customer. BrandMuscle simplifies and scales digital and physical marketing execution, enabling brands to acquire and retain the best customers, build loyalty, enhance lifetime customer value, and maximize ROI. For more information about BrandMuscle visit https://www.brandmuscle.com/ or call (866) 464-4342. Learn more about SpotMenus at https://www.spotmenus.com.

About Empire Merchants  

Empire Merchants is the premier wine and spirits distributor in the metropolitan New York area with roots going back to the end of Prohibition. With more than 1,000 dedicated employees and state-of-the-art facilities, Empire Merchants has become synonymous with both service and quality and has earned the loyalty of more than 10,000 area restaurants, bars, hotels, nightclubs and retail outlets. Our centrally located offices and warehouses in Queens and Brooklyn stock over 7000 unique beverage alcohol products, shipped to us from our global supplier partners. Our sophisticated warehouse management and sortation systems allow us to effortlessly track a single case as it moves through our distribution center and onto a truck for delivery to the trade next business day. The company was formed in February 2007 through the legal combination of Charmer Industries Inc. and Peerless Importers Inc. in Metro New York. The resulting company, Empire Merchants, is a partnership between Bulldog Ventures Ltd., a company owned by the Magliocco family, and Charmer Industries, Inc., a company owned by the Drucker and Merinoff families. For more information about Empire Merchants LLC, visit https://www.empiremerchants.com/ or call (800) 338-3880.

About Empire Merchants North

Empire Merchants North was formed in February 2007 from the merging of Colony Liquor & Wine Distributors and Service-Universal Distributors, two companies whose roots reach back to the end of Prohibition. The result is Upstate New York’s premier wine and spirits distributor, proudly building on decades of experience. With state-of-the-art facilities and a dedicated team of over 650 knowledgeable and well-equipped employees, Empire Merchants North has become synonymous with both service and quality, earning the loyalty of more than 9,000 restaurants, bars, hotels, nightclubs and retail outlets. For more information about Empire Merchants North, visit https://empirenorth.com/empire-merchants-north/ or call (800) 724-3960.