NOTE: Before moving into this section, please make sure you know how to build a Simple Menu Item Kitchen Production Formula. If not, you can click here for that knowledge base article
CaterZen Software has the ability for you to attach modifiers to menu items. In our software they are either OPTIONS (drop down menu), EXTRAS and TOPPINGS ( individual items that have check marks).
For our example, we will work with a package that has modifiers. That menu item with packages is called a One Meat Party Pack. Below is a pick of what the kitchen production formula editing screen looks like.
There are three main sections:
1. General Prep Items: These are any and all prep items that have not been accounted for under the sections called Prep Items for Options/Drop Down Choices or Prep Items for Extra Choices. If this package automatically comes with pickles and BBQ sauce, then that qualifies as a General Prep Item. Your formula would go under that section.
NOTE: We have already added in the formulas in this example. If you wanted to add a third prep item, then click on the blue ADD FORMULA button.
Each prep item with the formula is shown along with the station. See items in the red box.
If you click one one of the prep item formulas, BBQ Sauce, you notice it changes from blue to orange. You can now choose to add a sub formula, edit the formula or delete it.
Editing the formula brings up the formula editor. You can make whatever changes you need to make, then hit the SAVE button.
2. Prep Items for Options/Drop Down Choices: When you click on the PREP ITEMS FOR OPTIONS/DROP DOWN CHOICES bar, it turns to orange and lists out all the options you have associated with this menu item.
In this example we have an option called Meat Choice and an option called Side Choice. Meat Choice has (1 Choice) to the right of it. This indicates the customer only can pick one meat choice. In other words, there is only one drop down for the meat choice.
The Side Choice has (2 Choices) to the right of it. This indicates the customer can pick two different sides for their side choice. In other words, there are two drop downs for the side choice.
When you click on the MEAT CHOICE bar, it turns to orange and shows you all of the meat choices associated with that option.
When you click on one of the options, like St. Louis Spare Ribs, that option turns orange and you can click in the blue ADD FORMULA button to get a pop up box in which to add your formula for ribs.
You can now create your Kitchen Production Formula for the option choice called ribs. For a refresher on how to create Simple Menu Kitchen Production Formulas, you can click here for that knowledge base article.
3. Prep Items for Extra Choices: Just like Prep Items For Options/Drop Downs, this section will turn orange when clicked and reveal all of the "Extras" to build formulas for. In this example, you would need to build a formula for Buns.
In conclusion, you will want to go through each menu item and build out your Kitchen Production Formulas. For any menu item with one or multiple modifiers, you will need to build a formula for each modifier.
It is recommended you double check your formulas as you build them. This will prevent any problems as you go. Just create a fake catering order with the menu item that you are building formulas for and double check the formula is correct in one of the kitchen reports.
To keep from feeling overwhelmed. Start building formulas for the items you sell the most off and work your way down to the ones you sell the least of. This will allow you to prioritize the formulas you build and get the most out of the system as quickly as possible.