Creating Menu Categories
What this feature does
Creating menu categories helps you organize your business offerings into logical groups that make it easy for customers to browse and find what they're looking for. Depending on your business type, these categories might be called "Menus" (for restaurants), "Room Types" (for hotels), or "Product Categories" (for retail stores). Each category can contain multiple items and displays with its own image and description.
Who it is for
This feature is designed for business owners and managers who need to organize their catalog of products or services. Whether you're setting up your first menu, adding a new room category, or expanding your product lines, this tool helps you create a clear structure for your offerings.
When to use it
You should create a new category whenever you want to:
Set up your initial catalog structure (like "Breakfast Menu," "Lunch Menu," or "Drinks")
Add a new type of offering to your business (like "Deluxe Rooms" or "Electronics")
Organize seasonal or promotional items separately
Group related products or services together for easier customer navigation
Create distinct pricing tiers or service levels
Key concepts
Category name: This is the title customers will see when browsing your offerings. Choose clear, descriptive names like "Main Dishes," "Standard Rooms," or "Beverages."
Category description: A brief explanation of what customers can expect to find in this category. This helps set expectations and guides browsing decisions.
Category image: A representative photo that appears alongside your category name. This visual cue helps customers quickly identify the type of offerings in each category.
Active status: A simple toggle that controls whether this category is visible to customers. When turned on, the category and all its items appear in your customer-facing catalog. When turned off, the entire category is hidden without deleting it, which is useful for seasonal offerings or items you plan to bring back later.
Products count: The number of items currently in this category. This helps you track how many offerings you have in each section of your catalog.
Common questions
Can I have multiple categories at the same time?
Yes, you can create as many categories as you need to organize your offerings. Most businesses have several categories to help customers navigate their options. For example, a restaurant might have "Appetizers," "Main Courses," "Desserts," and "Drinks."
What happens if I turn off a category?
When you switch a category to inactive, it becomes invisible to customers immediately. All the items within that category are also hidden, but nothing is deleted. You can turn it back on anytime, and everything will reappear exactly as it was.
Do I need to add an image to my category?
While an image isn't required, we highly recommend adding one. Categories with images are more visually appealing and help customers quickly identify what they're looking for. A good category image shows a representative item or creates an appealing mood for that section.
Can I change the order that categories appear to customers?
Categories are displayed in the order they were created. If you need to change the display order, you may need to recreate categories in your preferred sequence, or contact support for assistance with reordering.
What's the difference between hiding a category and deleting it?
Hiding a category (by turning off the active status) keeps all your category information and items intact but makes them invisible to customers. Deleting a category permanently removes it and all its settings. If you think you might use the category again later, hiding it is the safer choice.