Menu Management

Overview

Menus are collections of categories and items that can be assigned to locations and channels. A business can have multiple menus for different purposes (lunch, dinner, catering, etc.).

Key Purpose: Organize and assign menu content to locations and channels.

Purpose

This page lets you create, edit, publish, and manage menus that define which categories and items are available at each location and ordering channel.

Key Concepts

Menu: A named collection of display groups (containing categories and items) assigned to a location, with a status (Draft, Published, Archive) and channel visibility settings.
Menu Status: Menus follow a lifecycle of Draft, Published, and Archive. New menus are automatically set to Published on creation.
Channel Visibility: Each menu specifies which channels it is visible on (Online Ordering, Kiosk, etc.). Changing visibility is blocked if the menu is actively used by a kiosk device profile.
Display Groups: Menus contain display groups that define which categories and items appear. Display groups are synced when a menu is created or updated.
Menu Name Uniqueness: Menu names must be unique per location; attempting to create or rename a menu to a name already in use at the same location returns a 400 error.

Actions

Add a new menu with a name, location, channel visibility, and display groups. The menu is automatically set to Published status and its display groups are synced.

Update a menu's name, visibility, or display groups. Changes dispatch a MenuUpdated event (for Uber Eats sync) and a ReloadMenu event for all ordering channels.

Create a copy of an existing menu including all its display groups. Each display group is duplicated and linked to the new menu.

Change a menu's status. Setting a menu to Draft or Archive is blocked if the menu is currently assigned to any kiosk device profile with active devices. Publishing makes the menu available on its configured channels.

Remove a menu and all its associated display groups permanently.

Location

Backoffice Route: /menus
Backend Controller: app/Http/Controllers/Api/MenuController.php
Vue Component: src/views/menus/index.vue

Concepts

A named collection containing categories and their items.

Linking a menu to a location and/or channel.

Time-based rules for when a menu is active.

Fields

Property	Value
Field ID	`name`
Label	Menu Name
Type	Text
Required	Yes
Validation	max: 100 characters

Description: Name of the menu for internal reference and display.

Examples:

"Main Menu"
"Lunch Menu"
"Dinner Menu"
"Weekend Brunch"
"Catering Menu"
"Kids Menu"

Property	Value
Field ID	`description`
Label	Description
Type	Textarea
Required	No
Validation	max: 300 characters

Description: Optional description of the menu.

Examples:

"Our full menu available all day"
"Special lunch offerings, available 11am-3pm"

Property	Value
Field ID	`category_ids`
Label	Categories
Type	Multi-select (sortable)
Required	Yes

Assigned Locations

Property	Value
Field ID	`location_ids`
Label	Locations
Type	Multi-select
Required	No
Default	All locations

Description: Which locations use this menu.

Business Logic:

Empty = available at all locations
Specific locations = only those locations

Property	Value
Field ID	`is_default`
Label	Default Menu
Type	Toggle
Default	false

Description: Whether this is the default menu for assigned locations.

Business Logic:

Default menu shown when no schedule matches
Only one default per location

Property	Value
Field ID	`active`
Label	Active
Type	Toggle
Default	true

Description: Whether this menu is currently active.

Availability Type

Property	Value
Field ID	`availability_type`
Label	Availability
Type	Select
Options	always, scheduled
Default	always

Description: When this menu is available.

Options:

Always: Menu available during all business hours
Scheduled: Menu available during specific times

Schedule

Property	Value
Field ID	`schedule`
Label	Schedule
Type	Weekly Schedule
Required	Yes (if scheduled)
Depends On	availability_type = scheduled

Description: Days and times when this menu is available.

Structure:

json

{
  "Monday": { "enabled": true, "from": "11:00", "to": "15:00" },
  "Tuesday": { "enabled": true, "from": "11:00", "to": "15:00" },
  ...
}

Valid From

Property	Value
Field ID	`valid_from`
Label	Start Date
Type	Date
Required	No

Description: Date when menu becomes available.

Use Cases:

Seasonal menus
Promotional menus
New menu launches

Valid Until

Property	Value
Field ID	`valid_until`
Label	End Date
Type	Date
Required	No

Description: Date when menu expires.

Channel-Specific Menus

Property	Value
Field ID	`online_ordering_menu_id`
Label	Online Ordering Menu
Type	Select
Scope	Location setting

Description: Menu used for online ordering at this location.

Property	Value
Field ID	`kiosk_menu_id`
Label	Kiosk Menu
Type	Select
Scope	Device setting

Description: Menu displayed on specific kiosk.

