Dine Local Restaurant Admin Guide - User contributions [en]

Main Restaurant/Location Settings

2025-12-19T18:11:37Z

Administrator: Added the Google Tab information.

When you are logged in with your manager account, you have the ability to change some of the settings related to your restaurant on the Dine Niagara platform. To access the Restaurant Settings page, you need to log into the [[Accessing the Admin Panel|Administrator panel]] using the manager login that was provided to you. If you have only one location enabled under your login, you will then go to the 'Settings' option under the 'Restaurant' heading in the left navigation pane. If you have multiple locations, you'll visit 'Locations' under the 'Restaurant' heading and then click on the 'pencil' icon beside the location you want to edit.
[[File:Location Settings Page Screen Shot.png|none|thumb|600x600px|Main Location settings page.]]
There are several tabs of information which can be edited as described below:

=== Location Tab ===
You are able to edit the following data for your location:

* '''Name''' - the restaurant name as it will appear on your menu order page and in the restaurant list. ''(Required. Max 128 Characters)''
* '''Email''' - the email address where you will receive email notifications of new orders ''(Required. Max 96 Characters. Must be a valid email address)''
* '''Telephone''' - the telephone number for order notifications ''(Required.)''
* '''Image''' - the logo image that will be shown on your menu order page and the restaurant list.
* '''Status''' - this shows whether your location is visible to the public. If you need to change this option you need to contact our team at [mailto:support@dineniagara.ca support@dineniagara.ca].
* '''Address/City/State/Postal/Country''' - this shows the current address of your restaurant. If you need to change the address of your restaurant you need to contact our team at [mailto:support@dineniagara.ca support@dineniagara.ca].
* '''Description''' - this is a brief description of your restaurant. It is used only sparingly throughout the order page and website, so it is not required.
* '''Save Option Names''' - by default we will save the menu option names with the selected options from the customer for clarity when you are reading your orders (example: "(Wing Sauce) Hot"). If you prefer to only save the option selected in your orders (example: "Hot") you can turn off this switch. Note that this setting affects how orders are saved, it is not just a display toggle, so you will not be able to add back the menu option names later for orders saved without it.
* '''Banner Image''' - the banner image that shows across the top of your menu order page and in the restaurant list.
* '''Hide Phone # from Front End''' - hides your phone number from the menu/order page if you prefer not to receive customer phone calls at your notification phone number.
* '''Google Tag Account''' - allows you to add your Google Analytics Measurement ID to receive Google Analytics tracking data for your menu pages. See our [[Google]] section for more information.

=== Settings Tab ===
You are able to edit the following data for your location:

* '''Offer Delivery''' - turn on or off delivery as an available ordering option for your location. ''Note: Generally this should be left ENABLED or you will not be able to receive delivery orders.''
* '''Delivery Time Interval''' - this is the time between order slots for customers to choose from when they are pre-ordering. ''Note: This does not affect "As Soon As Possible" orders and we recommend you leave it set to 15 minutes.''
* '''Delivery Lead Time''' - this is the default time we will show customers as the expected delivery time from when they place an order. ''Note: This time is also updated whenever you change the "[[Adjusting Your Pickup Ready Time|Pickup Ready Time]]" from the top bar. This does not affect the speed or timing of delivery services.''
* '''Allow Pre-Order for Delivery''' - this turns on or off the ability for customers to pre-order in advance. ''Note: If you disable this option, customers will only be able to place orders "As Soon As Possible" and will not be able to order outside of your business hours. It is highly recommended that you leave this setting enabled.''
* '''Delivery Pre-Order Days in Advance''' - this is the number of days in advance that a customer can pre-order. We default this value to 5 days when we set up your location which is usually sufficient for most restaurants. If you offer menu items with longer lead times or catering type menu items, you may want to consider extending this to 20-30 days.
* '''Same Options as Above for Pickup Orders'''
* '''Offers Dine-In''' - If you have dine in available we will show your restaurant dine-in hours in addition to your takeout and delivery hours on your menu/order page and restaurant list. This should only be turned off if you have no seating in your restaurant.

=== Schedules Tab ===
The Schedules Tab allows you to edit your regular business hours for the platform. This should be your standard running hours and you do not need to edit these hours for special days such as vacations or holidays. Those should be set using the Special Schedules process.

There are three sets of hours which can be adjusted:

# Opening Schedule is the hours that your dine-in restaurant is open (which may include hours that you do not serve food for bars/nightclubs)
# Delivery Schedule is the hours that you offer delivery orders (which may differ from pickup orders if you do your own deliveries)
# Pickup Schedule is the hours that you offer pickup orders (which should be the same as the hours that your kitchen is open)

To change your hours you will click on the hours you would like to adjust, and use the interface to set open and closed and hours for the day.

Setting hours can be somewhat complex, particularly if you offer multiple opening times in a day. We recommend that if you need to adjust your hours that you send us your new hours and effective date to [mailto:support@dineniagara.ca support@dineniagara.ca] and we will make the adjustment for you.

=== Gallery Tab ===
You have the ability to add photos to a gallery that will be shown on its own tab on your menu/order page. This is completely optional and most restaurants do not set any images here.

=== Payouts Tab ===
This is where you will find your link to set up or view your Stripe Connect account which is where all credit card and Dine Niagara gift card payments are processed to your bank account.

==== Initial Stripe Connect Setup ====
If you have not yet set up your Stripe Connect account, you will see a button that allows you to "Create a Stripe Connect account"

You can find full instructions on your Stripe Connect setup on our [[Setting Up and Verifying Your Stripe Connect Account|help page for Stripe]].

'''''It is mandatory that you configure your Stripe Connect Account before we can enable your restaurant for orders.'''''

==== Viewing your Stripe Connect Account ====
Once you have set up your Stripe Connect account you can click the "View stripe connect account" button to launch Stripe and view all transactions and balances that are destined for your bank account.

=== Reviews Tab ===
You can provide the link for your Google Reviews and Facebook Reviews in this section. If you have provided these links, your customers will be presented with the opportunity to leave a Google or Facebook review after [[Customer Feedback|providing feedback on their orders]].

To get your Google Reviews link, follow the instructions on this [https://support.google.com/business/answer/3474122?hl=en#create_and_share_a_link Google Help Document]. Your Facebook review link should be accessible from your Restaurant Facebook page. If you don't have a reviews section you can leave this blank.

=== Web Links Tab ===
You can set up all of your website and social links on this page. We have provided the ability to link website, Facebook page/profile, Instagram page, X profile, and TikTok profile which will appear on your order page above your restaurant name.

''Note: You must include the full link to each page for the links to work (for example: https://facebook.com/dinelocalapp<nowiki/>)''

=== Tax Settings Tab ===
If you have special tax settings for your location, you can adjust them here, for example if you are in a different province than Ontario or are you are a Charity location who has different tax treatment. ''Note: You can only edit the tax rate for your menu items, and you are responsible for ensuring that you are following tax code for your location. Delivery tax rates must be managed by our administrative team. If you believe you have the incorrect tax rate set for delivery please reach out to our support team.''

=== Donations Tab ===
If you have a Charity that you regularly partner with, we have enabled Donations at Checkout within our platform. If you would like to allow customers to make a small donation ($2/5/10/15) at the same time as their order, simply enable the Accept Donations at Checkout option and then enter the name of the Charity which will be displayed to customers when they check out.

All donation amounts will be included in your sales reporting for your own records. We do not hold any donations, it is your responsibility to route all donations to the charity.

=== Transaction Fees Tab ===
If you are on a variable fees plan, this page will show the current balance (if any) of uncollected fees from previous orders. Balances are created when you cancel an order that is received or if we have a technical issue recovering the fees from a previous order. The system will automatically collect the balance with the next successful order(s) placed through the system.

=== Google Tab ===
You can connect your Dine Local restaurant location to your Google My Business profile and we will automatically provide updates to Google to keep your business data in sync. Specifically we will update your menu data, regular business hours, and special hours such as holiday hours that are added to our system. Simply connect your Google Profile as outlined in our [[Google Reviews Management|Reputation Management module]], and you will then have the opportunity to "Sync Hours" manually to Google, and we will automatically provide updates to Google every day for any changes to special hours.

Google Reviews Management

2025-12-19T18:08:21Z

Administrator:

Dine Local allows you to easily manage and reply to your Google Reviews, including AI generated recommendations in your own brand language to help you provide feedback to your customers and address any issues or concerns with grace. We have designed this tool to keep you notified of reviews that require your attention, as well as to help you reply in a professional tone, regardless of how emotional you might be feeling after receiving a negative review.

== Connecting to Google My Business ==
''Note: The Google My Business connection is shared and also used to integrate/update business hours with Google.''

To enable Google Reviews Management for your restaurant, you will need to log in to your [https://dinelocal.at/admin admin panel] using your manager login, and navigate to the Restaurant -> Settings page.
[[File:Screenshot of the Google Connection Tab in Restaurant Settings.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]
Once you are on the restaurant settings page, click on the Google tab at the top, and then you will click to "Connect to Google" to log into your Google account.

You will be taken through the Google login screen where you need to use the Google account that you use to manage your Google My Business page. You will be asked to provide permission for Dine Local to access your Google Review data which you must approve. Once you have approved, you will be returned to the Google tab in your settings screen.

If you have only one business profile connected to your Google login, then you are done! If not, you'll need to select the correct business profile from the list and hit the Save button at the top of the page.
[[File:Screenshot of the Google Business Profile selection screen.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]
Once you select the business profile (or if you only have one profile) you will see confirmation that your Google My Business is connected and ready to be used:
[[File:Google Integration Screenshot.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]
From this page you can always see the current count of reviews you have on the Google My Business profile, as well as your current average rating.

== Tailoring Your AI Voice ==
On the connected Google tab you will now see a box for Location-Specific AI Instructions. This allows you to tailor the AI generated replies to suit your own brand voice. In most cases, you can leave this blank as our base AI generation will provide clear, professional, and concise reply recommendations for reviews you receive.

