ezCater Menu Requirements & Restrictions

If you're setting up your menu for ezCater through Checkmate, there are a few important rules and recommendations to follow. These ensure your menu is accepted by ezCater and delivers a smooth experience for customers.

Integration Requirements

To be eligible for integration with ezCater:

• Relish must not be enabled at your locations. If your POS is connected to Relish, please disable it before pushing a menu to ezCater.

• Direct Sync is not supported for ezCater menus. If your brand uses Direct Sync for other platforms (like Uber Eats), ezCater will need to be set up separately.

Menu Suggestions

• Add Images: Include a high-quality image for every menu item. Avoid large text or promotional graphics. For example, use a clean photo of a boxed lunch with a sandwich, chips, and a cookie — no added text.

• Use Food Labeling Tags: Help customers make quick decisions by tagging dietary attributes like Vegan, Gluten-Free, etc. For example, mark a Quinoa Salad as VEGAN and GLUTEN_FREE.

• Organize Categories Clearly: Use standard, intuitive categories to group your items for easier browsing:

  • Breakfast

  • Boxed Lunches

  • Catering Packages

  • Sides & Desserts

  • Drinks
    For instance, place “Breakfast Burrito Tray” under “Breakfast” rather than “Miscellaneous.”

• Match Website Pricing: Ensure your ezCater prices exactly match your own website. If a sandwich platter is $45 on your website, it must also be $45 on ezCater.

• Use Maximum Choices: Set a maximum number of choices to prevent over-selection. For example, for cheese options, allow only one selection using a prompt like “Select One Cheese.”

• Use Clear Option Prompts: Keep prompts short and direct so customers know what to do. Phrases like “Choose Your Protein” or “Select 1 Side” work well.

• Add Serving Size: Specify one serving size per item — no ranges allowed. Use “Feeds 10 people” instead of “Feeds 8–10 people.”

• Write Helpful Descriptions: Use clear, descriptive text so customers understand what they’re ordering. For example, “A platter of 10 mini sandwiches with turkey, ham, and veggie options. Includes condiments.”

• Avoid Nested Options: Options should not unlock further sub-options. Avoid structures like “Choose a Salad → Then choose a Dressing.” Instead, create complete item combinations.

• Avoid Option Quantities: Don’t allow different quantities for modifiers within a single item. Rather than offering “4 turkey, 2 ham sandwiches” as modifiers, create separate items for each.

• Ensure Menu Quality: Check for spelling, grammar, and formatting issues to keep your menu professional. Avoid errors like “desrt” or “sammich” — use proper names like “Dessert” or “Sandwich.”

• Use Required Choices Wisely: Only make options required when absolutely necessary. A cheese choice may be required for a sandwich, but condiments should remain optional.

• Use Caterer Labels for Modifiers: Use clear labels for modifier selections, as these appear on customer invoices. For instance, a side labeled “Side: Potato Chips” will be shown properly on the receipt.

Menu Restrictions

• No Nested Modifiers
  Incorrect: “Choose a Salad → Then Choose a Dressing”
  Correct: “Garden Salad with Ranch” as a single item.

• Price Rules

  • Item must have a price > $0 if it doesn’t have sizes.

  • If item price = $0, it can have up to 5 sizes, each with a price > $0.

  • For Example:

    • OK: “Cheese Pizza” with Small ($12), Medium ($14), Large ($16)

    • Not OK: “Cheese Pizza” with $0 price and 6 sizes

• Modifiers That Vary by Size: If toppings/pricing differ by size, create separate menu items.
  Example:

  • “Small Cheese Pizza” with Small toppings

  • “Medium Cheese Pizza” with Medium toppings

  • “Large Cheese Pizza” with Large toppings

• Serving Size Must Be Per Item: If sizes serve different numbers of people, split them out.
  Example:

  • Not OK: “Salad Tray” with Small (feeds 5) and Large (feeds 10)

  • OK:

    • “Small Salad Tray (Feeds 5)”

    • “Large Salad Tray (Feeds 10)”

Menu Fields Required for ezCater

These fields must be added to each menu item to ensure successful upload to ezCater:

• Serves # People: Indicates how many people the item is meant to serve.

  • Required for items (not modifiers).

  • Example: “Chicken Kabob Platter – Serves 10”

• Tax Category: Assign the correct tax category for each item from the list below:

  • BAKERY_ITEMS

  • CAKES_AND_PIES

  • CANDY

  • CHIPS_AND_SNACKS

  • COFFEE_TEA_MILK

  • DRESSINGS_AND_CONDIMENTS

  • EXEMPT

  • ICE_CREAM

  • MISCELLANEOUS

  • NON_SODA_DRINKS

  • PREPARED_FOOD

  • SANDWICHES

  • SODA

  • WATER

  • Example: A cookie tray = BAKERY_ITEMS; Bottled soda = SODA

• Utensils: If your location provides utensils, they must be added as special modifier groups — not regular options.

  • Example: “Add Utensils?” with Yes/No options

  • These modifiers must be configured in a specific way to be accepted by ezCater.

  • Contact your Checkmate representative for setup guidance.

Menu Tags

Menu tags make your menu more searchable and user-friendly on ezCater. Tags are not case-sensitive in the UI and are automatically formatted as needed.

• Food Labeling Tags: Use these to highlight dietary or special attributes for items or modifiers:

  • VEGAN

  • VEGETARIAN

  • GLUTEN_FREE

  • KOSHER

  • HALAL

  • SPICY

  • HEALTHY

  • AWARD

  • STAR

  • POPULAR

  • Example: “Falafel Wrap” = VEGAN, GLUTEN_FREE; “Spicy Buffalo Wings” = SPICY

• Unit of Measurement Tags: Each item should include one unit of measurement. Choose the most accurate unit: BAR, BOTTLE, BOX, BOWL, DOZEN, ITEM, PACKAGE, PERSON, TRAY, etc.

  • Example: “Lemonade” = GALLON ;“Cupcake Box” = DOZEN, “Breakfast Platter” = TRAY

• Item Type Tags: Use one of the following tags if the item fits the category:

  • DESSERT

  • DRINKS

  • ICE

  • Example: “Brownie Bites” = DESSERT; “Lemonade” = DRINKS