Property	Value
Field ID	`in_house_menu_id`
Label	In-House Menu
Type	Select
Scope	Location setting

Description: Menu for dine-in/QR ordering.

Business Logic

Customer opens ordering channel
        │
        ▼
Get location's menus
        │
        ▼
Filter by channel (online, kiosk, in-house)
        │
        ▼
Filter by current date (valid_from/valid_until)
        │
        ▼
Filter by current time (schedule)
        │
        ▼
Multiple menus match?
├── Yes → Use priority/default
└── No match → Use default menu
        │
        ▼
Display selected menu

When multiple menus could apply:

Scheduled menu matching current time
Default menu for location
First active menu

Category Inheritance

Menu contains Categories
        │
        ▼
Categories contain Items
        │
        ▼
Items have Modifiers
        │
        ▼
Full menu structure displayed

Customer Impact

Online Ordering

Menu determines available items
Scheduled menus change automatically
Categories shown in menu order

Kiosk

Assigned menu displayed
Can differ from online menu
Updates when menu changes

Automatic based on time
Customer sees appropriate menu
No manual intervention needed

Relations

Depends On

Categories: Menus contain categories
Locations: Menus assigned to locations

Affects

Online Ordering: Which items available
Kiosk: Which items displayed
Reports: Sales by menu

Business Rules

Menu names must be unique per location; creating or renaming a menu to a name already used at the same location is rejected with a 400 error.
New menus are automatically set to "Published" status on creation; there is no draft-first workflow unless the merchant explicitly changes the status afterward.
A menu cannot be set to Draft or Archive if it is currently assigned to a kiosk device profile that has active devices; the system returns a 400 error to prevent breaking live kiosks.
When a menu is deleted, all display groups associated with that menu are also deleted automatically.
Updating a menu dispatches both a MenuUpdated event (for Uber Eats integration sync) and a ReloadMenu event so all ordering channels reflect the change immediately.

FAQs

Can I have different menus for online ordering and kiosk? Yes. Each location can assign different menus to different channels (online ordering, kiosk, in-house) through device profiles and location settings.
What happens when I duplicate a menu? A new menu is created with all display groups copied. Each display group is duplicated independently and linked to the new menu, so changes to the copy do not affect the original.
Can a menu be assigned to multiple locations? Menus are created per location. To use the same menu structure at another location, duplicate it and assign it there.
What is the difference between Draft and Archive? Both statuses hide the menu from customers, but Draft indicates work-in-progress while Archive indicates a menu that is no longer needed. Neither can be set if the menu is actively used by kiosk devices.
Does publishing a menu make it immediately visible to customers? Yes, publishing sets the menu status to "Published" and it becomes available on all configured channels for the assigned location right away.

Troubleshooting

Causes:

Menu not active
Menu not assigned to location
Outside schedule/date range
No categories in menu

Solutions:

Activate menu
Assign to location
Check schedule settings
Add categories

Causes:

Schedule overlap
Wrong default menu
Time zone issue

Solutions:

Review menu schedules
Set correct default
Check location timezone

Causes:

Category not in menu
Item not in category
Item unavailable

Solutions:

Add category to menu
Assign item to category
Enable item availability

Causes:

Schedule not configured correctly
Cache not refreshed
Timezone mismatch

Solutions:

Review schedule settings
Clear cache
Verify timezone

Examples

json

{
  "name": "Main Menu",
  "description": "Our full menu",
  "category_ids": ["starters", "mains", "desserts", "drinks"],
  "location_ids": [],
  "is_default": true,
  "active": true,
  "availability_type": "always"
}

Lunch & Dinner Menus

json

{
  "menus": [
    {
      "name": "Lunch Menu",
      "category_ids": ["lunch-specials", "sandwiches", "salads", "drinks"],
      "is_default": false,
      "availability_type": "scheduled",
      "schedule": {
        "Monday": { "enabled": true, "from": "11:00", "to": "15:00" },
        "Tuesday": { "enabled": true, "from": "11:00", "to": "15:00" },
        "Wednesday": { "enabled": true, "from": "11:00", "to": "15:00" },
        "Thursday": { "enabled": true, "from": "11:00", "to": "15:00" },
        "Friday": { "enabled": true, "from": "11:00", "to": "15:00" },
        "Saturday": { "enabled": false },
        "Sunday": { "enabled": false }
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Dinner Menu",
      "category_ids": ["starters", "mains", "steaks", "desserts", "wines", "drinks"],
      "is_default": true,
      "availability_type": "scheduled",
      "schedule": {
        "Monday": { "enabled": true, "from": "17:00", "to": "22:00" },
        "Tuesday": { "enabled": true, "from": "17:00", "to": "22:00" },
        "Wednesday": { "enabled": true, "from": "17:00", "to": "22:00" },
        "Thursday": { "enabled": true, "from": "17:00", "to": "22:00" },
        "Friday": { "enabled": true, "from": "17:00", "to": "23:00" },
        "Saturday": { "enabled": true, "from": "17:00", "to": "23:00" },
        "Sunday": { "enabled": true, "from": "17:00", "to": "21:00" }
      }
    }
  ]
}