You may want to tailor this, however, if you have a specific tone, theme, or concept you want to make sure shows through in your responses. Some examples (mild and extreme) include:

* '''Maple Leafs Supporting Sports Bar (Mild)'''We are a Toronto Maple Leafs supporting sports bar and big hockey fans. Our menu items are tailored to hockey related themes, and our brand voice generally has hints of hockey terms and Toronto Maple Leafs references without being too extreme. Where it makes sense please include NHL Hockey and specifically Toronto Maple Leafs references, but avoid these when we are addressing a negative review.
* '''Tex Mex Style Restaurant (Medium)'''We are a Tex-Mex style bar, but with a significant Canadian twist. We lean heavily into both our Canadian heritage and a cartoon-ish or stereotypical Tex Mex persona using obvious stereotypical Tex-Mex phrases ("¿Qué pasó?") mixed with Canadian phrases and slang ("aboot") in our overall brand persona. We want our fun personality to show through in our replies, but it should stop short of offensive stereotypes and be much more tempered when replying to negative reviews.
* '''Star Trek Themed Bar (Extreme)'''Our bar is completely designed around the Star Trek TV series and movies. Everything about us bleeds Star Trek in our imagery, decor, and language. In all of our public responses we want to use references and phrases from the Star Trek series unapologetically. Even when replying to negative reviews we want to still be professional and empathetic, but we absolutely need to stay true to our Star Trek roots.

If you need help crafting this type of prompt for your brand, don't hesitate to reach out to our [mailto:support@dinelocalapp.ca support team].

== Managing Your Reviews ==
To manage your Google Reviews, go to the Google Reviews page on under Restaurant. Note that we only update your Google Reviews overnight, so you will need to wait a day to see any reviews that may be on the system. You will receive an email from us once your Google Reviews have synced to our system, and you will also receive an email any night that a new Google Review has been added for your location.
[[File:Google Reviews Email Screenshot.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]
Once you arrive on your Google Reviews page you will see a full list of all reviews for your location from newest to oldest (default). You can filter that list to show you only reviews you haven't already read, those which have not been replied to, or by rating.
[[File:Gogle Reviews List Screenshot.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]

== Responding to a Review ==
To respond to a review, click the Pencil icon beside the review to go to the review detail screen.
[[File:Google Review Details Screenshot.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]
Here you can review the details of the review again, as well as mark the review "Reviewed" or read which you can then use in the filtering on the list page.

If you scroll down you will find the reply block. If there is already a reply on this review, you will find the current review reply here where it can be edited. Otherwise it will be blank and waiting for your input.
[[File:Google Review Reply Block.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]
You have the choice of either typing your own reply into this box if you prefer to do things manually, otherwise you can click the "Generate AI Response" button to get an AI generated draft based on the customer review and your brand voice you added earlier.

Once the AI response is populated, you can make any adjustments or changes you would like, and then click the Post Reply button at the top of the screen to publish it to Google.

If you ever want to Delete a reply from a review on Google, you can navigate to the review in Dine Local, then click the Delete Reply button at the top to clear the reply from the Google system.

'''Note:''' You are unable to delete a review from Google, you can only address reviews through replies.

Google Reviews Management

2025-12-19T18:07:35Z

Administrator: Updated Google integration screen shot

Dine Local allows you to easily manage and reply to your Google Reviews, including AI generated recommendations in your own brand language to help you provide feedback to your customers and address any issues or concerns with grace. We have designed this tool to keep you notified of reviews that require your attention, as well as to help you reply in a professional tone, regardless of how emotional you might be feeling after receiving a negative review.

== Connecting to Google My Business ==
To enable Google Reviews Management for your restaurant, you will need to log in to your [https://dinelocal.at/admin admin panel] using your manager login, and navigate to the Restaurant -> Settings page.
[[File:Screenshot of the Google Connection Tab in Restaurant Settings.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]
Once you are on the restaurant settings page, click on the Google tab at the top, and then you will click to "Connect to Google" to log into your Google account.

You will be taken through the Google login screen where you need to use the Google account that you use to manage your Google My Business page. You will be asked to provide permission for Dine Local to access your Google Review data which you must approve. Once you have approved, you will be returned to the Google tab in your settings screen.

If you have only one business profile connected to your Google login, then you are done! If not, you'll need to select the correct business profile from the list and hit the Save button at the top of the page.
[[File:Screenshot of the Google Business Profile selection screen.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]
Once you select the business profile (or if you only have one profile) you will see confirmation that your Google My Business is connected and ready to be used:
[[File:Google Integration Screenshot.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]
From this page you can always see the current count of reviews you have on the Google My Business profile, as well as your current average rating.

== Tailoring Your AI Voice ==
On the connected Google tab you will now see a box for Location-Specific AI Instructions. This allows you to tailor the AI generated replies to suit your own brand voice. In most cases, you can leave this blank as our base AI generation will provide clear, professional, and concise reply recommendations for reviews you receive.

You may want to tailor this, however, if you have a specific tone, theme, or concept you want to make sure shows through in your responses. Some examples (mild and extreme) include:

* '''Maple Leafs Supporting Sports Bar (Mild)'''We are a Toronto Maple Leafs supporting sports bar and big hockey fans. Our menu items are tailored to hockey related themes, and our brand voice generally has hints of hockey terms and Toronto Maple Leafs references without being too extreme. Where it makes sense please include NHL Hockey and specifically Toronto Maple Leafs references, but avoid these when we are addressing a negative review.
* '''Tex Mex Style Restaurant (Medium)'''We are a Tex-Mex style bar, but with a significant Canadian twist. We lean heavily into both our Canadian heritage and a cartoon-ish or stereotypical Tex Mex persona using obvious stereotypical Tex-Mex phrases ("¿Qué pasó?") mixed with Canadian phrases and slang ("aboot") in our overall brand persona. We want our fun personality to show through in our replies, but it should stop short of offensive stereotypes and be much more tempered when replying to negative reviews.
* '''Star Trek Themed Bar (Extreme)'''Our bar is completely designed around the Star Trek TV series and movies. Everything about us bleeds Star Trek in our imagery, decor, and language. In all of our public responses we want to use references and phrases from the Star Trek series unapologetically. Even when replying to negative reviews we want to still be professional and empathetic, but we absolutely need to stay true to our Star Trek roots.

If you need help crafting this type of prompt for your brand, don't hesitate to reach out to our [mailto:support@dinelocalapp.ca support team].

== Managing Your Reviews ==
To manage your Google Reviews, go to the Google Reviews page on under Restaurant. Note that we only update your Google Reviews overnight, so you will need to wait a day to see any reviews that may be on the system. You will receive an email from us once your Google Reviews have synced to our system, and you will also receive an email any night that a new Google Review has been added for your location.
[[File:Google Reviews Email Screenshot.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]
Once you arrive on your Google Reviews page you will see a full list of all reviews for your location from newest to oldest (default). You can filter that list to show you only reviews you haven't already read, those which have not been replied to, or by rating.
[[File:Gogle Reviews List Screenshot.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]

== Responding to a Review ==
To respond to a review, click the Pencil icon beside the review to go to the review detail screen.
[[File:Google Review Details Screenshot.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]
Here you can review the details of the review again, as well as mark the review "Reviewed" or read which you can then use in the filtering on the list page.

If you scroll down you will find the reply block. If there is already a reply on this review, you will find the current review reply here where it can be edited. Otherwise it will be blank and waiting for your input.
[[File:Google Review Reply Block.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]
You have the choice of either typing your own reply into this box if you prefer to do things manually, otherwise you can click the "Generate AI Response" button to get an AI generated draft based on the customer review and your brand voice you added earlier.

Once the AI response is populated, you can make any adjustments or changes you would like, and then click the Post Reply button at the top of the screen to publish it to Google.

If you ever want to Delete a reply from a review on Google, you can navigate to the review in Dine Local, then click the Delete Reply button at the top to clear the reply from the Google system.

'''Note:''' You are unable to delete a review from Google, you can only address reviews through replies.

File:Google Integration Screenshot.png

2025-12-19T18:07:16Z

Administrator:

Google Integration Screenshot

Google Reviews Management

2025-10-11T22:18:08Z

Administrator:

Dine Local allows you to easily manage and reply to your Google Reviews, including AI generated recommendations in your own brand language to help you provide feedback to your customers and address any issues or concerns with grace. We have designed this tool to keep you notified of reviews that require your attention, as well as to help you reply in a professional tone, regardless of how emotional you might be feeling after receiving a negative review.

== Connecting to Google My Business ==
To enable Google Reviews Management for your restaurant, you will need to log in to your [https://dinelocal.at/admin admin panel] using your manager login, and navigate to the Restaurant -> Settings page.
[[File:Screenshot of the Google Connection Tab in Restaurant Settings.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]
Once you are on the restaurant settings page, click on the Google tab at the top, and then you will click to "Connect to Google" to log into your Google account.

You will be taken through the Google login screen where you need to use the Google account that you use to manage your Google My Business page. You will be asked to provide permission for Dine Local to access your Google Review data which you must approve. Once you have approved, you will be returned to the Google tab in your settings screen.

If you have only one business profile connected to your Google login, then you are done! If not, you'll need to select the correct business profile from the list and hit the Save button at the top of the page.
[[File:Screenshot of the Google Business Profile selection screen.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]
Once you select the business profile (or if you only have one profile) you will see confirmation that your Google My Business is connected and ready to be used:
[[File:Google My Business Successfully Connected Screenshot.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]From this page you can always see the current count of reviews you have on the Google My Business profile, as well as your current average rating.

== Tailoring Your AI Voice ==
On the connected Google tab you will now see a box for Location-Specific AI Instructions. This allows you to tailor the AI generated replies to suit your own brand voice. In most cases, you can leave this blank as our base AI generation will provide clear, professional, and concise reply recommendations for reviews you receive.

