Building your first menu

From your dashboard, click the New Menu button (or the + card in the Menus grid). You'll be asked for a few details:

• Menu title: Give your menu a name (e.g., "Dinner Menu", "Weekend Brunch", "Happy Hour").
• Menu type: Choose from options like Dinner, Lunch, Brunch, Drinks, Dessert, or Tasting. This helps organize your menus and influences AI suggestions.

After clicking Create, you'll be taken to the menu editor where you can start building your content.

Sections are the main organizational blocks of your menu: "Appetizers", "Mains", "Desserts", "Cocktails", and so on. To add a section:

1. Click "Add Section" at the bottom of the editor sidebar.
2. Name your section: Type a name like "Starters" or "From the Grill". You can also add an optional section description.
3. Reorder sections: Drag sections up or down using the handle on the left side. The order in the editor matches the order on your printed or shared menu.

Click on a section to expand it, then click Add Item to create a new menu item. Each item has these fields:

• Name: The dish or drink name (e.g., "Grilled Salmon", "House Negroni").
• Description: A brief description of the item. Keep it to 1–2 sentences. You can also use the AI description generator to write this for you.
• Price: Enter the price as a number. MenuSquared formats it automatically based on your currency settings.
• Dietary tags: Mark items as Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free, or add custom tags. These appear as icons next to the item on your menu.
• Visibility: Toggle items on or off without deleting them. Hidden items won't appear on the published menu.

You can reorder items within a section using drag & drop, just like sections.

The template controls how your menu looks: typography, layout, and decorative elements. To change templates:

1. Open the template gallery: Click the template name or the grid icon in the editor toolbar.
2. Browse designs: MenuSquared offers 30+ templates, from elegant fine-dining layouts to bold modern styles. Each template has a live preview showing your actual content.
3. Select a template: Click any template to apply it instantly. Your content stays the same. Only the visual design changes.

Switching templates is non-destructive. Your sections, items, and prices remain intact, and you can switch back at any time.

As you edit, the right side of the editor shows a live preview of your menu. Changes show up in real time, so there's no need to save or refresh.

• Device preview: Use the device toggles in the toolbar to see how your menu looks on Desktop, Tablet, and Mobile screens.
• Zoom controls: Zoom in and out to inspect details or see the full-page layout.
• Full preview: Click the eye icon to open a full-width preview of your menu in a new tab.