# Set up a menu for service

For the manager and menu lead preparing a restaurant for service. Agree the
prices, portion sizes, kitchen routing, and product information before entering
the menu. The business catalogue is shared; each location has its own menus.

## Follow the setup sequence

| Step                           | Open                                                                         | Finished when                                                             |
| ------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 1. Organise the catalogue      | [Item categories](/menu/item-categories)                                     | Names, hierarchy, and visibility are saved                                |
| 2. Create the products         | [Menu items](/menu/items)                                                    | Prices, category, order types, and verified product information are saved |
| 3. Offer choices               | [Option groups](/menu/option-groups)                                         | Required picks, defaults, limits, and price effects work as intended      |
| 4. Link ingredients or recipes | [Wine sizes and stock](/guides/wine-stock-links) and [Stock routine](/stock) | Each sale size has the correct consumption link where needed              |
| 5. Build the selling menu      | [Location menus](/menu/menu-configuration)                                   | Sections, placement, order types, schedules, and POS layout are saved     |
| 6. Route preparation           | [Kitchen setup](/orders/kitchen-setup)                                       | Categories reach the intended station and printer                         |
| 7. Prepare availability        | [Menu countdowns](/guides/item-countdowns-auto-86)                           | Physical portions, manual holds, and shared sync status are checked       |

## Verify before service

At the intended location, inspect a representative product in the staff app and
each customer ordering channel you use. Check name, price, photo, available
order type, required choices, defaults, additions, and final total. Check a
size-specific or meal-deal item as well as a simple product.

Use a safe test workflow agreed with the shift leader to check the preparation
ticket and routing. Do not send an unannounced test order into a live kitchen or
use real customer payments to test menu editing.

If CoPilot drafted the menu, review the same checks. Generated wording and
prices are proposals; verify product facts with the kitchen before publication.

## Handover changes

Tell the shift leader what changed and when it takes effect. Catalogue prices
and shared option groups can affect multiple products or locations. Location
sold-out controls apply immediately, whereas menu structure and item edits need
their own saves. A parent editor's **Discard** does not reverse a separate
panel's already-saved changes.

Keep one existing record for an uncertain save. Reopen, compare saved state, and
investigate before repeating the edit or creating a duplicate. The relevant
article includes checks for missing items, choices, routing, and saving errors.