You may want to tailor this, however, if you have a specific tone, theme, or concept you want to make sure shows through in your responses. Some examples (mild and extreme) include:

* '''Maple Leafs Supporting Sports Bar (Mild)'''We are a Toronto Maple Leafs supporting sports bar and big hockey fans. Our menu items are tailored to hockey related themes, and our brand voice generally has hints of hockey terms and Toronto Maple Leafs references without being too extreme. Where it makes sense please include NHL Hockey and specifically Toronto Maple Leafs references, but avoid these when we are addressing a negative review.
* '''Tex Mex Style Restaurant (Medium)'''We are a Tex-Mex style bar, but with a significant Canadian twist. We lean heavily into both our Canadian heritage and a cartoon-ish or stereotypical Tex Mex persona using obvious stereotypical Tex-Mex phrases ("¿Qué pasó?") mixed with Canadian phrases and slang ("aboot") in our overall brand persona. We want our fun personality to show through in our replies, but it should stop short of offensive stereotypes and be much more tempered when replying to negative reviews.
* '''Star Trek Themed Bar (Extreme)'''Our bar is completely designed around the Star Trek TV series and movies. Everything about us bleeds Star Trek in our imagery, decor, and language. In all of our public responses we want to use references and phrases from the Star Trek series unapologetically. Even when replying to negative reviews we want to still be professional and empathetic, but we absolutely need to stay true to our Star Trek roots.

If you need help crafting this type of prompt for your brand, don't hesitate to reach out to our [mailto:support@dinelocalapp.ca support team].

== Managing Your Reviews ==
To manage your Google Reviews, go to the Google Reviews page on under Restaurant. Note that we only update your Google Reviews overnight, so you will need to wait a day to see any reviews that may be on the system. You will receive an email from us once your Google Reviews have synced to our system, and you will also receive an email any night that a new Google Review has been added for your location.
[[File:Google Reviews Email Screenshot.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]
Once you arrive on your Google Reviews page you will see a full list of all reviews for your location from newest to oldest (default). You can filter that list to show you only reviews you haven't already read, those which have not been replied to, or by rating.
[[File:Gogle Reviews List Screenshot.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]

== Responding to a Review ==
To respond to a review, click the Pencil icon beside the review to go to the review detail screen.
[[File:Google Review Details Screenshot.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]
Here you can review the details of the review again, as well as mark the review "Reviewed" or read which you can then use in the filtering on the list page.

If you scroll down you will find the reply block. If there is already a reply on this review, you will find the current review reply here where it can be edited. Otherwise it will be blank and waiting for your input.
[[File:Google Review Reply Block.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]
You have the choice of either typing your own reply into this box if you prefer to do things manually, otherwise you can click the "Generate AI Response" button to get an AI generated draft based on the customer review and your brand voice you added earlier.

Once the AI response is populated, you can make any adjustments or changes you would like, and then click the Post Reply button at the top of the screen to publish it to Google.

If you ever want to Delete a reply from a review on Google, you can navigate to the review in Dine Local, then click the Delete Reply button at the top to clear the reply from the Google system.

'''Note:''' You are unable to delete a review from Google, you can only address reviews through replies.

Google Reviews Management

2025-10-11T22:17:17Z

Administrator: First version of the Google Review Management page

Dine Local allows you to easily manage and reply to your Google Reviews, including AI generated recommendations in your own brand language to help you provide feedback to your customers and address any issues or concerns with grace. We have designed this tool to keep you notified of reviews that require your attention, as well as to help you reply in a professional tone, regardless of how emotional you might be feeling after receiving a negative review.

== Connecting to Google My Business ==
To enable Google Reviews Management for your restaurant, you will need to log in to your [https://dinelocal.at/admin admin panel] using your manager login, and navigate to the Restaurant -> Settings page.
[[File:Screenshot of the Google Connection Tab in Restaurant Settings.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]
Once you are on the restaurant settings page, click on the Google tab at the top, and then you will click to "Connect to Google" to log into your Google account.

You will be taken through the Google login screen where you need to use the Google account that you use to manage your Google My Business page. You will be asked to provide permission for Dine Local to access your Google Review data which you must approve. Once you have approved, you will be returned to the Google tab in your settings screen.

If you have only one business profile connected to your Google login, then you are done! If not, you'll need to select the correct business profile from the list and hit the Save button at the top of the page.
[[File:Screenshot of the Google Business Profile selection screen.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]
Once you select the business profile (or if you only have one profile) you will see confirmation that your Google My Business is connected and ready to be used:
[[File:Google My Business Successfully Connected Screenshot.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]

== Tailoring Your AI Voice ==
On the connected Google tab you will now see a box for Location-Specific AI Instructions. This allows you to tailor the AI generated replies to suit your own brand voice. In most cases, you can leave this blank as our base AI generation will provide clear, professional, and concise reply recommendations for reviews you receive.

You may want to tailor this, however, if you have a specific tone, theme, or concept you want to make sure shows through in your responses. Some examples (mild and extreme) include:

* '''Maple Leafs Supporting Sports Bar (Mild)'''We are a Toronto Maple Leafs supporting sports bar and big hockey fans. Our menu items are tailored to hockey related themes, and our brand voice generally has hints of hockey terms and Toronto Maple Leafs references without being too extreme. Where it makes sense please include NHL Hockey and specifically Toronto Maple Leafs references, but avoid these when we are addressing a negative review.
* '''Tex Mex Style Restaurant (Medium)'''We are a Tex-Mex style bar, but with a significant Canadian twist. We lean heavily into both our Canadian heritage and a cartoon-ish or stereotypical Tex Mex persona using obvious stereotypical Tex-Mex phrases ("¿Qué pasó?") mixed with Canadian phrases and slang ("aboot") in our overall brand persona. We want our fun personality to show through in our replies, but it should stop short of offensive stereotypes and be much more tempered when replying to negative reviews.
* '''Star Trek Themed Bar (Extreme)'''Our bar is completely designed around the Star Trek TV series and movies. Everything about us bleeds Star Trek in our imagery, decor, and language. In all of our public responses we want to use references and phrases from the Star Trek series unapologetically. Even when replying to negative reviews we want to still be professional and empathetic, but we absolutely need to stay true to our Star Trek roots.

If you need help crafting this type of prompt for your brand, don't hesitate to reach out to our [mailto:support@dinelocalapp.ca support team].

== Managing Your Reviews ==
To manage your Google Reviews, go to the Google Reviews page on under Restaurant. Note that we only update your Google Reviews overnight, so you will need to wait a day to see any reviews that may be on the system. You will receive an email from us once your Google Reviews have synced to our system, and you will also receive an email any night that a new Google Review has been added for your location.
[[File:Google Reviews Email Screenshot.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]
Once you arrive on your Google Reviews page you will see a full list of all reviews for your location from newest to oldest (default). You can filter that list to show you only reviews you haven't already read, those which have not been replied to, or by rating.
[[File:Gogle Reviews List Screenshot.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]

== Responding to a Review ==
To respond to a review, click the Pencil icon beside the review to go to the review detail screen.
[[File:Google Review Details Screenshot.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]
Here you can review the details of the review again, as well as mark the review "Reviewed" or read which you can then use in the filtering on the list page.

If you scroll down you will find the reply block. If there is already a reply on this review, you will find the current review reply here where it can be edited. Otherwise it will be blank and waiting for your input.
[[File:Google Review Reply Block.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]
You have the choice of either typing your own reply into this box if you prefer to do things manually, otherwise you can click the "Generate AI Response" button to get an AI generated draft based on the customer review and your brand voice you added earlier.

Once the AI response is populated, you can make any adjustments or changes you would like, and then click the Post Reply button at the top of the screen to publish it to Google.

If you ever want to Delete a reply from a review on Google, you can navigate to the review in Dine Local, then click the Delete Reply button at the top to clear the reply from the Google system.

'''Note:''' You are unable to delete a review from Google, you can only address reviews through replies.

File:Google Review Reply Block.png

2025-10-11T22:14:39Z

Administrator:

Google Review Reply Block Screenshot

File:Google Review Details Screenshot.png

2025-10-11T22:12:16Z

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Google Review Details Screenshot

File:Gogle Reviews List Screenshot.png

2025-10-11T22:06:53Z

Administrator:

Gogle Reviews List Screenshot

File:Google Reviews Email Screenshot.png

2025-10-11T22:05:02Z

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Google Reviews Email Screenshot

File:Google My Business Successfully Connected Screenshot.png

2025-10-11T21:49:46Z

Administrator:

Google My Business Successfully Connected Screenshot

File:Screenshot of the Google Business Profile selection screen.png

2025-10-11T21:47:54Z

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Screenshot of the Google Business Profile selection screen

File:Screenshot of the Google Connection Tab in Restaurant Settings.png

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Screenshot of the Google Connection Tab in Restaurant Settings

Dine Local Restaurant Administrator Guide

2025-10-11T21:40:13Z

Administrator: Added Reputation Management / Google Reviews links

Thank you for choosing Dine Local for online ordering and deliveries at your restaurant!

This guide is designed to support you and your team with the use of the Dine Local platform.

As always if you have any problems and require support you can email us at [mailto:support@dinelocalapp.ca support@dinelocalapp.ca] for help.

=== Initial Setup ===

* [[Installing the Dine Niagara Restaurant App|Installing the Dine Local Restaurant App]]
* [[Accessing the Admin Panel]]
* [[Changing Your Password]]
* [[Setting Up and Verifying Your Stripe Connect Account]]
* [[Setting Your Font Size]]
* [[Setting Up Printing from your Tablet]]

== Daily Operations Activities ==

=== Receiving and Processing Orders ===

* [[Receiving and Processing an Order]]
* [[Cancelling an Order]]
* [[Cancelling or Redispatching a Delivery]]

=== Daily Summary Reports ===

* [[Daily Order Summary Report]]

=== Requesting a Manual Delivery ===

* [[Requesting a Manual Delivery for a Prepaid Order]]

=== Creating and Processing Gift Cards and Payments In Person ===

* [[Creating a Local Gift Card]]
* [[Redeeming a Gift Card In Person]]

=== Managing Inventory Availability ===

* [[Marking Items, Categories, and Options Out Of Stock]]

=== Closing and Opening for Orders and Adjusting Pickup Ready Time ===

* [[Quick Close to Pause or Stop Orders]]
* [[Adjusting Your Pickup Ready Time]]

=== Validating Student Savours™ Discounts In Restaurant ===

* [[Validating and Logging a Discount In Restaurant]]

== Administrative Activities ==
Most restaurants choose to have the Dine Local team manage their administrator settings for things like menus, categories, specials, etc. We have included instructions on how to manage these items here for your own reference, however there is no expectation that you manage your menu yourself. To have changes made in the system, please submit any changes you need by email to [mailto:support@dinelocalapp.ca support@dinelocalapp.ca] and our team will take care of them generally within 24-48 hours.

