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.
Note:
Menu items cannot be deleted after they have been created.
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:
Path: 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 food item) |
| Misc Item Sales | Open value; manual entry (can be used when 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, the merchant is required to redeem the balance of a store-issued gift card for cash upon request if the balance falls below a certain threshold. 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. (Use a Deposit key on the menu.) |
| Deposit Refund | Use to refund a deposit. Since a 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. See Add a Combo. |
| Open Value Non-Revenue | A value is manually entered for an open value 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. |
| Link to ... | Used to link a menu item to a menu item category. When the linked menu item is clicked, the ordering menu will display the menu items that exist in the linked menu item category. (Linking a menu item to a menu item category allows discounts to be applied to the menu items in that linked menu item category.) |
Menu item form pages
The 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)
- Combo form (See Add a Combo Menu Item)
- PLU/Barcode Entry form (See PLU/Barcode Search)
Complete the appropriate fields on the Add Menu Item form
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Menu item name |
| Button Name | Text in this field appears on the button on the POS ordering menu. (Button text differs from kitchen label and item name printed on the guest check.) If this field is blank, the button name will be inherited from the item name. Pre-condition for setting: Requires account feature toggle: Menu Item Button Name* |
| Description | Item description. Long-press (touch and hold) the menu item on the app ordering screen to display the description. This is also displayed to the guest on the guest UI. |
| 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 to go (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-facing interface, pop-ups will guide the customer through ordering this item. |
| Featured | Item is featured on the guest user interface and can be ordered. See Featured items/categories - Guest-facing UI |
| 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:
Pre-condition for setting: Requires account feature toggle: 4.0 G3e Make a menu item require staff to order it* |
| Require seat number | A seat number is required when ordering the item.
Pre-condition for setting: Requires account feature toggle: 4.0 G1c Seat Numbers* |
| Restricted; requires job permission to order | The menu item is only available for jobs with this job permission: Allow user to order restricted items
Pre-condition for setting: Requires account feature toggle: 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. |
| Guest-facing: Use checkbox modifications | Modifies the guest-facing user interface to customize an order, allowing guests to use checkboxes to select components and serving options. Pre-condition for setting: Requires account feature toggle: 4.8 Menu item: Checkbox modifications setting* |
| Type | Menu item type for this item (See Menu Item Types, above) |
| Sales Category | Sales category to be used for reporting the menu item |
| Prep Type | Preparation type established for the item (preset; used by QSR) |
| 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) |
| PLU/Barcode Number | PLU/Barcode number associated with menu item. Can be scanned or manually entered on app using the PLU/Barcode Entry button. Global- and site-level settings. |
| Cover Count | Number of servings (covers) the item represents
Pre-condition for setting: Requires account feature toggle: Cover Count - Menu Items* |
| Start Date | The date the menu item becomes available for ordering (Requires account feature toggle: Start and end dates) |
| End Date | The date the menu item is no longer available for ordering (Requires account feature toggle: Start and end dates) |
| Menu Item Categories | The menu item categories this menu item will appear in; multiple categories can be selected. (Menu Item Category selection required for this menu item to be available to order.) |
- Save - Save changes and close Add Menu Item window
- Save and Edit - Save changes and keep window open
- Cancel - Cancel changes and close Add Menu Item window
*Please contact your NorthStar representative to have this setting enabled for your account by a CBS system administrator.
Related articles
Add a Component to a Menu Item
Menu Item Categories - archive