Menu Items represent the individual products and complete meals available for order in a restaurant. These items populate POS menu screens through Display Groups and can be further customized with preparation instructions or additions via Modifier Groups. This feature allows administrators to:
Define specific item names and aliases for clear communication on receipts and kitchen prep tickets.
Assign items to a Primary category and multiple additional categories to ensure accurate financial and reporting categorization.
Manage item customization by inheriting modifiers from categories or configuring them individually.
Create and manage item variants to offer different sizes or styles under a single menu item.
Provide detailed dietary and online ordering information, including minimum and maximum calorie counts.
Menu Items can be added to the Bridge in two ways: Individually or through bulk upload. For instructions on Bulk Uploading Menu Items, click this link.
Note: If an item requires multiple versions (e.g., Small vs. Large), these are managed as Variants. Once a Variant is added, it must be edited individually via the Pencil Icon to configure its specific Price Levels, Modifiers, and Display Groups.
For instructions on configuring Menu Item Variants, click here.
Configure Menu Item Identity (About Section):
Before you can add detail to your new menu item, you must configure the basic identity fields first.
1. Navigate to the Menu section in the Bridge and select Items
2. Click + New Menu Item to open the Menu Item interface
3. Fill out the required Name field
4. Add a Short Name for the Menu Item to print on kitchen receipts
5. Assign the new Menu Item to a Primary Category by selecting it from the drop-down menu, e.g., "Appetizers"
The Primary Category's associated Reporting Group will be automatically assigned at this step.
A Primary Category can be created if the correct one does not yet exist for the new Menu Item.
To create a new Primary Category:
- Select + New Category from the drop-down menu
- Enter the required Name for the category
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Choose the appropriate Reporting Group to which the Primary Category will be assigned
- Click Save to keep your changes
6. Click Create & Activate to save and immediately activate the item. Alternatively, click Create as Inactive to save the item for future use, which creates the item and automatically archives it
You will receive a notification alerting you to the successful creation of the new menu item:
Configure Menu Item Identity (Detail Section):
Once the basic item information is saved, use the Detail section to configure physical attributes and administrative tracking.
1. Select the optional Unit Value from the drop-down menu
Unit values can be used to define specific weights, volumes, and lengths for menu items (e.g., 50 g, 750 ml, 10 cm). If the correct unit cannot be found in the list, scroll to the bottom of the menu and either Edit or Add a New Unit Value.
Choose weight, volume, or length from the predefined Unit drop-down menu, enter the Amount of that unit, e.g., 1 foot, and enter a Name for your new unit. Then click Save.
2. Fill in the fields for the optional SKU, UPC, Min Calories, and Max Calories
3. Select the Price Type from the drop-down menu, choosing either Absolute or Open
4. If Absolute is selected, enter the base Cost and Price for the menu item. If Open is selected, a base price is not required; the POS will automatically prompt the server to manually enter a price each time the item is added to a check
Assign Price Levels to a Menu Item
Price Levels let you set optimal price points based on time of day, location, or order type. Note: If a variant has already been added, click the Pencil Icon for that variant to adjust its specific price levels. For instructions on configuring Price Levels, read the section on How to Configure the Price Level here.
1. In the About section on the left, scroll down and click + Add Price Levels
2. Select the desired Price Levels by searching in the search bar, ticking the boxes, or selecting Select All
Note: If the desired Price Level does not yet exist, you can create one in this interface by clicking New Price Level and following the instructions at this link for How to Add and Create Price Levels within a Menu Item.
3. Click Save Selected
4. Within the Detail section on the right, configure the Price Type (e.g., Absolute or Variable) and enter the corresponding Price and Cost.
5. Click Save
Add Modifiers to the Menu Item:
Modifiers communicate preparation instructions or kitchen additions. Note: If a variant has already been added, click the Pencil Icon for that variant to manage its specific modifiers. For information on configuring modifiers, click here.
1. In the About section on the left, scroll down to the Modifiers section
2. Click the drop-down menu to select the modifier behavior
3. Select Inherit from category to automatically apply the modifier groups configured on the item's primary category
4. Click Save to keep the Inherit from category settings. For Custom modifiers, continue to Step 5
5. Select Custom to manually assign, sort, and define default modifiers specifically for this menu item
6. Click + Add Modifier Group to open the selection interface and assign specific modifier groups to the item
7. Tick the boxes for the modifiers to be included by default along with any required commands (e.g., add, light, extra), or click Select All
8. Click Save
9. To remove a modifier group that is no longer needed or was accidentally added, navigate back to the Modifier Groups section and click + Add Modifier Group
10. Deselect the checkbox(es) for the modifier group(s) you wish to remove, then click Save
11. To define default modifiers, hover over an assigned modifier group and click View/Select default to open the interface
12. Tick the boxes for the specific modifiers to be included by default, then click Save
13. To rearrange the display order of the modifier groups, click and hold the six-dot handle on the left side of the group and drag it to the desired position
14. Click Save at the bottom right of the screen to keep the configuration
Upload Menu Item Image for Online Ordering
To ensure your online menu looks professional and loads quickly, please follow these image guidelines:
Aspect Ratio: 1:1 (Square image).
Resolution: A resolution of 800 x 800 pixels is highly recommended. The OLO platform dynamically resizes and crops images to fit different screen sizes (for example, rendering as a 448 x 240 pixel rectangle on certain desktop views). Uploading a high-resolution square ensures the image remains crisp across all mobile and desktop displays.
File Size: The image file must be 1 MB or smaller.
1. At the bottom left of the About section, click Upload Image
2. Click the Upload bar to open your computer's file explorer
3. Navigate to the folder where your image is saved, select the file, and click Open
4. Once the image is displayed, click Save to keep your changes
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