> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://localtechnologiesinc.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Add new menu item
> This guide details how to add new items to your menu or edit existing ones using the Product Settings interface in the Vendor Dashboard. Use this tool to keep your menu fresh, update prices, and manage out-of-stock items.
Changes made here update your live menu immediately after clicking **Publish**. Ensure all details are correct before saving.
## Basic Information
When you open the product editor (Add or Edit mode), start by configuring the core identity of your item.
### Core Details
* **Name:** The display name of the item as it appears to customers. Use clear, capitalized names (e.g., "Double Cheeseburger").
* **Description:** A detailed explanation of the dish, ingredients, and potential allergens.
* **Preparation Time:** An approximate time (in minutes) it takes to prepare this specific item. This helps calculate accurate delivery/pickup estimates.
### Pricing Strategies
Manage how your product is priced and displayed.
1. **Regular Price:** The standard selling price.
2. **Promotion Price (Optional):** If you enter a value here, the system will:
* Cross out the regular price.
* Display the promotion price.
* Show the item as "On Sale."
Promotion price is a separate value from a standalone **Promotion** that you run at the store level — see [Start here](/restaurants/promotions-manager/start-here).
## Media & Gallery
Visuals are the #1 driver for menu conversion. You can manage your product imagery directly from this form.
* **Upload Photo:** Upload a new image directly from your device.
* **Gallery:** Select from images you have previously uploaded to your media library — see [Media Gallery](/merchants/media-gallery).
**File Requirements:** The system supports **JPEG** and **JPG** formats. Ensure your images are high-quality and centered, as they may be cropped for different device sizes.
## Item Flags
Four independent toggles that change how the item is treated elsewhere in the app — none of them affect the item's core listing, they just add it to a specific surface or behavior.
| Flag | What it does |
| :------------------ | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Featured item** | Adds a highlighted badge to this item on your menu. |
| **Cross-sell item** | Suggests this item to customers at checkout — typically drinks, sides, or add-ons someone might want alongside what's already in their cart. |
| **Soon-to-go** | Marks the item down to move stock fast — opens a quick percent-off calculator (10/20/30/50%) rather than making you type a new price by hand. See [Start here](/restaurants/promotions-manager/start-here) for how this relates to your other promotion tools. |
| **Catering menu** | Makes this item available on your [catering page](/merchants/catering). |
**Catering menu can be toggled from two places, and they stay in sync.** You can turn it on here, or from the Menu tab on your Catering page itself — whichever is more convenient in the moment. Either way flips the same switch.
## Dietary Labels and Allergens
Two more sections live right below Item Flags, and both matter specifically **because they're shown to customers on your catering page**, not just your regular menu — someone booking catering for a group is far more likely to be checking dietary fit for multiple people than someone ordering one meal for themselves.
* **Dietary Labels** — select from a standard list (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Local, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, and more) describing what the dish **is suitable for**.
* **Allergens** — toggle **Contains Allergens** on, then add free-text tags for what the dish **contains** (e.g. `nuts`, `dairy`, `gluten`, `shellfish`).
These two sections describe opposite things and it's easy to set one without meaning to touch the other — a "Nut-Free" dietary label and a "Contains nuts" allergen tag can both technically be set on the same item if you're not paying attention. Double check both before publishing.
## Item Badges
Separate from Dietary Labels, Item Badges are **handling and content warnings** — practical, at-a-glance information about how the item should be treated, not what diet it fits. They show as chips directly on the item in the customer app.
| Badge | What it signals |
| :--------------------- | :-------------------------------- |
| **Contains dairy** | Milk, cream, butter, cheese |
| **Heat sensitive** | Can spoil in warm weather |
| **Keep refrigerated** | Refrigerate on arrival |
| **Keep frozen** | Must stay frozen |
| **Best same day** | Quality drops after today |
| **Fragile** | Handle with care in transit |
| **Contains nuts** | Peanuts or tree nuts |
| **Contains eggs** | — |
| **Contains gluten** | — |
| **Contains shellfish** | — |
| **Contains alcohol** | ID may be required |
| **Raw / undercooked** | Raw or lightly cooked ingredients |
| **Spicy** | — |
| **Made fresh daily** | — |
**Why this matters beyond the customer app:** several of these badges are really instructions for whoever handles the order after you — "Keep frozen" and "Heat sensitive" tell a driver how to transport it, "Fragile" tells them how to carry it, and "Best same day" sets expectations if a delivery is delayed. Tag honestly rather than sparingly; an accurate badge is what prevents a spoiled or crushed item from becoming a refund.
Don't see the badge you need? Type your own — it's added as a plain-text chip rather than one of the curated icons, but it still shows on the item.
## Menu Options & Modifiers
If your product has variations (like sizes) or add-ons (like toppings), use the **Menu Options** configuration tool.
Click the **"This item has options"** button (or the **+** icon) to create a container for your choices.
Define how the customer interacts with this group:
* **Name:** e.g., "Select Size", "Choice of Sauce".
* **Required:** Toggle **ON** if a choice is mandatory (e.g., Size). Toggle **OFF** for optional add-ons.
* **Multiple Selection:** Toggle **ON** to allow selecting more than one option (e.g., "Add Extra Toppings"). Toggle **OFF** for single-choice lists (e.g., "Cook Style").
Add specific items to the group:
* **Name:** "Small", "Medium", "Large".
* **Price:** Enter the *additional cost* for this choice. Enter `0.00` if it's free.
### Managing Choices
* **Reorder:** Use the **Up/Down arrows** to change the order in which choices appear to the customer.
* **Remove:** Click the **Trash** icon to delete a specific choice or an entire option group.
## Publishing Changes
Once configuration is complete:
1. Click the **Publish** button at the bottom of the form.
2. The system will validate your entries (e.g., ensuring a name and price exist).
3. A confirmation dialog will appear: *"Product has been published/updated."*
4. The item is now live.
### Status Indicators
In the top right corner of the editor, you will see a status badge:
* **Draft:** The item is being created.
* **Published:** The item is live.
* **Out-of-stock:** The item is currently unavailable to customers. (To change this, use the main inventory toggle on the menu list page).
* **Archived:** The item is removed from your active menu but kept in your history. Use the bulk actions on Menu Management to archive or restore items.