Menu Groups

Plain-English summary#

A Menu Group (also called a "menu") bundles product categories into a menu that the POS serves — for example a Breakfast menu containing the Hot Drinks and Pastries categories, and an All-Day menu containing everything. The structure is: menu group → categories → items. One menu group is the default: the POS loads it automatically when a cashier starts an order, and the cashier can switch to another menu with the Switch Menu dropdown. You create and manage menu groups in the admin backoffice (a grid of cards with add/edit/delete), and arrange their order on screen — along with category and item order — on a drag-and-drop Menu Order page.

When you'd use this#

• Setting up a menu for a new outlet
• Reorganising the Counter layout for faster ordering
• Creating time-of-day menus (breakfast vs lunch) the cashier can switch between
• Choosing which menu the POS opens on by default

How to access#

• Admin backoffice: Catalog → Menu Groups — page "Menu Groups" ("Group product categories into menus that can be served at outlets.").
• Menu ordering: Catalog → Menu Order — drag-and-drop sorting for menu groups, categories and items.
• POS: the Switch Menu dropdown + category sidebar when creating or editing an order.

Walkthrough#

Creating a menu group (admin backoffice)#

1. Open Catalog → Menu Groups. Existing groups show as cards: name, a Default badge (if it's the default), an Active/Inactive badge, the number of categories, and up to six category names (+N more). Search filters by group or category name.
2. Click Add menu group. The form asks for: Name (e.g. "Breakfast menu"), a Default menu toggle ("Used as the default when no specific menu is chosen."), and Categories (searchable, pick one or more; you'll see "Select at least one category" if you pick none).
3. Save. New menus are active. If you marked it default, every other menu group stops being default — there is exactly one default per organisation. The POS picks up the change.
4. Edit with the pencil icon (same form); delete with the trash icon → "Delete menu group?" confirmation. Deleting is permanent — the group and its category links are removed (the items and categories themselves are untouched).

Arranging menu order (admin backoffice)#

1. Open Catalog → Menu Order. Three sections list menu groups, the selected group's categories, and a category's items, each in their current order.
2. Drag rows to reorder. Category and item order are saved.
3. Known issue: dragging to reorder menu groups themselves doesn't currently save (categories and items are unaffected).

How menu groups appear at the POS#

1. When creating or editing an order, the counter loads your active menus and selects the default one.
2. The cashier can change menus with the Switch Menu dropdown.
3. Picking a menu loads its categories and items; categories show in the category sidebar/pills in your chosen category order.

Key concepts#

• Menu group = menu — "menu group", "menu category" and "menu" all mean the same thing.
• Single default — making one group the default removes the default from all others. If none is default, the POS uses the first menu.
• Categories are shared — a category can belong to several menu groups; deleting a group never deletes categories or items.
• Active — only active menus are shown at the POS; new menus are active, and the card shows an Active/Inactive badge.
• Live updates — menu changes reach counters without anything to restart; open counters show "Menu has been updated".

Common questions#

Q: What's the difference between a menu group and a category? A: A category holds items (Espresso, Latte → Hot Drinks); a menu group holds categories (Hot Drinks + Pastries → Breakfast menu). The POS picks a menu group first, then shows its categories.

Q: How many menu groups can I have? A: You can have several. Exactly one can be the default at a time.

Q: What happens if I don't set any default menu? A: The POS selects the first menu in the list.

Q: Can the same category appear in two menus? A: Yes — Breakfast and All-Day can both contain Hot Drinks.

Q: Does deleting a menu group delete its items? A: No — only the group and its category links are removed. Items and categories stay.