Configure Menus for Delis & Markets

In this Article:

• Use Barcodes and Scanners
• Set Up Payment by Weight
• Use Menu Modifier Pricing for Delis

Check out the features and tools below and learn how to easily set up your menu for your deli and market operations. 
 

Use Barcodes & Scanners for a Deli or Market

If your location sells merchandise, grab-n-go items such as sodas, or if your deli uses barcodes for sandwiches, a scanner is a great way to simplify things at checkout for your guests and staff.

There are a few steps to set up a scanner and embed barcodes for each menu item:
 

1. Purchase a Toast-supported scanner from Toast Shop and install it following the steps in the Using a Scanner article. Note: Toast does not sell any printers or scales that will print barcodes. 
2. Enter each barcode’s Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) into the SKU field on the menu item. Learn more about how to easily do that in the Advanced properties page in the Use Barcodes with Toast article, or you can easily add them using Quick Edit mode on the POS (see Add a SKU to a Menu Item in Quick Edit Mode). The SKU field can be used to store the contents of most barcode types, such as UPC, EAN, etc.
3. Once the SKUs are set up, you can easily search for the item on the menu search bar (see Enable and Use Menu Item Search on POS) or search by SKU in addition to scanning the SKU on the item during checkout. 

Make sure to name your items in a way that makes it easy for your staff to find the item in case the scanner stops working. Additionally, it’s important to avoid using SKUs on modifiers, as it will not appear correctly when entered. 

Scanners and barcodes can be used to locate an item's base price, such as grocery items, or to locate SKU numbers for items priced per unit, such as your meats. We refer to this feature in Toast as "prompt for quantity" (see our Prompt for Quantity video for instructions). If you want this setup in your deli, follow the directions in this Support Center article, Configure Items Priced by Weight, to set up payment for items priced per unit. 

When entering your quantity for items priced per unit, you can use decimals to notate an amount less than 1 (e.g. 0.25) or an amount greater than 99 (e.g. 110.12).

Back to top
 

Set Up Payment by Weight

In addition to using a scanner, you can use a scale and set up embedded barcodes for items that are weighed and priced per weight. Note: Toast does not sell any printers or scales that will print barcodes. 

An embedded barcode will carry extra information such as item price or quantity and when printed from a scale will specify the quantity of the item, removing the need for an employee to manually enter the cost. 

When used with a Toast-supported scale, a deli employee will be able to weigh American cheese, for example, on a scale, then print a label with the correct price and SKU to be scanned at checkout with a scanner. 

Learn how to configure embedded barcodes in the Configure Embedded Barcodes article, and check out the Using a Scale article to learn how to use a scale. 

Lastly, Toast recommends setting up the prompt for quantity feature so that the POS can automatically read the weight listed on the scale and multiply it by the price per unit when the item is selected. To learn more about how to configure prompt for quantity prices-per-pound, check out Configure Items Priced by Weight. 

Back to top
 

Use Menu Modifier Pricing for Delis

By using menu modifier pricing features, delis can easily streamline menus and allow for easy guest ordering. 

Size pricing can be used when the cost of a modifier option changes based on the size of the menu item it is applied to. Size pricing can be used at both the modifier group level or the individual modifier option level.
 

• Modifier group level: All modifier options in this group use the same size-based prices. For example, all toppings in the Toppings modifier group cost $0.50 on a half sub, $1 on a full sub. 
• Individual modifier level: Modifier options in a group can set their own size based prices. For example, turkey costs $0.75 on a small sub and $1 on a large sub, while American cheese costs $0.50 on a small sub and $0.95 on a large sub. Note: This feature best works on Toast POS. If your restaurant sets up and uses individual modifier level size pricing, your guests through Online Ordering will be able to add a small topping to a large sub, for example.

Sequence pricing can be used when the price of modifiers in a modifier group is determined by the sequence in which they are added to a menu item. The price of the menu item is updated to reflect the guest's choices. For example, the first topping of a sub is free, the second topping costs $0.50, the third topping costs $0.75, and all additional toppings cost $1.00.

Size/sequence pricing can be used when the cost of a modifier depends on the size of the menu item it is applied to and the order in which it is applied to the item. For example, the first topping on a small sub is $0.25 and additional toppings are $0.50, while the first topping on a large sub is $0.50 and additional toppings are $0.75. 

Once you determine the best approach for your operation, learn how to set up either of these features in this Support Center article: Configure Special Modifier Pricing: Size and Sequence Pricing. 

Back to top