TONIC: Menu Building
Tonic Menu Building Overview
Tonic menu building itself is done from the 'Menus' tab of the back office portal. Within this tab there are several areas that are used to create and partition a menu with Tonic.
Be aware when going into menu building/editing that changes will come down to the point of sale within minutes of being saved.
The following overview will touch on each of the selections under the 'Menus' tab found in the navigation bar at the top of the back office.
Each section features images below to reference.
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Please go to the 'New Back of House' section via table of contents for instructions on using the new portal.
Menus
Menus are the least granular of the sorting within the POS. Menus that are set to active are shown at the top of the POS screen when a new order is started. Within menus items or categories are housed. From the menus screen, the calendar button can be pressed to view all menus with schedules. The menus can also be printed or downloaded as a .csv from this screen.
Creating a Menu
Within the Menus selection you will see a screen similar to shown below. To create a menu, press the '+' below the 'Menus' header. After this you will be prompted for a name and description. The name will be seen in the point of sale screen.
Once the menu is created, you can click the name (highlighted in orange) to view it.
The view will look similar to the below image.
- From within this page, we are able to enable or disable the menu for in store and online ordering separately using these flags.
- Background and Text color can be changed by clicking the box of the respective color.
- Schedules can be set up (See the schedules section)
- Modifier charges can be edited; this will change the charges for all items housed only within this menu
- Ingredients can be assigned
- Sides can be set up (See side section)
- Areas can be set up, if you want this menu to only be available at the bar for example.
- Create sections, sections will come up as additional selections below the menu section when the menu is selected within the point of sale. This is used to further separate items within the same menu, and within them subsections can also be created. The flow, assuming all are in use, would be Menu->Section->Sub-Section->Items
- Items can be added to this menu from this screen, using the drop down box of items that have already been created and then pressing add; or items can be created by pressing the plus symbol (See Items)
- Click 'Items' in the orange text to see a more detailed view of all items within the menu, section, or sub-section you are viewing. (See detailed item view)
Detailed Item View
The detailed item view will show you a few important fields.
- This view allows you to set price by total, as opposed to subtotal. Tonic will then calculate the subtotal for you based on the taxes set up in the store setup.
- The menu can be set as tax exempt using the tax exempt flag from this view
- Marking an item as a 'shortcut' will put it on the first page of the order taking view in the point of sale, while also keeping it in this menu,
- Prompt for price will bring up a pop-up asking for the items price whenever the item is rang in
- Prompt for quantity will bring up a pop-up asking for the item quantity whenever the item is rang in
- Prompt for Name will bring up a pop-up asking for the name you would like to reflect in the point of sale when ringing in the item
- Colors can be changed for individual items from this view
- The charges button will allow you to change modifier charges for individual items, as opposed to the entire menu like the button above
- If sides are enabled for this menu, the number of sides included is also determined here
Schedules
Schedules can be set up for menus to only be shown in the point of sale certain times, days of the week, or dates. This can be used to set up daily specials, happy hours, and limited time specials. A date range MUST be set for the menu to show up. If you would like a menu to show up a certain time each day or a certain day of the week each week, set the 'To date' field to the distant future to reduce upkeep. Multiple schedules can be set up for the same menu.
Sides
Sides can be set up for a menu in order to prompt to include a side when an item within that menu is rang in. Sides are pointed at items previously created within Tonic. Unless an addition price is set up, the side will be included at no additional charge. Side items set up this way have more freedom than modifiers because they can have modifiers attached to themselves as well, can be reported on more accurately, and other potential benefits.
Shortcuts
This page is used to view items set as shortcuts. Shortcuts can be sorted/reordered here.
Items
The Items page will house all created items, including those not associated with any menus. Items can be viewed by different criteria, which can be controlled with the flags at the top of the screen, or with the drop down to view by sales group (See Sales Groups). Items can be created from this page as well, and this is the most efficient place to create multiple items from.
Creating Items
Press the '+' button to create a new item. Within the item creation window, there is a drop down at the top to select to create an item or a combo item (see Combos)
Required fields for an item include the name (name within the point of sale), Announcer name (Name on the KDS or printed tickets), Sales group, and description.
- Availability can be added if a customer would like to see how many items are in stock of this item on the main screen & login screen on the point of sale.
- Prep time can be added to determine when an item will print in reference to its pickup time for online orders.
- Loyalty points earned is used to set how many points a customer earns for purchasing this item.
