RADFORD – Want to know what’s available at Macado’s or Salsarita’s in Radford but can’t find a copy of the menu? Want to call in an order but can’t find the phone number? Then look no further than www.radmenus.com, a menu-hosting website recently launched as the first business endeavor of Radford University’s Collegiate Entrepreneurs (CE).

Radmenus.com is the first comprehensive menu-hosting site dedicated to the Radford area. “There is nothing like this around here,” said Mike McCoy, an information technology and business management senior from Columbia, Md., and president of CE. The user-friendly site features a myriad of menus from Radford, Christiansburg and Blacksburg restaurants. Pricing, contact information and location hours are also available.

The idea for Radmenus.com was developed when CE members recognized the need for a one-stop source for students and community residents to find any and all information relevant to restaurants. “Our goal is to bring an end to the frustration of paper menus,” said Marc Capistrant, a member of CE from Centreville.

Each aspect of the website and business is operated entirely by members of CE, and due to their hard work and determination, the organization was able to transform a simple business idea into a working prototype in approximately three months. The custom-designed website was created by Nathan Good, a computer science major from Staunton, and Chris Jeffries, a media studies major from Lottsburg.

Created in 2004, CE was traditionally dedicated to helping RU students from all academic backgrounds pitch business ideas and receive constructive feedback and professional advice. With the launch of Radmenus.com, McCoy and project team leader Steve Sherman, a business management senior from Woodbridge, hope students will see that the organization now offers hands-on experience.

“This launch shows students that they can get real business experience through CE,” said Sherman. Within the organization, students can assume leadership roles in advertising, sales, accounting, event planning and webpage programming. “A large percentage of college students are interested in starting their own business or want real world experience. What better time to do so than in college when they have nothing to lose?” asked McCoy.

Restaurants on the site will receive three months of free advertising, an offer the organization feels is generous based on expected traffic to the site. After that time, a menu-listing fee and premium advertising will be available. In fact, 100 percent of the site’s advertisement revenue will go directly to CE. “There are so many students in the organization who want to start a business, but they don’t have the capital or experience to do so,” said McCoy. “We can now use the profit from Radmenus.com to fund those student endeavors and show them that we believe in their ideas.” Funds will also help finance future business competitions, field trips, guest speakers and professional seminars.

McCoy and Sherman trust Radmenus.com will become the primary restaurant portal for the area and are considering adding other features in the near future, including exclusive online coupons, online ordering and possible delivery outsourcing.

To learn more about Radmenus.com, or to request that a particular menu be added to the site, contact Steve Sherman at smsherman@radford.edu. To learn more about Collegiate Entrepreneurs, contact Mike McCoy at mmccoy12@radford.edu