=== Restaurant Settings ===

* [[Main Restaurant/Location Settings]]
* [[Menu Categories Management]]
* [[Menu Item Management and Settings|Menu Item Management]]
* [[Special Schedules for Holidays and Vacations]]

=== Marketing & Promotions ===

* [[Setting up Menu Specials]]
* [[Setting up Coupon Promotions]]
* [[Customer Loyalty Report and Coupons]]
* [[StudentSavours™ Discount Program]]
* [[CAA Rewards Discount Program]]

=== Reputation Management ===

* [[Google Reviews Management]]

=== Reports ===

* [[Sales Report]]
* [[Delivery Report]]
* [[Fee Recovery Report]]
* [[Gift Card Created Report]]
* [[Gift Card Exposure Report]]
* [[StudentSavours™ Report]]
* [[User Activity Report]]
* [[Customer Feedback]]

== Driving Traffic to your Order Page ==

=== Social Media ===

* [[Facebook]]
* [[Instagram]]
* [[Other Social Platforms]]

=== Search Engines ===

* [[Google]]

=== Web Sites ===

* [[Your Own Website]]

=== In Store or In Print ===

* [[Free Design Services|Design Services]]

=== Email Newsletters ===

* [[MailChimp Integration]]

MailChimp Integration

2025-08-11T19:59:05Z

Administrator: New page - MailChimp

The Dine Local platform allows you to easily integration your MailChimp account to add new subscribers automatically from the Dine Local platform in two ways:

* '''Dine Local Restaurant Websites'''If you use the Dine Local Restaurant Website platform for your restaurant home page, integrating your MailChimp account will encourage users to sign up for your newsletter from a pop up window on your pages.[[File:Screenshot of the Dine Local Website Newsletter Signup.png|none|thumb|600x600px|Screen shot from a Dine Local restaurant website with the MailChimp integration newsletter signup box.]]
* '''Dine Local Orders'''If you have your MailChimp account connected to your location, we will automatically push customer first name, last name, phone number, and email address into your MailChimp account in the audience lists you have selected when a customer places an order.

=== Setting Up Your MailChimp Account Link ===
To connect your MailChimp account to the Dine Local platform:

# Log into the [https://dinelocal.at/admin Admin Panel] with your manager login.
# Go to Restaurant -> Settings
# Go to the MailChimp tab
# Click to connect your MailChimp account[[File:Screenshot of the MailChimp integration page.png|none|thumb|600x600px|Screen shot of the MailChimp integration panel.]]

You will need to log into your MailChimp account and then authorize the Dine Local application to have access to your data.

Once you are integrated, you will be able to select which audience(s) you want us to push your contacts into:
[[File:Screenshot of a connected MailChimp account.png|none|thumb|600x600px|Screen shot of the MailChimp integration once connected.]]

To select or change audiences, simply select the audiences you want us to include for new contacts and hit the Save or Save and Close button at the top of the page.

File:Screenshot of a connected MailChimp account.png

2025-08-11T19:58:02Z

Administrator:

Screenshot of a connected MailChimp account

File:Screenshot of the MailChimp integration page.png

2025-08-11T19:56:08Z

Administrator:

Screenshot of the MailChimp integration page

File:Screenshot of the Dine Local Website Newsletter Signup.png

2025-08-11T19:41:57Z

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Screenshot of the Dine Local Website Newsletter Signup

Dine Local Restaurant Administrator Guide

2025-08-11T19:39:24Z

Administrator: Added MailChimp integration section.

Thank you for choosing Dine Local for online ordering and deliveries at your restaurant!

This guide is designed to support you and your team with the use of the Dine Local platform.

As always if you have any problems and require support you can email us at [mailto:support@dinelocalapp.ca support@dinelocalapp.ca] for help.

=== Initial Setup ===

* [[Installing the Dine Niagara Restaurant App|Installing the Dine Local Restaurant App]]
* [[Accessing the Admin Panel]]
* [[Changing Your Password]]
* [[Setting Up and Verifying Your Stripe Connect Account]]
* [[Setting Your Font Size]]
* [[Setting Up Printing from your Tablet]]

== Daily Operations Activities ==

=== Receiving and Processing Orders ===

* [[Receiving and Processing an Order]]
* [[Cancelling an Order]]
* [[Cancelling or Redispatching a Delivery]]

=== Daily Summary Reports ===

* [[Daily Order Summary Report]]

=== Requesting a Manual Delivery ===

* [[Requesting a Manual Delivery for a Prepaid Order]]

=== Creating and Processing Gift Cards and Payments In Person ===

* [[Creating a Local Gift Card]]
* [[Redeeming a Gift Card In Person]]

=== Managing Inventory Availability ===

* [[Marking Items, Categories, and Options Out Of Stock]]

=== Closing and Opening for Orders and Adjusting Pickup Ready Time ===

* [[Quick Close to Pause or Stop Orders]]
* [[Adjusting Your Pickup Ready Time]]

=== Validating Student Savours™ Discounts In Restaurant ===

* [[Validating and Logging a Discount In Restaurant]]

== Administrative Activities ==
Most restaurants choose to have the Dine Local team manage their administrator settings for things like menus, categories, specials, etc. We have included instructions on how to manage these items here for your own reference, however there is no expectation that you manage your menu yourself. To have changes made in the system, please submit any changes you need by email to [mailto:support@dinelocalapp.ca support@dinelocalapp.ca] and our team will take care of them generally within 24-48 hours.

=== Restaurant Settings ===

* [[Main Restaurant/Location Settings]]
* [[Menu Categories Management]]
* [[Menu Item Management and Settings|Menu Item Management]]
* [[Special Schedules for Holidays and Vacations]]

=== Marketing & Promotions ===

* [[Setting up Menu Specials]]
* [[Setting up Coupon Promotions]]
* [[Customer Loyalty Report and Coupons]]
* [[StudentSavours™ Discount Program]]
* [[CAA Rewards Discount Program]]

=== Reports ===

* [[Sales Report]]
* [[Delivery Report]]
* [[Fee Recovery Report]]
* [[Gift Card Created Report]]
* [[Gift Card Exposure Report]]
* [[StudentSavours™ Report]]
* [[User Activity Report]]
* [[Customer Feedback]]

== Driving Traffic to your Order Page ==

=== Social Media ===

* [[Facebook]]
* [[Instagram]]
* [[Other Social Platforms]]

=== Search Engines ===

* [[Google]]

=== Web Sites ===

* [[Your Own Website]]

=== In Store or In Print ===

* [[Free Design Services|Design Services]]

=== Email Newsletters ===

* [[MailChimp Integration]]

Setting Up and Verifying Your Stripe Connect Account

2025-07-26T11:54:20Z

Administrator: Updates to the Stripe Connect payouts process.

== Who Is Stripe ==
Stripe is one of the largest and best known online payment processing companies in the world, providing online credit, debit, and other payment types through a managed platform.

Dine Local uses Stripe as our online payments partner for credit card payments and payouts for both credit card and gift cards to our restaurant partners. Regardless of whether you are using our Credit Card online payment service, we require all restaurant partners to set up a Stripe Connect account to allow us to flow payments from Gift Card purchases to your bank account directly.

Stripe provides the highest level of fraud protection in the industry for online payments, enabling us to provide our restaurants with 100% fraud protection on payments through our online platform. They also enable us to flow payments directly to your bank account without any batching or holds. Payments for credit card and gift cards are sent immediately to your Stripe Connect account which flows to your bank account daily (usually 3-4 business days from payment to deposit).

== What is a Stripe Connect Account ==
Your Stripe Connect account is very similar to a bank account in that it provides electronic payment and deposit capabilities to your business account. As such, Stripe is highly regulated under Canadian payments rules to ensure alignment with Anti Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing restrictions in Canada. Setting up and maintaining your Stripe Connect account will require information about your business, and if incorporated about your directors. You will also be required to prove your identity and/or your business identity by verifying your business with Stripe.

You can learn more about the Stripe verification requirements at: https://support.stripe.com/questions/verification-requirements-canada

From time-to-time the Canadian payments regulators across the country (sometimes federal, sometimes provincial) will update their requirements around verification and what they call "Know Your Customer" or KYC rules to ensure that regulated companies have verified their customers identities appropriately. You may receive emails from Stripe to verify information about your account periodically as part of those regulatory changes. You can learn more about government KYC requirements at: https://fintrac-canafe.canada.ca/guidance-directives/client-clientele/Guide11/11-eng

Stripe will contact you directly in that case at the email on file. We also try to keep you updated if you have requirements coming due to ensure that you do not have any interruption of service. Unfortunately, since this is a banking relationship between you and Stripe, we are unable to act on your behalf in these verification proceedings, so you will need to work with the requirements that are provided through your online dashboard and emails from Stripe. If you have trouble and require support, Stripe allows you to open a case with them to work with a human at: https://support.stripe.com/contact/email

== Creating Your Stripe Connect Account ==
To create your Stripe Connect account you need to log into your admin panel at https://dinelocal.at/admin with your manager login and password.

You will then access your restaurant settings either by:

* Restaurant -> Settings in the left menu
* Restaurant -> Locations in the left menu, then clicking the "pencil" icon beside the location you would like to edit

Note, if you have multiple locations you can set up Stripe either with a separate Stripe Connect account for each location, or with one Stripe Connect account which is then linked to all of your locations. This is really up to you based on how your banking is set up. You only need to have one Stripe Connect account per bank account you would like us to payout funds to.

