Bulk-uploading your menu

What this is for

Getting a lot of items in at once. If you're opening with 120 dishes, this turns two days of typing into twenty minutes.

Before you start

Create your menus and categories first. The upload matches items to categories and menus by name, so they have to exist before you import. See Item categories.

Your file must be CSV, XLSX or XLS, and no larger than 10MB.

The columns

Download the sample file from the upload screen — it's the quickest way to get the format right. It has these columns:

7 columns — 4 required, the rest optional. Leave an optional column out entirely if you have nothing for it.

item_nameRequired

The dish name.

category_nameRequired

Must match an existing category exactly.

menu_nameRequired

Must match an existing menu exactly.

priceRequired

Numbers only — no currency symbol.

descriptionOptional

Shown to customers on your ordering site.

typeOptional

Veg, non-veg, egg, halal, drink or other.

show_on_customer_siteOptional

Whether the item appears on your online menu.

Your own spreadsheet doesn't have to use these exact headings — you map your columns to these fields during the upload.

Uploading

1. Go to Menu › Menu Items.
2. Select Bulk Upload.
3. Choose your file.
4. Map your columns. Restodesk shows your headings alongside its fields; match them up. The four required fields must all be mapped or the import won't run.
5. Review the preview.
6. Confirm the import.

When it fails

"Required field not mapped" — one of item_name, category_name, menu_name or price hasn't been matched to a column. Go back to the mapping step.

Items land with no category, or the import errors on a row — the category or menu name in your spreadsheet doesn't exactly match one in Restodesk. Watch for trailing spaces, & versus and, and different capitalisation.

"Too many columns detected" — your sheet has more columns than the importer accepts. Delete the ones you're not importing.

Nothing happens after choosing the file — check the format and size. CSV, XLSX or XLS, under 10MB.

What the upload doesn't bring in

Photos, allergens, variations, modifiers and tax settings are not part of the import. Upload the items first, then add those to the ones that need them. Most restaurants find only a fraction of the menu needs variations or modifiers, so this is less work than it sounds.

Exporting

Menu › Menu Items › Export Menu Items downloads your current items as a spreadsheet. Two good uses: taking a backup before a big price change, and editing prices in bulk in a spreadsheet.

Good to know

• The import adds items. It's not a sync — running it twice with the same file gives you two of everything.
• Upload into a test category first if you're unsure about your file. Deleting a handful of test items is easier than unpicking 200 wrong ones.
• Items import into the branch you're currently working in.

Next

Allergen labelling