- Loyalty points needed is how many points a customer needs to redeem this item for free.
- Needed ingredients can be assigned to the item here.
- Modifiers can be applied to items here (See Modifiers)
- Remote printers can be set up here - this will allow you to assign where an item will print when an order is sent. An item can have multiple printers assigned.
- Menus allows you to assign an item to a menu and give it a price.
An item will not show up in the point of sale unless it is added to a menu.
Combos
The combos menu is where combos can be viewed and which menu they are associated with.
When creating a combo, a name and description will be required.
Editing/Building a Combo
Loyalty points earned and loyalty points needed to redeem may be added. Price for the combo is set here as well.
Items attached in the top portion of the combo will automatically be applied when the combo is selected. Any modifiers required for these items will also prompt. The bottom portion of the combo is where combo groups may be attached, and a certain number of items per combo group is set to be added when the combo is rang in. (See combo groups)
The combo group section includes more on this, however, items within combos are real items that can also be assigned to other menus. This makes it easier to manage modifiers and item sets, as well as easier to report on sales for specific items.
Combo Groups
Combo groups are used to separate items that will be used for combos. For example, to create a combo in which a customer will get one type of burger and one side, a combo group would be created for burgers, and a combo group created for sides, and both would be set to an item count of one. Press the '+' symbol to create a new combo group. Combo groups are created and items are assigned to the combo groups from the combo groups selection.
It is best practice to create a menu called 'combo storage' or something distinct to put items into for combo groups.
This will make it easier for you to view and manage these items. This also makes things much easier for anyone
who may come after you to understand how the combos are set up and make changes.
Within a combo group, you are able to add items from within a menu. This is where you will select your combo storage, and the item within. This is where any upcharge for the individual items should they be selected to be part of the combo. For example, imagine a meal at a fast food restaurant in which you get a burger, fries, and a soft drink. This upcharge can be used to allow customers to sub a drink for a milkshake, fries for a side salad, etc. These items in the order they are entered/arranged within the combo group are how they will appear in the point of sale when ringing in the combo the group is attached to. Pressing the combos button will show the combos this group is attached to.
Sales Groups
Sales groups are used to separate items into categories for the sake of reporting. A sales group will fall under a parent group. A parent group is the most broad level for reporting on sales by group.
In the image below, blue bars contain parent groups, and the lines below include the sales groups.
This is one example of how sales groups can be used beneficially when reporting.
Creating a Sales Group
- A name is required for all sales groups.
- A parent group will be required. After adding a parent group to one sales group, it will show up in the drop-down next to the parent group field. There is no limit to how many sales groups may share a parent group.
You will want to make the names of your sales groups and parent groups something that will corollate to the items or sales groups within it.
When running reports this will make the reports easier to read and understand.
- Descriptions are required. One useful way the description may be used is to help specify what items should be put under this group if there are multiple sales groups with similar characteristics.
- Under description is a check box called Use for Seat Count. This box enables the ability to have certain groups be calculated when figuring out the average seat count for certain reports. (IE: An appetizer is usually shared, so it is not an ideal recipe group to do a seat count by. But entrees are not typically shared so this would be a good item group to use.)
- The items button on this page will be able to be used once the sales group is created and saved. This will allow you to see all items the sales group is attached to, and to attach the group to more items.
Modifiers
Modifiers are applied to items to note some sort of change to an item. Modifiers are created, put into modifier groups (similar to how items are put into menus), and the groups are attached to items. When selecting the modifier selection you will see the modifier group page, as shown below. The '+' symbol allows you to create a new modifier group. The choices button will take you to the modifier choices page. Modifiers will still exist in the modifier choices page even if they do not belong to any groups. Modifiers can only be permanently deleted by deleting them from the modifier choices menu. On the modifier choices page, the charges button can be pressed to see a list of all modifiers with charges and the charge associated.
Creating & Editing Modifier Groups
When creating a modifier group, a name and description will be required. The name should be an identifier to the modifier that will be housed within. For example - 'Sauces'. Minimum and maximum are the minimum and maximum number of selections required for this modifier group. If the minimum is set to one, at least one selection will be required. If the minimum and maximum are set to the same number, for example if they are set to one, then when one is selected in the point of sale, the point of sale will automatically close the modifier selection screen and apply the selected modifier.
Store wide modifier groups will be available to be applied to all items across all menus.
