Alternatives
Starstix Alternative for Local Businesses
Starstix alternative searches usually come from a local business owner who likes the idea of an ad people can't scroll past, but wants to compare settings first. Starstix puts ads on grocery checkout lane dividers. Next Bite Media puts ad cards in napkin dispensers on restaurant tables. Here is how the two line up.
Next Bite Media vs. Starstix: feature by feature
| Next Bite Media | Starstix | |
|---|---|---|
| Setting | Tables inside local restaurants | Checkout lanes inside grocery stores |
| Audience posture | Seated, waiting for food or finishing a meal | Standing in line, unloading a cart |
| Time near the ad | The length of a sit-down meal | The length of a checkout wait |
| Exclusivity model | One advertiser per category per restaurant, approved by the owner | The only advertiser on full-service lanes at a store, according to its website |
| How locations are chosen | You pick restaurants from our network near your business | Search by ZIP code, city, or state and set a radius, according to its website |
| Campaign length | Flat monthly plan with a minimum term | 12, 24, or 52 weeks, according to its website |
| Creative format | 6.5 by 4.25 inch full-color card in the dispenser window | Custom artwork on lane dividers; size not listed on the page |
| Who it fits | Non-food local services that want the dining-out crowd | Local businesses that want the weekly grocery crowd |
About Starstix: Starstix sells advertising on grocery store checkout lane dividers. According to its website, an advertiser can be the only advertiser on the full-service checkout lanes at a store, and can pick from over 6,000 locations by searching a ZIP code, city, or state and setting a radius. Its site lists campaign lengths of 12, 24, or 52 weeks, says its creative team designs custom artwork, and says it handles the process from proof to placement. Source: https://www.starstix.com/how-it-works.
Seated Diners and Shoppers in Line Are Different Moments
A grocery line is a short, busy stretch. People are watching the belt, bagging, and getting a card out. The divider is right there and gets handled, which is part of what Starstix sells.
A restaurant table is slower. People sit down, order, and wait, often with a phone face down and a napkin dispenser within reach. A card in that window gets read in a quieter moment, and it stays there until the plates are cleared.
Neither moment is better in general. The question is whether your customers are easier to catch while they shop for the week or while they eat out near home or work.
Who Gets the Category at a Grocery Store vs. a Restaurant
According to its website, a Starstix advertiser can be the only advertiser on the full-service checkout lanes in a store. That is store-level exclusivity: one business holds the dividers there.
Our model is narrower and shared. A restaurant can carry a few advertisers, but only one per category, so a dentist never sits next to another dentist. The restaurant owner approves each one and can ask for any card to be removed.
- Store-wide exclusivity suits a business that wants a location to itself
- Category exclusivity suits a business that wants many tables at a lower footprint per spot
Running Both Without Doubling Up
Some businesses use more than one in-person format. If you do, put a different QR code or offer code on each, so you can tell which one brought the call. Ask new customers where they saw you, and write the answer down.
If you only pick one, look at where your customers spend unhurried time. Plans and terms for napkin dispenser ads are on our <a href="/pricing/">pricing page</a>.
When each one fits
Starstix fits a business that wants grocery shoppers and the idea of being the only advertiser on a store's checkout lanes, with fixed 12, 24, or 52 week runs, according to its website. Napkin dispenser ads fit a non-food local service that wants people who eat out near its office, seated with time to read, and wants to pick specific restaurants, with one advertiser per category at each. Your customers' habits should decide it.
Frequently asked questions
Is Next Bite Media affiliated with Starstix?
No. Next Bite Media is a separate company that places ad cards in napkin dispensers at Los Angeles County restaurants. Starstix sells grocery checkout lane divider ads. We wrote this page to compare the two formats using only what Starstix publishes on its own website.
What is the main difference between Starstix and napkin dispenser ads?
The setting. Starstix ads sit on checkout lane dividers in grocery stores, where people stand in line. Napkin dispenser ads sit on restaurant tables, where people are seated for a meal. Both are physical ads that stay in place; the audience is in a different frame of mind.
Can I pick the exact restaurants my ad goes in?
Yes. You choose restaurants from our network near your business, and your card goes in the dispensers there. The restaurant owner approves each advertiser, and only one business per category appears at a restaurant, so you won't share a table with a direct competitor.
Do napkin dispenser ads have a set campaign length?
Plans are a flat monthly fee with a minimum term, sized by the number of restaurants: Single Spot, Neighborhood, and Area Takeover. Design, printing, installation, and route check-ins are included. Current terms are on the pricing page because prices are not final yet.
Open spots
See which restaurants near you are open in your category
One advertiser per category per restaurant. We reply within one business day with what's open.