Steps to Start a New Menu
Below is summary of the steps involved to start a new menu in the MealSuite system, with links to more information and detailed instructions if needed.
Copy Menu from Menu Template and Customize as Needed
- Copy the menu from the menu template.
- Customize the newly-copied menu as needed by adding and removing menu items.
Schedule the Menu
Schedule the menu, which involves the following:
- Select the start date; see About Scheduling Menus for more information on what to enter for the start date.
- Select the menu service location (MSL). A menu service location can be thought of as the “connecting piece”: a menu is assigned to the menu service location and the dining area is assigned to the menu service location. See About Menu Service Locations (MSLs) for more information.
- Select the forecasting method; see About Forecasting for more information.
Review and Configure the Forecasting
Review and configure the forecasting based on the forecast method you selected when you scheduled the menu (step 3):
- Configuring the Percentages Forecast Method
- Configuring the Total Needed Forecast Method
- Configuring Forecasting for Individual Meal Periods/Snack Times
Assign Menu Items to Production Areas
Assign menu items to production areas. A production area is where menu items are assigned to upon ordering. For example, a “hot” production area to prepare cooked items and a “cold” production area to prepare non-cooked items.
Print Your Reports
- Print the Week-at-a-Glance (WaaG) report to display your new menu. When setting up the report, select the menu, the weeks to include, and the diet/texture combinations to include. Other report options to consider are font size, format and using the display name vs. the lookup name.
- Print the Diet Extensions report (aka, therapeutic spreadsheet) to review your diet extensions. When setting up the report, select the menu, the weeks to include, and the diet/texture combinations to include.
- Print your Kitchen Production Sheet. When setting up the sheet, select the date range, meal periods and snack times, the menu service location (must match the menu service location of the scheduled menu), and production areas. Other settings to consider are format, font size, show amounts by servings, and show dining area details.
- To print the recipes for your menu, the following reports are available:
- Recipe Cookbook Report (Menus) - The Recipe Cookbook report prints your menu recipes for use in binders and kitchen documentation. You can enter up to four serving sizes that the report will calculate. For example, 10, 25, 50, 100.
- Recipes at Scale Report (Production) - The Recipes at Scale report prints your menu recipes scaled to the ingredient amounts needed for the total production servings (i.e., the recipes are scaled to match your production requirements, which in turn uses forecasting calculations).
Map Menu Categories to the POS and Update/Add Pricing
If your account uses the MealSuite Point of Sale (POS) system:
- Ensure the menu categories in the menu are added as category tiles on the Food and Beverages Grid in the POS. See Mapping Menu Items from MealSuite Core to the POS, specifically the Creating a Category Tile section.
- Add or update the pricing of the menu items. See Configuring a Price Book.
Printable PDF
Attached is a printable PDF of the summary of steps involved to start a new menu.