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Working with Menu Categories

Kevin U
  • Updated

About Menu Categories

When adding items to your menu you will be required to assign the items to their appropriate menu categories (e.g., Entrée, Appetizer, Beverage, Dessert) or snack times (Snack AM, Snack PM, Snack HS)

The default menu categories available in your account come from your parent account. If a new menu category is required, then your account has the ability to create that desired menu category just for your account (explained below). 

If your parent account creates a new menu category, then that menu category will be available for use by your account to assign to meal periods and snack times (explained below).

Accessing the Menu Categories Screen

To access the Menu Categories screen: 

  1. In your Core account, select Settings from the left navigation sidebar. The Settings panel appears to the right. 
     
  2. From the Settings panel, select Menus & Recipe Settings > Manage Menu Categories. The Menu Categories screen appears. 
     
  3. The All tab lists all the menu categories available in your account. You can click on a meal period tab (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) or snack service tab (Snack AM, Snack PM, Snack HS) to view the categories assigned to those specific meal periods/snack times. 

    menu_categories.png

Changing Sort Order of Menu Categories

You can change the sort order in which menu categories are displayed in the Core system and reports, and front-end ordering apps (Touch, POS, Portal). To sort menu categories, complete the following steps:

  1. Access the Menu Categories screen.  
  2. Select the desired meal period tab (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) or snack service (Snack AM, Snack PM, Snack HS). 
  3. Sort the categories within the meal period by clicking and holding the drag handle (drag_handle.png) of a category and dragging and dropping it to the desired order in the list. The sort order is automatically applied.

    drag_drop.png

Changing the Menu Category of a Menu Item when in WaaG View

To change the category of a menu item when in the menu week-at-a-glance (WaaG) view, complete the following steps:

  1. Hover over the item and click its Edit icon (edit_icon.png). The Edit Menu item pop-up appears (second screenshot below). 

    hover_to_replace.png

    edit_menu_item_salmon.png
     
  2. Click into the Category field and click the desired category to select it. The previous selected category is automatically deselected (i.e., check mark is removed). 
     
  3. Click the Save button to apply your changes and close the Edit Menu Item pop-up. 

Changing the Menu Category of a Menu Item when in Menu Day View

When in the menu day view you can change the menu category of an item. Depending if you are viewing by choices or menu categories (via the display options), refer to the appropriate section below:

If Viewing by Choice

For the item whose category you want to change, select the new category from its Category field. The change is automatically applied.

move_item_to_category_choice.png

If Viewing by Menu Category

For the item whose category you want to change, click and hold the = icon of the item and drag and drop it to the desired category.

move_item_to_category.png

Searching for a Menu Category

  1. Access the Menu Categories screen. 
     
  2. You can search for a menu category via the Search field. 
     
    • If you are on the All tab, then all menu categories available in your account will be searched. 
    • If your on a meal period tab (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) or snack service tab (Snack AM, Snack PM, Snack HS), then only menu categories that are assigned to the meal period/snack time are searched. 

      search_menu_category.png

Assigning a Menu Category to a Meal Period/Snack Time

If a menu category is currently available in your account, and you want to assign it to a meal period or snack time that it is not currently assigned to, then you can do so by completing the following steps: 

  1. Locate the menu category to be assigned to a meal period or snack time. 
     
  2. Select its ellipsis in the Actions column and select Edit (first screenshot below). The Edit Menu Category Details screen appears (second screenshot below). 

    actions.png

    edit_menu_category_details.png
     
  3. Scroll to the Assign Category to Active Meals drop-down. 
     
  4. From the drop-down, select the check boxes of the meal periods and snack times to assign the menu category to.

    assign_category_active_meals.png
     
  5. Click the Save button to apply your changes. 

Parent Account and Child Account Relationship with Menu Categories

If your parent account creates a new menu category, then that menu category will be available for assignment to meal periods/snack times in your account (described above). Note that any new menu category created by a parent account is not automatically assigned to meal periods/snack times in your account. 

Also note that if you create a new menu category for your account, that menu category is not available to your parent account (does not flow upward). 