Modifiers will most often be created from within a modifier group. This is done by the '+' to the right of the Announcer Name field. Pre-existing modifiers are added by the choice drop down. The order modifiers are in within this screen is the order they will show up in the point of sale when the modifier group is selected. The Items button will allow you to see the items this modifier group is attached to. Multi items will allow you to see and change the items a button is attached to, as well as if that modifier set is required for that item. A required modifier group will prompt the employee automatically to select a modifier from that group when the item it is required for is rang in.
Multi items will be by far the most efficient way to attach a modifier group and/or set a modifier group required for more than one item at a time.
Creating & Editing Modifiers
Modifiers will most often be created from within a modifier group. This is done by the '+' to the right of the Announcer Name field. They can also be created from the modifier choices menu. A modifier will require a name and an announcer name. A description can be added, but is not required for a modifier. A multiplier can be added if the modifier would call for more of an ingredient to be used than normal, for example double cheese. Prep time can be added if this modifier would require additional time to prepare, in reference to firing an online or future order. A default upcharge for the modifier to be added can be enter in the price box. Items or menus that may need to use this modifier but have a lesser or greater additional charge associated may have unique charges assigned to them from the respective charges menu. The check box for 'parent prefix' is to set the modifier as a parent for an item that will not show.
Rules
Rules can be used for various functions. X for Y can be used to create BOGO specials, and similar deals that will be automatically applied when the respective items are created. Order default item can be used to have items applied to orders automatically based on order type. Non compable and discountable groups can be used to set groups than flat (discount) and percentage (comps) discounts cannot be applied to by sales group. Order tax exempt allows you to set certain orders as tax exempt by sales group or order type. Order sales groups will allow an item of one sales group to be required if there is an item of another specified sales group. Donation can be used to set up a percentage of certain sales groups or order types to be marked for donation.
Tonic Menu Building Overview - New Back of House
As of November 2024, the new Tonic BOH has started rolling out & becoming available to all users. Hitting the 'Upgrade Now' button in the existing back of house will redirect you to the new back of house, and it will remember that decision for your account.
Please note that the New BOH Menu Building Overview is still a work in progress! Not all menus are covered in this section of the knowledge base, and there are still a variety of UI changes being made to the new BOH. If something is missing from the new BOH section of this knowledge base, feel free to click the 4 squares in the top right hand corner of the new BOH and select 'Legacy Back Office' to return to the legacy BOH and use the above legacy menu building guide.
The new back of house has a much more modern look and feel, but can be difficult to transition to from the current back of house due to the drastic changes in structure. Menu building in essence still works in the same way. Follow the below instructions to create and manage your menu(s) in the new back of house.
Menu Configuration
Navigate to the configuration tab>Menu Configuration to get started. This configuration tab, under the Menu header, is where all of our menu building tools are now located.
In order to diversify nomenclature to be less confusing, our menus are now referred to as 'Categories'. We can see our existing categories listed down the left side of the screen. Create a new category by clicking the blue '+' button in the top right hand corner. After selecting a category from the left hand side, we see our items within that category in the middle of the screen.
- Images can be added to a category for online ordering and for the POS from the gallery icon underneath the name of the category
- Colors for the category button in the POS can be changed using the icon that looks like a paint drop (orange, black and white in image below). Please note that this button will be displayed as the current colors for the category.
- The pin icon is for assigning a category to areas. This can be used to setup category that are only needed at certain stations. Please contact your support provider to execute the initial setup for this feature. Once it is setup, assigning the category to an area (for example, time on pool tables may only be sold at the bar, so we could set our 'pool' category to a 'bar' area to only show up on the bar station.
- The button that looks like a clock can be used to attach a schedule to the category. This will cause the category to only show up at certain times of day/certain days of the week. Commonly used for happy hours or weekly specials. I.E. Tuesday 5$ appetizers.
- The dollar sign symbol is used to adjust additional charges for a category. If bacon is usually $1.00 to add on at your restaurant, but you would like it to be $1.50 for salads, you can set that up here.
- The up and down arrows automatically sort the items in alphabetical order, ascending or descending.
- The order they appear in lines up with the order they appear in the POS. They can be reordered by dragging and dropping the 4 lines on the left-most side of the item.
- Items can be added as shortcuts (showing up on the main order entry page in the POS for easy access) by clicking the heart next to an items name
Within categories, sections can still be created to divide items up. Most buttons have tooltips, if you are wondering what an unlabeled button does, simply hover your mouse over it for a moment and a label will appear.
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