From the Restaurant Settings page, choose the "Payouts" tab at the top to access your payouts details.
[[File:Screenshot of the updated Stripe Connect Payouts tab.png|alt=The payouts panel under your restaurant location settings|none|thumb|600x600px|The payouts panel under your restaurant location settings]]
If you have already set up a Stripe Connect account and simply want to link this location to your existing account, click on the "Parent Account" option and then select the location that was set up already from the drop down box. Don't forget to hit the "Save" button at the top to complete the link.

If you have not already set up a Stripe Connect account, you will select your business type and click the "Create a Stripe Connect account" button at the bottom which will launch you to the Stripe system to complete your account setup. If you select an "Individual" account for a sole proprietorship, then you will also need to add your personal information for identity validation with Stripe.

This process can take 10-15 minutes to go through and will require you to enter your company information, director or personal information, confirmation of company and individual identification, and banking details for payments. Remember, this is just like setting up a bank account to enable the 100% fraud protection and faster payouts without holds through the Dine Local platform.

If you have trouble during setup you can check with us at [mailto:support@dinelocalapp.ca support@dinelocalapp.ca] or you can open a support case with Stripe at https://support.stripe.com/contact/email

Once you have completed the Stripe onboarding process you will be returned to your account settings payouts page and the button will now have changed for access to your Stripe Connect account:
[[File:Updated screenshot of a completed - valid Stripe Connect payouts link.png|alt=The payouts panel with your Stripe Connect account successfully linked.|none|thumb|600x600px|The payouts panel with your Stripe Connect account successfully linked.]]

== Viewing Your Stripe Payouts and Account ==
To review any payments which are pending or expected to your bank account from the Dine Local platform, as well as reconciling individual payments to the batch deposit you'll see in your bank account from a single day, you can go to your Stripe Connect dashboard any time.

To view your Stripe Connect dashboard, simply return to the Payouts tab on your restaurant settings as you did at setup, then click on the button to "View stripe connect account".

We will launch a new browser window on the Stripe system and they will have you log in using a code that will be sent to your mobile phone used at setup.

== Verifying Your Stripe Connect Account ==
You may receive periodic emails from Stripe regarding verification of your account.

'''DO NOT IGNORE THESE EMAILS!'''

If you're Stripe account can not be verified, it will be put into Restricted status which will prevent us from taking any orders which use credit card or gift card payments on your behalf. In most cases this will mean that we need to suspend your ordering page until the Stripe issues are resolved.

We know that sometimes the verification process can seem onerous, however the requirements for verification have been dictated in Canadian payments regulations, not by Stripe themselves. We do not have any choice but to ensure that our banking relationships are verified in this way. For more information about what might be required for verification, you can review this help document from Stripe: https://support.stripe.com/questions/verification-requirements-canada

If you have trouble with verification, you can also reach out to Stripe directly for support at: https://support.stripe.com/contact/email

Please note that we are unable to complete verification on your behalf. Stripe can only deal with you directly for this purpose to ensure security of your account, and proper process for Know Your Customer (KYC) regulations in Canada.

If you are really struggling, feel free to copy in our team at [mailto:support@dinelocalapp.ca support@dinelocalapp.ca] and we will do what we can to help push Stripe where possible.

File:Updated screenshot of a completed - valid Stripe Connect payouts link.png

2025-07-26T11:54:01Z

Administrator:

Updated screenshot of a completed / valid Stripe Connect payouts link

File:Screenshot of the updated Stripe Connect Payouts tab.png

2025-07-26T11:51:41Z

Administrator:

Screenshot of the updated Stripe Connect Payouts tab

Menu Item Management and Settings

2025-07-17T15:59:37Z

Administrator: Added scheduled option mealtimes.

[[File:Menu Items Link in Admin Menu.png|alt=Menu Items Link in Admin Menu|thumb|284x284px|Menu Items Link in Admin Menu]]
The heart of your restaurant is your menu, and this is where the rubber hits the road for ordering setup. Menus are made of of two main components, the menu item and it's options (sometimes called modifiers). You will use the Menu Item Management page to set up both of these.

To access the Menu Management page, go to Restaurant -> Menu Items in the left menu when you are logged in to the [https://dineniagara.ca/admin admin panel] as manager.

== Menu Items List ==
When you first go to the Menu Items page you will be presented with a full list of all of your menu items.

[[File:Admin Menu Items List.png|alt=Admin Menu Items List|frameless|575x575px]]

Your full menu list can sometimes be difficult to navigate unless you have a very simple menu, but you can quickly navigate and filter your menu by using the filter feature. To add filters to your menu, click the funnel icon at the top right of the list header and the system will add the ability to filter the menu by category or status, or to search the menu for a specific phrase.

[[File:Admin Menus Filter Feature.png|alt=Admin Menus Filter Feature|frameless|575x575px]]

Most frequently when we are working with menus, we use the filters feature to show just a single category of items so that we can easily work on the items in that grouping at one time. For menus that have been around for a long time with lots of items being added and removed (disabled) over time, we will use a combination of the category and status to get the items that we specifically want to see and work with.

We also use these filters when we are creating a new menu to ensure that as we add new items we are seeing just what will show up in that category on the menu page when a customer is ordering.

== Add a New Item ==
Adding a new item is generally a multi-step process unless your new item is very simple and has no photo or options (modifiers).

=== Adding the Base Item ===
To create a new item, click the '+ New' button at the top of the menu list. You will be taken to the new 'base item' page where you can set up the basics of a new item.

[[File:Admin New Item Page.png|alt=Admin New Item Page|frameless|575x575px]]

From this page you are essentially setting up the "shell" of a new item, or a very basic item in your system. You will first create the basic menu information:

* '''Name''' The item name. This will also be what shows up on your order tablet as the item, so make sure that it is descriptive so you know what it is. For example you may sell a Roast Beef Sub as well as a Roast Beef Wrap and you may group them into different categories for Hot Subs and Wraps. Despite the fact that the item shows up on the menu under Sub or Wrap, it won't be clear to you which item was ordered if you name them both "Roast Beef" in the system. We highly recommend making the name descriptive so you would have a "Roast Beef Sub" and a "Roast Beef Wrap" item separately so that your staff can handle orders accurately.
* '''Price''' This will be the regular price for the base item without any options. For example, you might offer a small and large French Fries, but to simplify the menu and user ordering experience you would set up a menu item for French Fries and set the Price to be the price of the Small french fries. We can add the option later to choose the size which will include the upgrade cost for the large sized fries.
* '''Priority''' The priority is the order in which the items will appear under each category in ascending order. This is an integer (number) value and we usually recommend using values that are spaced out to allow for easier additions and editing later (for example: 10, 20, 30, 40). If you do not assign a priority, the items will be sorted in the order in which they were added to the system. This is optional and depends on how you want your menu to appear to your customers.
* '''Featured''' If you set the item to be featured, it will always appear at the very top of your menu as well as in the category you have defined. If you have items flagged as featured there will be a new "Featured" category added at the top of your menu with all items set for feature, regardless of the other categories they may appear in.
* '''Category''' You should always assign your menu item to one or more categories. A single item can belong to multiple categories if you choose, for example you may want to include your "Chicken Wrap Combo" in both your Wraps category as well as a "Featured Items" category. Most commonly, however, menu items belong to just one category to avoid repetitiveness in your menu and to keep the length of your menu to a minimum for ease of ordering.
* '''Allergens''' You can specify any allergens for the menu item such as Keto, Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Vegan, etc. We have a full set of Allergen markers and categories available for you in this list. If you see something missing that is important in your menu, please let us know and we will get it added. Note that we allow customers to filter your menu and the list of restaurants on the platform based on the existence of some of these allergen tags, so if you offer Keto, Vegan, Gluten-Free, etc dishes it is important to mark them as such using the Allergens list.
* '''Menu Schedule''' If your menu item is only available during specific times of day, days, or on a specific date, that can be controlled using Menu Schedules. You need to set up menu schedules in the system before you can tag a menu item to it. Note that if you specify a menu schedule, the item will ''only'' be available to your customers during that schedule, and will appear as unorderable (or won't be visible) at any other time.
* '''Location(s)''' You must specify which locations this menu item is available at. If you have only one location or brand that you manage, you will find that this list only has your one location listed, but either way the location is required to set up a new item.
* '''Minimum Quantity''' This is a very infrequently used setting, but we do allow you to set a minimum order quantity for a menu item. For example a customer may be required to order 6 of an item. In general we find this confusing for customers and we would recommend instead setting the item up as a bundle of the minimum quantity. For example the name of the item would be "Jalapeno Poppers (6)" and then the minimum quantity can remain 1.
* '''Stock Quantity''' If you know you will have a limited number of a specific item you can set a stock quantity and the system will automatically make the item unavailable on your menu once that runs out. This is infrequently used as most restaurants prefer to simply mark an item out of stock when it runs out rather than managing a count of inventory in the system, recognizing that you may also receive orders in person or by phone. If you leave this field defaulted to 0 then there will be no limits placed on the item and you can [[Marking Items, Categories, and Options Out Of Stock|manage out of stock situations]] through the tablet as normal.
* '''Order Restriction''' You can restrict the menu item to only be available for a specific order type (pickup or delivery). This is helpful for special pick-up discounts you might offer, or items that you want to make exclusively available for delivery. While this isn't used often, it can be a handy feature for specific promotions.
* '''Subtract Stock''' Coupled with the Stock Quantity field, enabling this setting will cause the system to reduce your "Stock Quantity" with each order until you run out and the item becomes unavailable.
* '''Description''' This is the same as the description of your menu item on your printed menu. It should help the customer clearly understand what they are ordering and can include details like the types of choices they get to make when they order. Keep in mind that this is a free-text field and it is not automatically updated when you change menu options later, so we usually recommend leaving option prices and sometimes even the specific menu option choices to be more vague in the description. For example, list that the item "includes your choice of side or upgrade" instead of "your choice of french fries, chips, or upgrade to onion rings for $2.19 or poutine for $3.49" so that you don't need to remember to change the description when you change pricing.
* '''Image''' You can not set an image until the base item is set up. Leave this alone at this point.
* '''Status''' Generally you will want to create your new item as enabled, however sometimes you may want to create the item as disabled (not available to order or visible on your menu) so that you can add the menu options and other details before it becomes available on the front end menu. If the status is enabled it will generally be visible to the customer and can be ordered. If it is disabled it is not available or visible on the customer side.
* '''Maximum Quantity''' You can limit the number of an item that your customer can order on any individual order. Set this value to 0 for unlimited, or specify the maximum quantity for special items and we will prevent over-ordering (including for variety of options) on an individual order.
* '''Hide if Not Available''' We have two different behaviours for menu items to the customer. Generally if an item is not available (due to a menu schedule restriction, a lead time restriction, or an out of stock condition) we would still show the item on the front end, but it will be greyed out with a note as to the reason why it can not be ordered right now. This is important so that customers know that you ''usually'' sell an item, but that it isn't available currently and why. If you set the item to be hidden when not available, we will not even show the item if it's unavailable - similar to it being disabled in the status. This is useful for items that are available only on a specific day or time (ie. a lunch menu) that you don't want to even be seen at other times. You should think carefully through how you want your menu item to appear to your customer before deciding how to set this flag.
* '''Menu Item Type''' Dine Local supports common rules for alcohol ordering and delivery, specifically the AGCO requirements that alcohol must be ordered with food items from restaurants when ordered for takeout. You should set this drop down to either Food (this is a food item that would qualify to be ordered with alcohol), Non-Food (this is non-food or alcohol, but it does not qualify as a partner to alcohol - for example a pop or a t-shirt), or Alcohol (this is an alcohol option which needs to be paired with food). This defaults to Food for simplicity and if you do not offer alcohol for takeout you don't need to worry about this field.
* '''Item Requires ID (19+)''' While we also categorize items as alcohol, food, etc you need to specify which items require ID for delivery. This can also apply to items that are not alcoholic, but for whatever reason may also require an ID verification. We use this flag for our own integrated delivery to identify orders which require special handling. If you do not set this flag properly, deliveries may not go out with a driver who is Smart Serve certified which can cause liability issues for both you and the driver network.

