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Back Office Modifiers to Items

June 6, 2024

Description

How to create and manage modifiers, with or without variations in the Back Office

What's in this article?

Items can be be set up as modifiers to other items. For example, bacon can be an item available for sale and bacon can also be set up as a modifier item that can be added to a burger item. Modifier items can be sold with or without variation of size. When modifier items are sold by variation of size, you can link the size of the modifier item to the size of the parent menu item. When you create modifier items, you must configure how you want to sell the modifier, price the modifier, and configure whether or not the modifier ought to be the default modifier item for the modifier group.

To add a modifier item
  1. In the Back Office, select Menu or Inventory tab, depending on your business type.
  2. Select the Modifiers subtab.
  3. Click Add Modifier. 
  4. Select a Modifier Group from the dropdown list. 
  5. Enter the Modifier Name.
  6. Enter a price or leave the default $0.00 price.
  7. (Optional) Clear the Display on POS? checkbox if you do not want this modifier item available on the POS.
  8. Click Save Changes.
To sort modifiers in the Back Office

Once you have created your modifiers in the Back Office, you may want to change the order they are displayed both in the Back Office and on your point of sale. You can do this from the Back Office, as well as from the point of sale. In the Back Office, select Menu or Inventory tab, depending on your business type.

  1. Select the Modifiers subtab.
  2. Click the Sort Order button. This will put you in the "sort order" mode. While in this mode, you can sort the order of your modifiers, but you cannot add a new modifier while in this mode. 
  3. Click the buttons to move the item up and down in the sort order. The system will dynamically update the order on the screen. You do not have to save each time you move a modifier.
  4. When you have everything sorted to your liking, click Done Sorting to exit the sort order mode. Any changes you made in the Back Office will be pushed down to your POS device(s).

Modifier items without variations

In some situations, you may not want to sell the modifier item by variation. In one scenario, for turkey sandwiches, you have ‘Tomato’ as a modifier item to enable customers to customize their sandwich. In a second scenario, for steaks, you want customers to determine the meat temperature of their steak, and you create the following modifier items: ‘Rare,’ ‘Medium,’ and ‘Medium Well.’

To add a modifier item without variations to a modifier group
  1. Before you begin, create the modifier item as an item without variations.
  2. In the Back Office, select Menu.
  3. Select the Modifiers subtab.
  4. Select the modifier group for which you want to add a modifier item.
  5. Click Add Modifier. The Add Modifier dialog appears.
  6. Do one of the following:
    • Select the item from the dropdown list.
      OR
    • Add a new modifier item. 
  7. Do one of the following:
    • Select Yes to specify a price for the modifier that is different from the menu item price and type a price for the item as a modifier.
      OR
    • Select No to sell the modifier item with the default price.
  8. (Optional) Select Yes to designate the modifier item as the default item for the modifier group. For example, if you cook all burgers to a medium well temperature unless otherwise requested, select medium well as the default choice.
  9. Click Save Changes.

Modifier Items with variations

You can also sell modifier items by variation of size. This allows you to price modifier items according to the size of the menu item. For example, for turkey sandwiches, you offer the modifier item option of ‘Extra Cheese.’ You may want to charge more for extra cheese on a large sandwich rather than a small sandwich.

To sell a modifier with variations, the modifier item must be assigned variations and be priced according to variations.

When you choose to sell the modifier by variation, you can elect to create a modifier variation link, which connects the modifier variation dimension (i.e., size) to the parent menu item variation dimension. This allows the system to automatically apply the correct charge for the size of the modifier dimension based on the selection of the parent menu item. Also, when you enable the modifier variation link, employees cannot change the size of the modifier at the POS, they can only change the size of the parent menu item, which automatically changes the size of the modifier variation.

For example, you offer the following menu item, ‘Turkey Sandwich,’ available in the following sizes, ‘S,’ ‘M,’ and ‘L.’ You also create a modifier ‘Extra Cheese,’ available in ‘S,’, ‘M,’ and ‘L.’ You then elect to sell it by variation and link the variation of the modifier to the parent menu item. When a customer orders a medium turkey sandwich with extra cheese, the system automatically applies the correct modifier dimension and any associated price. If the customer changes their mind and wants a small sandwich instead, the user changes the size of the sandwich and the system automatically changes the size of the modifier.

The system links the variation dimension (i.e., ‘Size’) of a modifier only when you configure the variation dimensions of the modifiers exactly as the variation dimensions of the parent item. Linking the dimension variations of the menu item and the modifier item requires they have the same dimension name, same number of options, and the option names must be the same.

The following table provides examples of menu and modifier items with variations and whether they can be linked.

table listing Menu option variations, modifier item variations and ability to be linked
Menu option variationsModifier
item variations		Can be linked?
S, M, LS, M, LYes
S, M, LSmall, Medium, LargeNo
S, M, LM, LNo
S, M, LRegular, LargeNo
To add a modifier item with variations to a modifier group
  1. You must first create the modifier item as an item with variations. 
  2. In the Back Office, select Menu.
  3. Select the Modifiers subtab.
  4. Select the modifier group for which you want to add the modifier item.
  5. Click Add Modifier.
  6. Select a modifier from the dropdown list or create a new modifier. 
  7. Do one of the following:
    • Select the pricing for the modifier item. The system defaults to No, sell with the default item variation prices.
      OR 
    • Select Yes, use the following price. Type the price for which you want to sell the modifier item. When you select 'Yes,' type the price for which you want to sell each variation for the modifier item.
  8. (Optional) Select Yes to designate the modifier item as the default item for the modifier group.
  9. (Optional) Select Link modifier variation to link the size of the modifier variation to the parent item. For example, you select a large sandwich and extra cheese. When you enable link modifier variation, they system automatically applies the large extra cheese modifier. When you change the sandwich to small, the system automatically changes the large extra cheese modifier to small. If you do not enable link modifier variation, you must manually change the size of the modifier item variation.
  10. Click Save Changes.

Modify an item on the POS

Once you have created modifiers in the Back Office, you can add them when ringing up items at the POS. You can add or remove modifiers from an item. 

 To add a modifier to an item
  1. On the POS, go to ticket entry and select an item to add to the ticket. 
  2. Tap the item you added to open additional tab options.
    • If modifiers groups are assigned, the Modifiers tab will open by default. 
    • If you have moved to a different tab, tap the Modifiers tab to return. 
  3. Tap the green plus sign to add a modifier. The modifier will appear in green underneath the ticket line item when it is added.
To remove a modifier from an item
  1. On the POS, go to ticket entry and select an item to add to the ticket. 
  2. Tap to open the item. 
  3. In the Modifiers tab, select the modifier group that contains the modifier to remove from the item.
  4. Tap the red subtraction line to remove a modifier. The modifier appears underneath the item in red.

NOTE: If you are using a kitchen printer, the modifiers will appear when the ticket prints so for example, when your cook is making the sandwich or your barista is preparing a drink, they will know exactly how to make the order.

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