json

{
  "name": "Weekend Brunch",
  "category_ids": ["brunch-mains", "eggs", "pancakes", "brunch-drinks"],
  "is_default": false,
  "availability_type": "scheduled",
  "schedule": {
    "Monday": { "enabled": false },
    "Tuesday": { "enabled": false },
    "Wednesday": { "enabled": false },
    "Thursday": { "enabled": false },
    "Friday": { "enabled": false },
    "Saturday": { "enabled": true, "from": "09:00", "to": "14:00" },
    "Sunday": { "enabled": true, "from": "09:00", "to": "14:00" }
  }
}

json

{
  "name": "Summer Specials",
  "category_ids": ["summer-salads", "grilled-items", "frozen-drinks"],
  "is_default": false,
  "active": true,
  "availability_type": "always",
  "valid_from": "2024-06-01",
  "valid_until": "2024-08-31"
}

Different Menus per Channel

json

{
  "location": {
    "name": "Main Location",
    "online_ordering_menu_id": "menu-online",
    "in_house_menu_id": "menu-full"
  },
  "menus": [
    {
      "id": "menu-online",
      "name": "Online Menu",
      "description": "Streamlined menu for delivery",
      "category_ids": ["popular", "mains", "sides", "drinks"]
    },
    {
      "id": "menu-full",
      "name": "Full Menu",
      "description": "Complete dine-in menu",
      "category_ids": ["starters", "salads", "mains", "specials", "desserts", "wines", "cocktails", "drinks"]
    }
  ]
}

Menu Management ​

Overview ​

Purpose ​

Key Concepts ​

Actions ​

Create Menu ​

Edit Menu ​

Duplicate Menu ​

Publish / Draft / Archive Menu ​

Delete Menu ​

Location ​

Concepts ​

Menu ​

Menu Assignment ​

Menu Availability ​

Fields ​

Menu Name ​

Menu Description ​

Categories ​

Assigned Locations ​

Default Menu ​

Menu Active ​

Menu Availability ​

Availability Type ​

Schedule ​

Valid From ​

Valid Until ​

Channel-Specific Menus ​

Online Ordering Menu ​

Kiosk Menu ​

In-House Menu ​

Business Logic ​

Menu Selection ​

Menu Priority ​

Category Inheritance ​

Customer Impact ​

Online Ordering ​

Kiosk ​

Menu Switching ​

Relations ​

Depends On ​

Affects ​

Related Features ​

Business Rules ​

FAQs ​

Troubleshooting ​

Problem: Menu not showing ​

Problem: Wrong menu displaying ​

Problem: Items missing from menu ​

Problem: Menu not switching at scheduled time ​

Examples ​

Single Menu (Simple) ​

Lunch & Dinner Menus ​

Weekend Brunch Menu ​

Seasonal Menu ​

Different Menus per Channel ​

Overview

Purpose

Key Concepts

Actions

Create Menu

Edit Menu

Duplicate Menu

Publish / Draft / Archive Menu

Delete Menu

Location

Concepts

Menu

Menu Assignment

Menu Availability

Fields

Menu Name

Menu Description

Categories

Assigned Locations

Default Menu

Menu Active

Menu Availability

Availability Type

Schedule

Valid From

Valid Until

Channel-Specific Menus

Online Ordering Menu

Kiosk Menu

In-House Menu

Business Logic

Menu Selection

Menu Priority

Category Inheritance

Customer Impact

Online Ordering

Kiosk

Menu Switching

Relations

Depends On

Affects

Related Features

Business Rules

FAQs

Troubleshooting

Problem: Menu not showing

Problem: Wrong menu displaying

Problem: Items missing from menu

Problem: Menu not switching at scheduled time

Examples

Single Menu (Simple)

Lunch & Dinner Menus

Weekend Brunch Menu

Seasonal Menu

Different Menus per Channel