Build a Customizable Meal Combo

In this Article:

• Best Practices for Customizable Meal Combos
• Create a Meal Combo Menu Item
  • Recommendations for Online Ordering

Best Practices for Customizable Meal Combos

If you want to offer your guests the option to select item combos or build family meal deals ("Build Your Own"), consider the following guidelines for your menu setup:

• The fewer buttons on the POS, the better. Consider creating a menu item for each baseline meal. These items should be listed in a single menu group if possible and the menu should be moved to the top of the list so it's the first thing that appears on your POS when in Quick Order mode.
  • For example, if your restaurant sells burritos, you might use the following structure:
    • Menu: Food
    • Menu group: Burritos
    • Menu items: Beef Burrito, Chicken Burrito

• Keep all extras and non-essential modifiers individually listed in a single group. This can either be done as a modifier or each "extra" can be built as a menu item and added to the main menu group for quick application. When choosing from the options below, we recommend keeping reporting in mind:
  • If you'd like to view these "extras" in a separate modifier report, you can build these options in a modifier group (for example, create a modifier group named "Extras" that includes Guacamole and Extra Tortilla, and add that group to each of your burritos) and apply the modifier group to all of the items in your menu group.
  • If you'd like to view these "extras" in your menu items report alongside other offerings, consider using the menu item approach (for example, add Guacamole and Extra Tortillas as separate menu items in the Burritos group).

• If using Toast Online Ordering, consider creating a separate guest-friendly online ordering menu. When guests are ordering highly customizable items online, we recommend creating a separate online ordering menu where you can use different modifiers and language that guides the customer through placing an order on their own. See the section for more details.

Create a Meal Combo Menu Item

Follow these steps to create a meal combo menu item:

1. In Toast Web, navigate to Menus and open your menu editor.
2. Navigate to your desired menu and menu group, and then add a new item. 
3. Enter the name and base price for the cheapest possible combination of options for your bundle. 
4. Select Save.
5. On the item details screen, scroll down to the Modifier groups section and either create a new modifier group, or use existing groups to list the choices the guests will need to make the place their order. Here are some guidelines to consider:
   • If multiple types of modifier selections are required (e.g. one Entree, two Sides, one Dessert), create a modifier group for each selection the guest has to make. 
   • If any of your modifier options are considered a premium, enter an upcharge value in the Price field when typing your options. 
   • Enter the minimum and/or maximum number of selections a guest can make for that modifier group, as needed. If a selection is required, enter a minimum of one (1). If the modifier group is asking guests to "choose two Entrees", for example, set a maximum of two (2). 
6. Save and publish your changes.

Setting up your meal combo menu item in this way means that your guests' selections will show up as modifiers on your kitchen tickets. If you'd like to shorten or abbreviate the name of a modifier for the POS or kitchen tickets, you can use the POS Nickname or Kitchen Nickname field on the menu editor. Learn more here: . 

Note that without the modifier group setup described above, it is not possible to require guests to select multiple menu items for a meal combo. For example, if you want to set up a "Pick Two" menu where guests pick one item from two different menu groups, the system would not be able to force guests to pick one item from two different menu groups. For this reason, following the steps above to create a meal combo menu item using modifier groups for each required choice is recommended. 

Recommendations for Online Ordering for Menu Combos

If you want guests to be able to order a meal combo online, here are some additional guidelines to consider:

• When titling your modifier group, keep it action-oriented and clear for your guests. For example "Choose two entrees" or "Pick any three sides."
  • These can be labeled with steps in the title to help guide your guest while placing an order (e.g. "Step 3: Dessert Choice").
  • For example, you may choose to name your modifier options like so:

    
    
    
    

• Make sure the item you created is visible for online orders. See  for more information.