Shipping My First SaaS: How I Built MenuMate for Restaurants

In 2024 I decided to stop waiting for the “perfect” idea and ship something real. I kept hearing the same pain from the restaurant owners around me: updating menus was slow, printing costs were painful, and no one had clarity on what guests actually ordered. So I challenged myself to build my first production SaaS from the ground up. The result is MenuMate—a modern digital menu and restaurant management platform that blends thoughtful UX with real-time operations.

Today, MenuMate is the flagship project I share with hiring managers and founders. It showcases how I approach product research, system design, frontend craft, and the little moments that make software feel reliable.

Listening First, Then Building

Before I wrote a single line of code I sat with owners, managers, and servers to map their workflows. Paper menus could not keep up with reality: prices changed weekly, dishes sold out hourly, and guests expected the convenience they get from delivery apps. Those interviews guided the pillars for MenuMate:

• Give owners complete control over their menu in minutes, not weeks
• Remove the recurring printing costs that eat into already thin margins
• Improve the guest experience with richer content, personalization, and accessibility
• Provide analytics so leaders can make decisions based on data instead of gut feelings

Designing a Product Restaurants Enjoy Using

Building MenuMate meant designing for two audiences at once.

For Restaurant Owners

I focused on features that make day-to-day operations calmer:

• 📱 Instant menu management with live previews so changes feel safe
• 🎨 Mobile-first layouts that adapt to each restaurant’s brand without extra design tools
• 📊 Real-time dashboard that surfaces sales trends and order volume automatically
• 🌍 Multi-language and currency support so global teams work in their native context
• 📄 PDF export for venues that still need a printed option for regulators or VIPs
• 🔗 QR code generation so each table and marketing campaign has its own entry point
• 📧 Newsletter system to keep loyal guests engaged directly from the dashboard

For Diners

I wanted the guest experience to feel effortless:

• No app required—scan a QR code and the menu is there instantly
• Helpful filters for dietary needs, allergens, and chef recommendations
• Secure checkout with familiar payment options
• Table-specific ordering that routes straight to the kitchen without mix-ups

Building My First Production SaaS as a Solo Developer

MenuMate is powered by Next.js 15 with the App Router so I can mix static content, streaming UI, and API routes in one codebase. TypeScript keeps refactors safe, while Tailwind CSS and shadcn/ui give me a consistent design language. For motion, I reach for Framer Motion—the hero animation and microinteractions reassure staff that their updates were saved.

On the backend, Supabase handles authentication, authorization, and a PostgreSQL database with Row Level Security so each restaurant works inside its own secure data silo. Live updates happen through Supabase real-time channels, and jobs like PDF generation and analytics collection sit behind edge functions.

Shipping this solo meant wearing every hat: UX research, system architecture, database design, and QA. I documented the data model and RLS strategy in docs/DB_OVERVIEW.md so future collaborators can onboard quickly.

Technical Highlights I’m Proud Of

• Instant menu publishing uses optimistic UI updates plus Supabase subscriptions so teams see changes on every device as soon as they press save.
• PDF parity with the digital menu via React PDF, giving owners a polished option for guests who still prefer paper.
• Actionable analytics through PostHog, helping owners spot their best sellers, drop-off points, and peak ordering hours.
• Delightful alerts powered by Sonner, giving clear feedback when permissions or inventory rules block an update.

What Comes Next

MenuMate launched as my first production SaaS, but it is far from finished. I am already iterating on table-side payments, loyalty programs, and deeper POS integrations. More importantly, I now have a repeatable framework for turning messy real-world problems into software that feels considered.

If you’re evaluating a developer who can research, design, and ship customer-ready products, MenuMate is my proof. Explore the live experience at MenuMate and let’s talk about building something remarkable together.