Summary
Menu items are any items that appear on menus and can be ordered. These can include food items and non-food items, such as gift cards, non-revenue* items (i.e., donations) and open-value items. Deposits and deposit refunds also appear as menu items on menus.
*Non-revenue items are not taxable.
Configuration
Basic steps to add a menu item:
- Go to Menu Items
- Click Add Menu Item
- Select menu item type
- Complete fields on the appropriate Add Menu Item form (general, combo or PLU/Barcode)
- Save changes
Detailed steps to add a menu item:
Log in to ECM. Go to Products > Menu Items.
Click Add Menu Item
Select the menu item type from the drop-down list on Creating a menu item pop-up.
Menu item types
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Sales | Item for sale (usually a standard entree food item) |
| Misc Item Sales | Open value; manual entry (can be used if an item is priced incorrectly or not on the menu) |
| Gift Card Open Value Sale | Activate a gift card and apply any amount of value; manual entry |
| Gift Card Preset Value Sale | Activate a gift card and apply a preset value |
| Gift Card Reload | Apply additional value to an existing active gift card |
| Gift Card Cash Out | In some states, if the balance of a store-issued gift card falls below a certain threshold, the merchant is required to redeem the gift card for cash upon request. In California, for example, a card under $10 can be refunded. |
| Non-Revenue | Items for sale that do not generate revenue (e.g., money collected for charity); these do not appear as revenue on reports. (Non-revenue items are not taxable.) |
| Deposit | Money paid toward a future order; not a sale. (There is a Deposit key on the menu.) |
| Deposit Refund | Use to refund a deposit; since the deposit is not a sale, it cannot be refunded through adjustments -> Refund. |
| Ticket Sale | Type used to sell tickets, e.g., a carnival ride. |
| Combo | Standard combo item; multiple items on an order are combined as a single menu item as defined by the restaurant. Refer to "Add a Combo." |
| Open Value Non-Revenue | Manual entry is used to assign a value to a non-revenue item. (Non-revenue items are not taxable.) |
| PLU/Barcode Entry | Used to create a menu item for PLU lookup (manual entry or barcode scan) on the OE app. |
The type of menu item form shown will depend on the menu item type selected from the drop-down:
- General form (For all types except Combo and PLU/Barcode Entry)
REPLACE PIC
- Combo form
- PLU/Barcode Entry form
Complete the appropriate fields on the Add Menu Item form
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Menu item name |
| Description | Item description (displayed to the guest) |
| Require Age Verification | Item requires that age be verified for the item ordered (e.g., alcohol). |
| Build Your Own | Guest can build (customize) the item. |
| Allow Save To Favorite | In guest-facing, if customer has an account, item can be saved to the customer's "Favorites." |
| Active | Make the menu item active/inactive on all applications. |
| Available for Take Away | Item can be ordered for take away (not consumed in the restaurant). |
| Available for Web Ordering | Item can be ordered online. |
| Refillable | Item can be refilled (usually beverages); can set a refill price or leave blank for free refill. |
| Automatically walk guest through ordering process | In Guest User interface, pop-ups will guide the customer through ordering this item. |
| Featured | Item is featured on the guest user interface and can be ordered. |
| Zero-priced items print on the check | Setting determines whether items set to $0.00 will print on the check. |
| Sold by weight | Sell this item with a weight component. |
| Hide menu item customization on add |
|
| Requires staff to order | A staff member must assist when ordering. When the item is ordered, the following message is displayed:
|
| Require seat number | A seat number is required when ordering the item. |
| Restricted; requires job permission to order | The menu item is only available for jobs with this job permission: Allow user to order restricted items |
| Number of Placements | Determines how many ways the item can be split up (e.g., pizza, left, right) |
| Price | The item price |
| Refill Price | The price for refilling the item (if charging for refill) |
| External Code | Leave as default value. External codes are used for 3rd-party software integration. |
| Background Color | Select a button color from the color palette displayed in the drop-down |
| Quantity included in purchase (ticket only) | The quantity of tickets included in the item purchase. A site might have an item that is worth 5 tickets, another worth 10 tickets. |
| Tare weight | The weight of the empty container for this menu item. When an item is sold by weight, the weight of the container is deducted before establishing price. |
| Type | Menu item type for this item |
| Sales Category | Sales category to be used for reporting the menu item |
| Prep Type | Preparation type established for the item |
| Prep Description | Preparation description sent to kitchen |
| Prep Category | Preparation category for the item |
| Prep Time (sec) | Approximate time to prepare this menu item |
| Convenience Center Category | The convenience center category for the item (if available in the convenience center) |
| Cover Count | Number of servings (covers) the item represents
|
| Start Date | The date the menu item becomes available for ordering |
| End Date | The date the menu item is no longer available for ordering |
| Menu Item Categories | The menu item categories this menu item will appear in; multiple categories can be selected. (Selection required for this menu item to be available.) |
- Save - Save changes and close Add Menu Item window
- Cancel - Cancel changes and close Add Menu Item window
- Apply - Apply changes and remain on open Add Menu Item window
Note:
Menu items cannot be deleted after they have been created.
Related articles
Add a Menu Item - Combo - archive