What Are Menus?
Akia's Menu is a form of Rich Attachment that can be texted to guests. Properties can create digital menus and allow guests to order food and drink options remotely from the comfort of their mobile phones.
![Notion image](https://www.notion.so/image/https%3A%2F%2Fs3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fsecure.notion-static.com%2Fc953d368-9dc7-4163-8c5f-ae664ca2d991%2FScreen_Shot_2021-02-05_at_5.33.55_PM.png?table=block&id=bcdaa993-9ff4-4ed5-82dc-cfa59904d472&cache=v2)
![Notion image](https://www.notion.so/image/https%3A%2F%2Fs3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fsecure.notion-static.com%2F50a696c7-14fc-4bb7-9828-b6ae361f6ebb%2FScreen_Shot_2021-02-05_at_5.34.10_PM.png?table=block&id=cef70406-ac15-49f7-bfc9-e72ebe60a4ed&cache=v2)
![Notion image](https://www.notion.so/image/https%3A%2F%2Fs3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fsecure.notion-static.com%2F09b00281-b244-4dd4-ad7e-918e3df9ff0d%2FScreen_Shot_2021-02-05_at_5.34.25_PM.png?table=block&id=7ce5e660-9f65-4df5-841a-e7274445853c&cache=v2)
![Notion image](https://www.notion.so/image/https%3A%2F%2Fs3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fsecure.notion-static.com%2F3096eb58-783e-4f7f-969f-371c52932707%2FScreen_Shot_2021-02-05_at_5.35.53_PM.png?table=block&id=6fde84cb-6717-437e-895b-e9a9a115aeb6&cache=v2)
How Do I Create a Menu?
- Click on your name in the upper right and go to Settings, then Menus
![Menus can be found under the](https://www.notion.so/image/https%3A%2F%2Fs3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fsecure.notion-static.com%2F5c754f21-7163-4bb8-93b9-71c09b29306a%2FScreen_Shot_2022-08-05_at_3.48.40_PM.png?table=block&id=45254b11-ae15-416d-ab6a-ee496f597676&cache=v2)
- Click + New Menu to start creating a new Menu
- Menu Name: The name of the Menu that is displayed at the top of the menus (e.g., Rose's Diner).
- Key: a unique shortcode that the Menu can be referred to as a Message Token when you send text messages.
- Fixed Gratuity: The percentage amount of gratuity or service charge that is automatically included on all orders. You can leave it blank for optional gratuity.
- Sales Tax: The sales tax percentage to be included on all orders.
- Notice: an optional notice banner that is displayed at the top of the Menu. For example, you can use this to alert the guest of your kitchen hours or the service charge that is already included.
- Order Confirmation Message: the message that is provided here will be the automatic message that is sent to the guest upon order submission by the guest.
- Click Ok to create your Menu and select it in the Select Menu dropdown
Creating a New Menu Category
- Select your Menu. If you have multiple Menus, you can select them from the dropdown.
- Click + New Category
- Category Name: provide the name of the category, e.g., Main Course
- Category Description: a more verbose description of the category
Adding Items to a Category
- Once the category has been created, you can begin adding new items to the category.
- Under a category, click + Add Item to Category
- Item Name: the name of the item or dish, e.g., House Salad
- Item Description: a more verbose description of the item or the list of ingredients in the dish
- Item Price: the dollar amount for this item
![Notion image](https://www.notion.so/image/https%3A%2F%2Fs3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fsecure.notion-static.com%2F90782cb2-6aab-4bb1-9d15-394406dd3ecc%2FScreen_Shot_2022-08-15_at_1.28.20_PM.png?table=block&id=8217b901-5256-4a77-97b0-86365192c081&cache=v2)
Adding Additional Options to an Item
- Once you have created an item, click on the item
- Select Add Options at the bottom of the popup screen
- Option Name: a descriptive name of the option, e.g., Sides
- Option Type: how the option is presented to the user
- Radio: select this option if the user must pick one option from a list. For example, when ordering breakfast eggs, you can let the user pick from a list — scrambled, sunny side up, over easy, over medium, or over hard.
- Checkbox: select this option if the user can choose zero or more items from a list. For example, when ordering pancakes, you can let the user choose whether they want add-ons from a list — a side of bacon, a side of sausages, or extra pancakes.
Video Guide
![Showing how to create a new Menu, add a category, items, options, remove options, marking an item as out of stock, and sending the Menu to a guest. Note that it does take a while for the page to reload with your changes.](https://www.notion.so/image/https%3A%2F%2Fs3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fsecure.notion-static.com%2F4e0ffd52-d6da-4b4c-a310-2d2024790e8e%2FScreen-Recording-2022-09-13-at-1.gif?table=block&id=cf8ba93c-ebaa-45be-a229-dff0c45c0506&cache=v2)
How Do I Edit a Menu?
You can click on the Edit button next to the Menu name to edit the Menu’s name, description, key, sales tax, delivery, notification options, etc.
Clicking Deactivate will pause the Menu and prevent it from being sent to a guest - you are able to reactivate the menu at any time by clicking on the Edit button again and clicking Activate. Similarly, to edit the name or description of a category, simply click the Edit button to the right of + New Item. You will also be able to delete any categories here.
You can click on any item to bring up the popup window to edit the name, price, etc. In the popup window, you are also able to delete the item or mark it as out of stock.
How to Send a Menu to a Guest
In a Scheduled Message
Use the wand icon while you are creating your scheduled messages to link a Menu. Hover over the Mini Apps section to select the appropriate Menu for the message.
![Notion image](https://www.notion.so/image/https%3A%2F%2Fs3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fsecure.notion-static.com%2Fa8137a91-2c1a-4e51-9336-d4ddbe10c579%2FUntitled.png?table=block&id=a40a4755-932f-4c99-8ffc-03ec29f5e755&cache=v2)
You will then see the Menu branching from the scheduled message, indicating it has been linked correctly.
![Any other Mini Apps you reference in a scheduled message will also be shown branching off from it.](https://www.notion.so/image/https%3A%2F%2Fs3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fsecure.notion-static.com%2F98355b5e-de7e-4a60-add0-4a245427cd8b%2FScreen_Shot_2022-08-18_at_5.11.58_PM.png?table=block&id=b49aa0c7-a2a0-440c-8dda-36125833e21a&cache=v2)
In a Manual Message
To send a guest a Menu, you can select it using the wand icon in the message editor in any guest chat.
![Notion image](https://www.notion.so/image/https%3A%2F%2Fs3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fsecure.notion-static.com%2F25404346-ffd5-4cbe-bcfb-c3279a27cd5e%2FScreen_Shot_2022-08-05_at_3.44.50_PM.png?table=block&id=6c8b6174-b4b2-43ab-af38-1df1a638b615&cache=v2)
If you find yourself needing to send Menus frequently on the Mobile App, you can create a Macro and link the Menu for easy access.
QR Code
Reach out to us via the Support Chat in your Inbox or at help@akia.com and we can help you generate a QR Code for your Menus. This will allow guests to scan the qr code to order, rather than going back to their messages for the link, and won’t be attached to a specific guest’s profile.
Use Cases
- ☎️ Room Service: Include a Menu in your Booklet or arrival message to encourage guests to order room service.
- 🤾 Sell Activities and Other Services: offer additional non-food items to guests within a Menu. Give guests the option to purchase spa treatments, excursion packages, or other offerings for their stay.