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GuidesBuilding Your Menu

Building Your Menu

Your menu is the most visible part of your business — it drives both POS sales and online orders. This step covers the four-level menu hierarchy plus tax setup. Plan 15–30 minutes depending on how big your menu is.

LevelDescriptionExample
MenuThe top level. Menus can’t be assigned under any other category.Lunch, Dinner, Wine
CourseThe second level — sections of a menu. A course can be reused across multiple menus.Appetizers (used in both Lunch and Dinner)
DishAn individual item, assigned to one or more courses.”6-pc Wings” under Appetizers
ModifierA choice that customizes a dish. Use Matrix Modifiers for cross-cutting variations like No, Add, On Side.Honey mustard, BBQ, teriyaki, spicy mayo

Create a menu

  1. Go to Settings > Menu.
  2. Click + to add a menu (Lunch, Dinner, Wine, etc.).
  3. Enter the menu name and set special hours if needed.
  4. Toggle the menu features:
    • Run Out (86’d) — turn on when a dish or course runs out. Hides 86’d items online and on the POS.
    • In-store only — when on, the menu is hidden from online ordering.
    • Sync to Third Party — push the menu to integrations like DoorDash.
  5. Click Save.

Create courses

  1. Go to Courses.
  2. Click + to add a course.
  3. Enter the course name and choose a classification: Food, Beverage, Merchandise, or Alcohol.
  4. Toggle course features and click Save.

Create dishes

  1. Go to Dishes.
  2. Click + to add a dish.
  3. Enter the dish name and price.
    • If you’re using both Selflane and another online platform, enter your Selflane upcharge.
  4. Assign the dish to one or more menus and to a course.
  5. Assign the dish to a kitchen printer.
  6. Use tags to mark dishes as spicy, gluten-free, or vegan.
  7. Toggle the dish features and click Save.

Create modifiers

Modifiers let customers customize a dish at order time.

  1. Select Modifiers or Matrix Modifiers for the dish.
  2. Click + to add a modifier group.
  3. Enter the modifier title and the maximum number of selections a customer can make. Check Required if the dish must include a choice.
  4. Select the dish (or dishes) the modifier applies to.
  5. Enter the list of options, separated by commas.
  6. Click Save.

When to use Matrix Modifiers. Matrix Modifiers customize each topping individually. Example — a poke bowl with three toppings (furikake, onion crisps, sesame seeds) where a customer wants extra furikake, onion crisps on the side, and lite sesame seeds.

Set up tax rates

You’ll need at least one tax rate before you can take orders.

  1. Go to Settings > Profile.
  2. In the horizontal navigation, select Tax Rates.
  3. Click + to add a tax item.
  4. Name the tax item, enter the rate, and choose inclusive or exclusive.
    • Use the on/off toggle to switch tax items on and off without deleting them.
  5. Click Save.

Next step

Continue with Configuring your POS.

For deep-dive menu reference, see Back Office → Menu.

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Setting Up Your BusinessConfiguring Your POS