Once you have set up the base information on the main "Menu" tab, you are ready to "Save" your new menu item to the system.

=== Adding Images and Options and Completing the Menu Item ===
Once you have Saved your base menu item, you will note a change to the header of the page and the tabs that are available to you.

[[File:Menu Item Header after Saving.png|alt=Menu Item Header after Saving|frameless|575x575px]]

You now have a new tab for "Options" which is where we will set and manage your menu options (modifiers) for the item, as well as a new button that allows you to duplicate the item.

Once the item is saved, you can also add an image on the main 'Menu' tab by clicking on the blank image and selecting or uploading an image into your restaurant folder.

==== Adding an Image ====
To add an image, go to the "Menu" tab and scroll down to the "Image" field, then click the blank image with the plus sign to add a new image. (Note if you have already added an image you'll need to click the X first to remove the existing image before you can add an image.)

You will be presented with the Media page where you can select or upload an image from your restaurant library.
[[File:Image Attach Button in Media Manager.png|alt=Image Attach Button in Media Manager|thumb|Image Attach Button in Media Manager]]
[[File:Admin Media Manager Page.png|alt=Admin Media Manager Page|frameless|575x575px]]

All images you have previously uploaded are available to you from this page.

To search for an image by filename you can type the name in the top right box and wait a second, and the list of images will be filtered. Delete the search text to return the list to all of your image files.

You can also upload a new image by tapping the blue "Upload" button at the top of the page. Dine Local supports JPG, PNG, or GIF images and we recommend sizing them for web as much as possible. The system will do its best to optimize large files, but a very large file will make the user experience negative while they wait for your picture to download.

It is also important to note that we do not support any special characters in file names. Please remove all punctuation characters from file names before attempting to upload a file or you will receive an error uploading.

Once you have the image you would like to attach to the menu item in the system you can click on it to highlight it, then choose the "Attach" button on the right pane to select it.

==== Adding and Managing Options ====
For many menus, options (otherwise known as modifiers) are critical to simplifying ordering. Dine Local has a robust options setup which allows for great flexibility in menu setup, but which can also be complicated when you work through the setup of your menu.

Click the "Options" tab at the top of your menu to go to the options setup for this menu item.

[[File:Menu Options Admin Page.png|alt=Menu Options Admin Page|frameless|575x575px]]

You have a few main items you can manage here:

# You can create a new Option set for this menu item that will be available for re-use on any other menu item in the future.
# You can choose an existing Option set that you previously set up and add it to this new menu item. This is useful for things like a "Choose a Side" option set that is common and used on all menu items in the "Mains" category of your menu. In this way, you can manage a single list of options (including choices, upgrade prices, etc) and have them apply to every menu item they are added to.
# You can choose an existing Option set that you previously set up and modify it. If you are updating pricing on your menu for example, you may want to just edit an option set from here and you can choose to have it update the options across all items that currently have it assigned.
# You can choose an existing Option set that you previously set up and duplicate it. If you have a need for the same list of items in an option set, but would like customers to be able to choose them in a different way this can be helpful. For example if you have a list of pizza toppings which has different prices depending on the pizza size, or a list of wing sauces but you allow customers to select only one for some sizes and multiple choices for other sizes.
# You can modify the existing options that are assigned to this item including setting requirements, minimums/maximums, item specific pricing, reorder options, or delete/remove options from an item.

===== Creating a New Option =====
[[File:New Menu Option Screen.png|alt=New Menu Option Screen|thumb|New Menu Option Screen]]
To create a new option, click the "+ New Option" button to the right of the option drop down box.

To set up a new option set you will set the following:

* '''Option Name:''' Choose something concise, but which helps the customer and your staff know what this grouping is for. Simple phrases such as "Choose Your Side", "Included Toppings", or "Add Dips".
* '''Location(s):''' You need to select which locations will have access to this option set. For restaurants with only one location/brand this will only have one option, but it needs to be specified.
* '''Display Type:''' Dine Local supports four key option behaviours:
** '''''Radio''''' - users can select only one item from the list
** '''''Checkbox''''' - users can select one or more items from the list (can be restricted)
** '''''Select''''' - users can select only one item from a drop down (not a common use - not as user friendly)
** '''''Quantity''''' - users can select zero or more quantities of each item in the list (can be restricted)
* '''Option Values:''' You can add one or more option values to be available to the customer to choose from in this option set. Each item has it's own name, option price (price added to the cost of the menu item if selected), allergens (ie. gluten-free, vegan), or "counts as quantity" which is useful when you are restricting selections like included pizza toppings, but have premium toppings which count as two items when selected.
* '''Show Option In Order:''' By default you will want to save all options to your order so this should be set to ON except in very specific circumstances. For example, we sometimes will create an Option to improve customer experience such as "Need More Items?" which then will expand a dependent menu item for the customer to choose from. In this case, the selection of "Yes" is not required on the order itself and can be set not to save. Use this setting carefully.
* '''Sort Options By:''' By default options will be sorted manually in the order in which they are set up in the option set, but we have made it possible to ensure consistent sorting across items and option sets by specifying the sort order as:
** Manual Priority (default)
** Alphabetical (either A-Z or Z-A)
** By option price (either low to high or high to low)
** By counts as value (either low to high or high to low)

Once you have set up the option as you would like it to be available, click to 'Save' the option to the system.

===== Select and Attach a Menu Option to the Menu Item =====
Once you have a menu option set created, you can add it to the menu item you are working on.

[[File:Select Menu Option from Dropdown.png|alt=Select Menu Option from Dropdown|frameless|575x575px]]

Click the dropdown box for a list of all of your menu options.

If you have a long list, you can type in the search bar to restrict the options list to find the one you are looking for.

Select the menu option you would like to add to the menu item, and then click the "Add to Menu" button to the right of the dropdown.

The option will be added to the list of menu options automatically.

===== Select and Edit a Menu Option =====
If you need to make changes to a menu option set you can also do that from this screen. Simply select the menu option you would like to modify from the list and click the "Edit Option" button to the right.

Note that editing the option may affect all menu items that it is already added to. You can edit any of the option settings from the Add an Option set from the screen that pops up, and then you have an option to have the changes update all other menu items when you save.

We generally recommend ''always'' updating all other menu items when you save to ensure that things stay in sync. If you have a reason to have different pricing for the same options across multiple items we generally recommend setting up multiple option sets with the different prices to make price updates easier in the future (ie. Extra Toppings 8-Slice, Extra Toppings 12-Slice etc)

===== Select and Duplicate a Menu Option =====
For those situations where you need essentially the same menu option set, but you need to assign different pricing for a different size, you can simply select the base menu option from the list, and then click the duplicate button to the right of the drop down once selected. Once you confirm that you want to take action, a new menu option with the same name and '- Copy' appended will be available.

Now you can simply select that newly created 'Copy' option and edit it as in the previous step to give it an appropriate name and update the other fields as required.

==== Setting Option Settings on an Item ====
Now that you have added the options you would like to have available on the item, you can add item specific modifications to them such as the order in which they appear or minimums/maximums for selections. You can also set menu item specific pricing for these options, however we generally recommend handling those situations with a separate option set as noted previously.

You will have the full set of menu options added to your item as noted below:

[[File:Menu Item Options List.png|alt=Menu Item Options List|frameless|575x575px]]

You can do several things to these menu options from here.

===== Reorder Menu Options =====
The order that the options appears in has a lot to do with the user experience when ordering. It should make logical sense what they are being asked and in what order, otherwise it may confuse and frustrate the customer who is just trying to order your amazing food.

To reorder the menu options, simply drag the option blocks up and down until they are in the order you want, and then tap the "Save" button at the top to update the order in the system.

===== Delete a Menu Option =====
If you need to remove one of the menu options from your list, you can simply click the Trash Can icon on the right of the option block. The system will confirm that you really want to delete it, and then the option will be removed from the menu item.

===== Set Item Specific Menu Option Controls =====
Tap on an individual menu option to set controls for this specific menu item for that option set.