Creating a New Menu Category

If a menu category is not currently available for use in your account, you can create one as follows: 

  1. Access the Menu Categories screen. 
     
  2. Click the Add New button. The Add Menu Category screen appears. 

    add_menu_category.png
     
  3. Enter or select the following:
    • Menu Category Name - enter the name of the menu category.
    • Display Name - enter the user-friendly “display name” for the menu category.
    • Recipe Category - select the recipe category that the menu category is associated with.
    • Menu Type(s) Visible In - select the menu types the menu category is applicable to.
    • Assign Category to Active Meals - select the meal periods and snack times to assign the menu category to.
       
  4. Click the Save button. The newly-added category is listed in the selected meal periods and snack times.

Assigning New Menu Categories to Existing Meal Plans (for POS)

If your account uses the POS system, then when a new menu category is created and there are existing meal plans in the POS, then that category is not automatically assigned to the meal plan (i.e., the meal plan will not cover the new category). If you want an existing meal plan to cover the new category, then you have to access the meal plan in the Touch Admin software and make the assignment. To do so complete the following steps:

  1. In Touch Admin, select People Management > Meal Plans. The Meal Plans screen appears
  2. For the meal plan you want to edit, click its Edit button. The Edit a Meal Plan screen appears.
  3. Scroll to the bottom of the screen where the categories and meal periods (breakfast, lunch, dinner) are listed.
  4. Expand the meal periods for which the category was associated with and select the check box of the category to assign it to the meal plan.

    new_categories.png
     
  5. At the bottom of the screen click the Update Policy button to apply your changes.

Assign New Menu Categories to the Menu Week-at-a-Glance (WaaG) View

When you create a new menu category, then on the menu week-at-a-glance view, you will need to manually select the new menu category (via the Display Options) in order for the menu category to display on the WaaG view with any of its assigned recipes.

menu_waag_display_options_categories.png

Assign New Menu Categories to the Personal Menu View

When you create a new menu category, then on the personal menu view, you will need to manually select the new menu category (via the Display Options) in order for the menu category to display on the personal menu view with any of its assigned recipes.

personal_menu_display_options_categories.png 

Removing a Menu Category from a Meal Period/Snack Time

If there are no menu items assigned to a menu category in any of your account’s active menus, then a menu category can be removed from a meal period/snack time. To remove a menu category from a meal period or snack time: 

  1. Locate the menu category to be removed from a meal period or snack time. 
     
  2. Select its ellipsis in the Actions column and select Edit (first screenshot below). The Edit Menu Category Details screen appears (second screenshot below). 

    actions.png
     
  3. Scroll to the Assign Category to Active Meals drop-down. 
     
  4. From the drop-down, clear the check boxes of the meal periods or snack times the category is no longer to be assigned to. 

    assign_category_active_meals.png
     
  5. Click the Save button to apply your changes. 

Deleting a Menu Category

You can delete a menu category from your account. If items are assigned to that menu category, then you will be prompted to select a different menu category for those items. To delete a menu category:

  1. Locate the menu category to be deleted.
     
  2. Click the ellipsis in the Actions column and select Delete (first screenshot below). If no menu items are assigned to the menu category in your account or a child account, then a confirmation message appears. A confirmation message appears (second screenshot below). 

    actions.png

    delete_menu_category.png
     
  3.  Click Delete. The menu category is deleted.
     
  4. If menu items are assigned to the menu category in your account or a child account, then a prompt appears asking you to first select another category to reassign the existing items to. Select the category to reassign the items and then click the Move Items and Remove Category button.

    assign_before_deletion.png

Changing Display Name of a Menu Category

To change the display name of a menu category, complete the following steps. 

  1. Locate the menu category to be renamed.
     
  2. Click the ellipsis in the Actions column and select Edit (first screenshot below). The Edit Menu Category Details screen appears (second screenshot below). 

    actions.png

    edit_menu_category_details.png
     
  3. In the Display Name field, enter the display name.
     
  4. Click Save button to apply your changes. 

The "Extra Items" Menu Category

By default, the system contains the Extra Items menu category for each meal period (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) and snack service time (Snack AM, Snack PM, Snack HS). This category cannot be deleted or renamed.