Mark items sold out (86 a dish)
Hide a sold-out item from your live menu instantly, from the editor or the 86 board on your phone.
What 86ing does
"86" is kitchen shorthand for "we're out." MenuSquared's 86 toggle does the same job for your digital menu: mark a dish sold out and it disappears from your live web menu and QR code right away, without touching anything else about the item.
It's a flag, not a deletion. The item, its description, price, and photo all stay exactly as you set them. Flip the toggle back off once you're stocked again and the item returns to the menu on its own.
86 from the editor
Click an item in the left sidebar to open its inspector panel on the right. Below the High-margin switch, you'll find a Sold out (86'd) switch. Turn it on to 86 the item.
Items you've 86'd are easy to spot without opening the inspector: their row in the sidebar dims and picks up an "86" badge, so you can scan the item list and see what's out at a glance.
The editor canvas still shows it
The canvas is your print preview, so an 86'd item keeps rendering there normally. That's expected: the sold-out flag only hides items from the live public menu, not from your design.
The 86 board, from your phone
The full editor is built for a desktop screen, so mid-service isn't the time to open it. The 86 board is a quick, mobile-friendly alternative that lives in the dashboard.
- Open a menu's three-dot menu: On its card in your dashboard menu list, click the ⋯ icon.
- Select "86 board": A panel slides in from the right, listing every section and item on that menu with a switch next to each one.
- Tap to toggle: Flip an item's switch to mark it sold out or bring it back. The change saves immediately, no separate save step.
The board refreshes with your latest menu data each time you open it, and rows use large tap targets and dim once toggled, so it holds up fine on a phone with one hand free and a busy pass behind you.
Print and PDF exports
86'd items still appear in your PDF and print exports. This is deliberate: paper menus get printed ahead of service, and a dish running out tonight isn't a reason to reprint tomorrow's menus. Your dashboard thumbnails work the same way, showing the full design as usual.
Only the live web menu and QR code hide 86'd items. Everywhere else, your menu design stays intact.
Tips & frequently asked questions
Will guests who already have my menu open see the item disappear?
Not until they reload the page. There's no live push to menus that are already open on a guest's phone, but anyone loading or refreshing the menu after you 86 an item won't see it.
Does duplicating a menu carry over its 86'd items?
No. A duplicated menu is a fresh copy of your design, not a snapshot of tonight's stock, so every item starts unmarked in the new menu even if it was 86'd in the original.
Who on my team can 86 an item?
The restaurant owner and team members with an Admin or Editor role. Viewers can see the 86 board but can't flip the switches.