Menu Item Categories

Up to three separate Menu Item Categories can be assigned to each Menu Item record and are used in various reports to create subtotals or filters.

Menu Item Categories are different than Item Categories and should be created and structured differently as well. Click here for more information on Item Categories.

Menu Item Category Examples and Naming Recommendations 

Category 1 - These typically line up with the Item Category 1 values found in Item Categories (with the exception of 'NOT MENU ITEM'). They represent a broader category for your Menu Items.

• Food

• Liquor

• Beer

• Wine

• N/A Beverage

• NOT MENU ITEM

Category 2 - These typically line up with your menu headers in the restaurant

• Entrees

• Appetizers

• Desserts

• Bottled Beer

• Draft Beer

Category 3 - These typically represent the most detailed of the Menu Item Categories and further expand on the Category 2

• Mod/Add/No 

• Craft

• Domestic

• Import

Create Menu Item Categories

Item categories can be created using the following methods:

• Menu Item Categories page within Smart Ops - Click + Create to create a open a new form 

• An existing Menu Item Category form - Hover over the 'Save' menu and select 'Save & New' to open a new form

  

• Via Quick-add on the Menu Item - On the Menu Item record, type in the text of the new Menu Item Category you want to add in the Category field and then hit the 'Tab' or 'Enter' keys and a Quick-add prompt will appear and ask if you want to add this new category. Click Yes and the Menu Item Category form will open in a popup.

  

The Menu Item Category form will open. 

1. Menu Item Category Level - Level of the Menu Item Category; either Category 1, Category 2, or Category 3.

2. Name - Custom Name of the Menu Item Category

3. Entree Category - Indicates if Items associated with the Menu Item Category are included in Entree Forecast calculations

   • 'On'- Indicates that the Menu Item Category is an Entree Category and will be included in Entree Forecast calculations

   • 'Off'- Indicates that the Menu Item Category is not an Entree Category. 

4. Multiplier - The Entree Multiplier assigned to Items associated with the Menu Item Category. 

   • The multiplier can be configured as a decimal with a minimum value of 0.01. For example, appetizers may account for 0.25 of an entrée.

   • The multiplier can also be configured as a value greater than one. For example, entrees that serve more than one guest, such as Fajitas for 4.

     This field is only visible if the 'Entree Category' toggle switch is set to 'On'

View and Edit Existing Menu Item Categories

You can open an existing Menu Item Category using the following methods:

• Via the 'Menu Item Categories' List - Navigate to Smart Ops. In the left navigation, click 'Menu Item Categories' under the 'Sales & Forecasting' category

  

• On the Menu Item record - Once a Menu Item Category has been selected in the dropdown, you can click on the corresponding 'Category #' hyperlink to open that record in a new tab