There are a few different types of controls you may want to change for a menu item. Two examples are shown below:

[[File:Menu Option Checkbox Settings for Item.png|alt=Menu Option Checkbox Settings for Item|frameless|393x393px]] [[File:Menu Option Radio Settings for Item.png|alt=Menu Option Radio Settings for Item|frameless|394x394px]]

In the left/first example we have a checkbox option for Included Pizza toppings. In this case, these are free toppings which are included in the base price of the pizza, but the customer is limited to be able to choose only 2 included / free toppings. To do this, we set the Min Selected to 0 (the customer can choose no toppings and just have sauce and cheese) and the Max Selected to 2 (the customer can choose up to two items, or one item in the case they choose a premium item that counts as two).

In the right/second example we have a radio option for an included drink. In this case, the customer is required to choose a drink for their combo. We don't want them to be able to order without selecting a drink for their combo, so we set the "Option Required" to be enabled. Because it is a Radio option the customer can only choose one item so I don't need to set the Min Selected or Max Selected fields.

It would also be possible to have a hybrid type example with a Checkbox that is required. In this case I might have an option where the customer can choose up to 3 options from within a set of options, but they are required to choose at least one. In that case we would set the Option Required field to enabled, the Min Selected field to 1, and the Max Selected field to 3.

==== Dependent Menu Options ====
You can set a menu option to be dependent, or only shown, when another menu option is selected. For example, if you have a list of side dish options, you can have the Salad Dressing option only show when the Garden Salad side option has been selected. On the menu, the salad dressing option will not be visible unless the garden salad option has been selected by the user. Additionally, if you make the option required, it will only be validated if the dependent option has been selected.

==== Scheduled Option Mealtimes ====
You can specify that an option is only available during a specific mealtime. At the bottom of the menu options screen is a dropdown with your mealtimes. If you specify a mealtime to restrict the option, it will not appear at any other time. You can also still use option dependencies and other features like required flags with these scheduled options and the controls will apply only when the option is visible/available. To have the option be available at all times, simply do not select a mealtime (default).

====== Other Menu Option Settings ======
When you scroll down you can also make additional changes such as changing the Option Price for this specific option set on this specific item. Price changes here will not be reflected on any other item that uses this option set. Further, if you ever update the option set itself and push the updates to all menu items that use it, any price changes you made here in the item will be overwritten. We generally don't recommend managing option pricing at the menu item level.

You can also set the default value(s) that are already selected for the customer when they go to order the item. This can be helpful in unique cases, but we generally recommend letting the customer choose what items they want to choose rather than defaulting values for them.

=== Setting Specific Tax Rates ===
Some items may qualify for Grocery tax status which are tax exempt, or another special tax rate. You can specify the correct tax rate for a menu item under the Tax Settings tab. ''Note: You are responsible for ensuring that your tax collection is aligned with local tax code.''

=== Setting Specials or Lead Times ===
If you would like to set up specials for an item you can do that from the 'Specials' tab at the top of the menu item. We have a special section that overviews these settings for you.

==== Lead Times ====
Dine Local also supports item specific lead times to allow you to handle complex items that either take longer to prepare, or which need to be ordered day(s) in advance. Click to the "Lead Time" tab for item specific lead time options.

[[File:Lead Times for Menu Items.png|alt=Lead Times for Menu Items|frameless|575x575px]]

If the switch for requiring a special lead time is disabled, this item will be available at the [[Adjusting Your Pickup Ready Time|default pickup lead time]] for your location for the customer.

When you set this to enabled, you can set the pickup lead time in minutes, hours, or days depending on your item.

Some example use cases:

* Most menu items can be prepared in 25 minutes, but you offer a family sized lasagna which requires 60 minutes to prepare from scratch
** Set the pickup lead time on the Lasagna item to be 60 minutes
** Customers will be notified that their order will take 60 minutes if they add the lasagna to their order so that they have appropriate expectations on pickup or delivery time
* You have catering platters which require 24 hours notice for preparation (ie. if a customer is ordering at 2pm today, you can not have the catering ready before 2pm tomorrow)
** Set the pickup lead time on the catering platter to 24 hours
** Customers will be notified that they need to choose an order time after 2pm tomorrow in order to add this item to their cart
* You have a special order item which takes 3 days to come in (ie. a customer orders at 4pm and you get your orders to your supplier at end of day to be in in three days)
** Set the pickup lead time on the special order item to 3 days
** Customers will be notified that they need to choose an order time that it at least 3 days from now to add it to their cart

Your new item is now complete and you can confirm that it is working as expected by viewing your menu on your order page to ensure it behaves as you expected.

== Editing a Menu Item ==
To edit a menu item, click the pencil icon beside the menu item in the list of menu items.

You can change any of the settings on the menu item as noted in the Add a Menu Item Section.

== Deleting a Menu Item ==
We highly recommend '''''NEVER''''' deleting menu items.

While there is no specific negative impact of deleting a menu item, we have found through our experience that it is common for menu items that you stop offering at some time often come back at another time.

Rather than deleting a menu item, we usually recommend going in to edit the menu item and setting it's status to 'Disabled' so that it can not be ordered.

If you do want to delete a menu item, go into the edit screen for the menu and click the Trash Can button at the top of the page. Once you confirm that you want to delete the item, it will be gone.

Deleting an item can not be undone.

Daily Order Summary Report

2025-04-10T17:40:42Z

Administrator: First version of this page.

For daily reporting for your front line staff, we have created a simple daily summary report which will allow you to easily balance your POS reporting with your Dine Local orders.

You can quickly access your Daily Summary Report either from the left menu on your tablet under Sales -> Daily Order Summary, or by tapping on the Daily Summary button your orders screen.
[[File:Daily Summary Button on Order Screen.png|none|thumb|600x600px|Daily Summary Button on Order Screen]]

The Daily Summary report will automatically load with the current open period for your restaurant along with the summary of activity from this period:
[[File:Daily Order Summary Report.png|none|thumb|600x600px|Daily Order Summary Report]]
You can select a different working period (up to 5 periods in the past) using the drop down menu at the top of the page.

If you are enabled for printing, you can also send this report to the receipt printer to use with your day end processing.

The daily sales report will provide you:

* Total number of Dine Local orders
* Subtotal of all orders (before taxes, tips, etc)
* All applicable taxes, discounts applied, tips (restaurant and driver), and delivery fees
* Total of all orders including all taxes etc.

The report will also bread down your totals by payment type and by order type (pickup/delivery).

This report is designed to provide you the basic information required for restaurant day end closing activities. If you have unique needs, don't hesitate to contact us at [mailto:support@dinelocalapp.ca support@dinelocalapp.ca] with your requirements and we will gladly look at how we might support you.

File:Daily Order Summary Report.png

2025-04-10T17:36:32Z

Administrator:

Daily Order Summary Report

File:Daily Summary Button on Order Screen.png

2025-04-10T17:35:06Z

Administrator:

Daily Summary Button on Order Screen

Dine Local Restaurant Administrator Guide

2025-04-10T17:32:18Z

Administrator: Add Daily Order Summary Report heading

Thank you for choosing Dine Local for online ordering and deliveries at your restaurant!

This guide is designed to support you and your team with the use of the Dine Local platform.

As always if you have any problems and require support you can email us at [mailto:support@dinelocalapp.ca support@dinelocalapp.ca] for help.

=== Initial Setup ===

* [[Installing the Dine Niagara Restaurant App|Installing the Dine Local Restaurant App]]
* [[Accessing the Admin Panel]]
* [[Changing Your Password]]
* [[Setting Up and Verifying Your Stripe Connect Account]]
* [[Setting Your Font Size]]
* [[Setting Up Printing from your Tablet]]

== Daily Operations Activities ==

=== Receiving and Processing Orders ===

* [[Receiving and Processing an Order]]
* [[Cancelling an Order]]
* [[Cancelling or Redispatching a Delivery]]

=== Daily Summary Reports ===

* [[Daily Order Summary Report]]

=== Requesting a Manual Delivery ===

* [[Requesting a Manual Delivery for a Prepaid Order]]

=== Creating and Processing Gift Cards and Payments In Person ===

* [[Creating a Local Gift Card]]
* [[Redeeming a Gift Card In Person]]

=== Managing Inventory Availability ===

* [[Marking Items, Categories, and Options Out Of Stock]]

=== Closing and Opening for Orders and Adjusting Pickup Ready Time ===

* [[Quick Close to Pause or Stop Orders]]
* [[Adjusting Your Pickup Ready Time]]

=== Validating Student Savours™ Discounts In Restaurant ===

* [[Validating and Logging a Discount In Restaurant]]

== Administrative Activities ==
Most restaurants choose to have the Dine Local team manage their administrator settings for things like menus, categories, specials, etc. We have included instructions on how to manage these items here for your own reference, however there is no expectation that you manage your menu yourself. To have changes made in the system, please submit any changes you need by email to [mailto:support@dinelocalapp.ca support@dinelocalapp.ca] and our team will take care of them generally within 24-48 hours.

=== Restaurant Settings ===

* [[Main Restaurant/Location Settings]]
* [[Menu Categories Management]]
* [[Menu Item Management and Settings|Menu Item Management]]
* [[Special Schedules for Holidays and Vacations]]

=== Marketing & Promotions ===

* [[Setting up Menu Specials]]
* [[Setting up Coupon Promotions]]
* [[Customer Loyalty Report and Coupons]]
* [[StudentSavours™ Discount Program]]
* [[CAA Rewards Discount Program]]

=== Reports ===

* [[Sales Report]]
* [[Delivery Report]]
* [[Fee Recovery Report]]
* [[Gift Card Created Report]]
* [[Gift Card Exposure Report]]
* [[StudentSavours™ Report]]
* [[User Activity Report]]
* [[Customer Feedback]]

== Driving Traffic to your Order Page ==

=== Social Media ===

* [[Facebook]]
* [[Instagram]]
* [[Other Social Platforms]]

=== Search Engines ===

* [[Google]]

=== Web Sites ===

* [[Your Own Website]]

=== In Store or In Print ===

* [[Free Design Services|Design Services]]

Menu Item Management and Settings

2025-04-10T17:24:42Z

Administrator: Added the Show Option In Order section.

