Shared Menu Template
The menu template (or Master menu) is the heart of a franchise chain. It's the centrally defined menu the franchisor builds once and publishes to all member restaurants. Local units then run the same menu in POS, online order, and express – with room for local variations on unlocked fields.
The problem it solves
Franchisors want three things at once:
- Central control – update the menu once, pushed to all units
- Local flexibility – some fields can have local variations (e.g. assortment or price)
- No data duplication – local menu items are still "source of truth" for POS runtime
Vendion solves this with the template + publish + locked fields pattern.
Where to find the menu template
As chain admin: /chain/:slug/meny-mall. The page shows template categories, template items, number of restaurants each item is published to, and a "Publish menu" button. Only visible if "Central menu management" is enabled in chain settings.
Structure: categories + items
Like a regular menu, the template consists of:
| Level | Fields |
|---|---|
| Category | Name, sort order, color, default locks |
| Product | Name, price, VAT, cost price, category, emoji, image, description, allergens, bong destination, default locks |
| Modifier group | Name, min/max count, whether choice is required |
| Modifier option | Name, price delta |
Default locked fields
Every template product has a set of default locks controlling which fields become locked in local copies on publish. Default is name, VAT, and category.
Bong destinations – logical name
You specify a logical bong destination name (e.g. "Hot kitchen"). When the template publishes to a unit, the system looks up the unit's local bong destination with matching name. If missing: auto-created with default printer. Makes the template portable across units with different kitchen naming.
Allergens – central definition
You choose from Vendion-standardized allergen codes (GLUTEN, DAIRY, EGG, NUTS, SOY, FISH, SHELLFISH, etc.). On publish, codes translate to local menu_item_allergens rows.
Example: Franchise with 5 restaurants
"Burger Buffet Holding AB" has 5 units. Alice wants to launch 12 shared dishes + 3 categories. Builds categories, adds 12 items, leaves description unlocked, locks name/vat_rate/category/price, publishes. Result: all 5 units identical menu. Each unit can still add own seasonal dishes as free local items.
Template products vs local products
| Type | Origin | Editing | Publishing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Template product | Chain master menu – copied into local menu | Locked fields by chain | Controlled by chain |
| Local-only | Created directly at the individual restaurant | Free editing | Unaffected |
Next step: Once built, publish it to member restaurants.
This feature is part of Vendion Chain Operations.
Curious how it looks in practice? Read more about the product or book a short demo.
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