[[File:Menu Items Link in Admin Menu.png|alt=Menu Items Link in Admin Menu|thumb|284x284px|Menu Items Link in Admin Menu]]
The heart of your restaurant is your menu, and this is where the rubber hits the road for ordering setup. Menus are made of of two main components, the menu item and it's options (sometimes called modifiers). You will use the Menu Item Management page to set up both of these.

To access the Menu Management page, go to Restaurant -> Menu Items in the left menu when you are logged in to the [https://dineniagara.ca/admin admin panel] as manager.

== Menu Items List ==
When you first go to the Menu Items page you will be presented with a full list of all of your menu items.

[[File:Admin Menu Items List.png|alt=Admin Menu Items List|frameless|575x575px]]

Your full menu list can sometimes be difficult to navigate unless you have a very simple menu, but you can quickly navigate and filter your menu by using the filter feature. To add filters to your menu, click the funnel icon at the top right of the list header and the system will add the ability to filter the menu by category or status, or to search the menu for a specific phrase.

[[File:Admin Menus Filter Feature.png|alt=Admin Menus Filter Feature|frameless|575x575px]]

Most frequently when we are working with menus, we use the filters feature to show just a single category of items so that we can easily work on the items in that grouping at one time. For menus that have been around for a long time with lots of items being added and removed (disabled) over time, we will use a combination of the category and status to get the items that we specifically want to see and work with.

We also use these filters when we are creating a new menu to ensure that as we add new items we are seeing just what will show up in that category on the menu page when a customer is ordering.

== Add a New Item ==
Adding a new item is generally a multi-step process unless your new item is very simple and has no photo or options (modifiers).

=== Adding the Base Item ===
To create a new item, click the '+ New' button at the top of the menu list. You will be taken to the new 'base item' page where you can set up the basics of a new item.

[[File:Admin New Item Page.png|alt=Admin New Item Page|frameless|575x575px]]

From this page you are essentially setting up the "shell" of a new item, or a very basic item in your system. You will first create the basic menu information:

* '''Name''' The item name. This will also be what shows up on your order tablet as the item, so make sure that it is descriptive so you know what it is. For example you may sell a Roast Beef Sub as well as a Roast Beef Wrap and you may group them into different categories for Hot Subs and Wraps. Despite the fact that the item shows up on the menu under Sub or Wrap, it won't be clear to you which item was ordered if you name them both "Roast Beef" in the system. We highly recommend making the name descriptive so you would have a "Roast Beef Sub" and a "Roast Beef Wrap" item separately so that your staff can handle orders accurately.
* '''Price''' This will be the regular price for the base item without any options. For example, you might offer a small and large French Fries, but to simplify the menu and user ordering experience you would set up a menu item for French Fries and set the Price to be the price of the Small french fries. We can add the option later to choose the size which will include the upgrade cost for the large sized fries.
* '''Priority''' The priority is the order in which the items will appear under each category in ascending order. This is an integer (number) value and we usually recommend using values that are spaced out to allow for easier additions and editing later (for example: 10, 20, 30, 40). If you do not assign a priority, the items will be sorted in the order in which they were added to the system. This is optional and depends on how you want your menu to appear to your customers.
* '''Featured''' If you set the item to be featured, it will always appear at the very top of your menu as well as in the category you have defined. If you have items flagged as featured there will be a new "Featured" category added at the top of your menu with all items set for feature, regardless of the other categories they may appear in.
* '''Category''' You should always assign your menu item to one or more categories. A single item can belong to multiple categories if you choose, for example you may want to include your "Chicken Wrap Combo" in both your Wraps category as well as a "Featured Items" category. Most commonly, however, menu items belong to just one category to avoid repetitiveness in your menu and to keep the length of your menu to a minimum for ease of ordering.
* '''Allergens''' You can specify any allergens for the menu item such as Keto, Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Vegan, etc. We have a full set of Allergen markers and categories available for you in this list. If you see something missing that is important in your menu, please let us know and we will get it added. Note that we allow customers to filter your menu and the list of restaurants on the platform based on the existence of some of these allergen tags, so if you offer Keto, Vegan, Gluten-Free, etc dishes it is important to mark them as such using the Allergens list.
* '''Menu Schedule''' If your menu item is only available during specific times of day, days, or on a specific date, that can be controlled using Menu Schedules. You need to set up menu schedules in the system before you can tag a menu item to it. Note that if you specify a menu schedule, the item will ''only'' be available to your customers during that schedule, and will appear as unorderable (or won't be visible) at any other time.
* '''Location(s)''' You must specify which locations this menu item is available at. If you have only one location or brand that you manage, you will find that this list only has your one location listed, but either way the location is required to set up a new item.
* '''Minimum Quantity''' This is a very infrequently used setting, but we do allow you to set a minimum order quantity for a menu item. For example a customer may be required to order 6 of an item. In general we find this confusing for customers and we would recommend instead setting the item up as a bundle of the minimum quantity. For example the name of the item would be "Jalapeno Poppers (6)" and then the minimum quantity can remain 1.
* '''Stock Quantity''' If you know you will have a limited number of a specific item you can set a stock quantity and the system will automatically make the item unavailable on your menu once that runs out. This is infrequently used as most restaurants prefer to simply mark an item out of stock when it runs out rather than managing a count of inventory in the system, recognizing that you may also receive orders in person or by phone. If you leave this field defaulted to 0 then there will be no limits placed on the item and you can [[Marking Items, Categories, and Options Out Of Stock|manage out of stock situations]] through the tablet as normal.
* '''Order Restriction''' You can restrict the menu item to only be available for a specific order type (pickup or delivery). This is helpful for special pick-up discounts you might offer, or items that you want to make exclusively available for delivery. While this isn't used often, it can be a handy feature for specific promotions.
* '''Subtract Stock''' Coupled with the Stock Quantity field, enabling this setting will cause the system to reduce your "Stock Quantity" with each order until you run out and the item becomes unavailable.
* '''Description''' This is the same as the description of your menu item on your printed menu. It should help the customer clearly understand what they are ordering and can include details like the types of choices they get to make when they order. Keep in mind that this is a free-text field and it is not automatically updated when you change menu options later, so we usually recommend leaving option prices and sometimes even the specific menu option choices to be more vague in the description. For example, list that the item "includes your choice of side or upgrade" instead of "your choice of french fries, chips, or upgrade to onion rings for $2.19 or poutine for $3.49" so that you don't need to remember to change the description when you change pricing.
* '''Image''' You can not set an image until the base item is set up. Leave this alone at this point.
* '''Status''' Generally you will want to create your new item as enabled, however sometimes you may want to create the item as disabled (not available to order or visible on your menu) so that you can add the menu options and other details before it becomes available on the front end menu. If the status is enabled it will generally be visible to the customer and can be ordered. If it is disabled it is not available or visible on the customer side.
* '''Maximum Quantity''' You can limit the number of an item that your customer can order on any individual order. Set this value to 0 for unlimited, or specify the maximum quantity for special items and we will prevent over-ordering (including for variety of options) on an individual order.
* '''Hide if Not Available''' We have two different behaviours for menu items to the customer. Generally if an item is not available (due to a menu schedule restriction, a lead time restriction, or an out of stock condition) we would still show the item on the front end, but it will be greyed out with a note as to the reason why it can not be ordered right now. This is important so that customers know that you ''usually'' sell an item, but that it isn't available currently and why. If you set the item to be hidden when not available, we will not even show the item if it's unavailable - similar to it being disabled in the status. This is useful for items that are available only on a specific day or time (ie. a lunch menu) that you don't want to even be seen at other times. You should think carefully through how you want your menu item to appear to your customer before deciding how to set this flag.
* '''Menu Item Type''' Dine Local supports common rules for alcohol ordering and delivery, specifically the AGCO requirements that alcohol must be ordered with food items from restaurants when ordered for takeout. You should set this drop down to either Food (this is a food item that would qualify to be ordered with alcohol), Non-Food (this is non-food or alcohol, but it does not qualify as a partner to alcohol - for example a pop or a t-shirt), or Alcohol (this is an alcohol option which needs to be paired with food). This defaults to Food for simplicity and if you do not offer alcohol for takeout you don't need to worry about this field.
* '''Item Requires ID (19+)''' While we also categorize items as alcohol, food, etc you need to specify which items require ID for delivery. This can also apply to items that are not alcoholic, but for whatever reason may also require an ID verification. We use this flag for our own integrated delivery to identify orders which require special handling. If you do not set this flag properly, deliveries may not go out with a driver who is Smart Serve certified which can cause liability issues for both you and the driver network.

Once you have set up the base information on the main "Menu" tab, you are ready to "Save" your new menu item to the system.

=== Adding Images and Options and Completing the Menu Item ===
Once you have Saved your base menu item, you will note a change to the header of the page and the tabs that are available to you.

[[File:Menu Item Header after Saving.png|alt=Menu Item Header after Saving|frameless|575x575px]]

You now have a new tab for "Options" which is where we will set and manage your menu options (modifiers) for the item, as well as a new button that allows you to duplicate the item.

Once the item is saved, you can also add an image on the main 'Menu' tab by clicking on the blank image and selecting or uploading an image into your restaurant folder.

==== Adding an Image ====
To add an image, go to the "Menu" tab and scroll down to the "Image" field, then click the blank image with the plus sign to add a new image. (Note if you have already added an image you'll need to click the X first to remove the existing image before you can add an image.)

You will be presented with the Media page where you can select or upload an image from your restaurant library.
[[File:Image Attach Button in Media Manager.png|alt=Image Attach Button in Media Manager|thumb|Image Attach Button in Media Manager]]
[[File:Admin Media Manager Page.png|alt=Admin Media Manager Page|frameless|575x575px]]

All images you have previously uploaded are available to you from this page.

To search for an image by filename you can type the name in the top right box and wait a second, and the list of images will be filtered. Delete the search text to return the list to all of your image files.

You can also upload a new image by tapping the blue "Upload" button at the top of the page. Dine Local supports JPG, PNG, or GIF images and we recommend sizing them for web as much as possible. The system will do its best to optimize large files, but a very large file will make the user experience negative while they wait for your picture to download.

It is also important to note that we do not support any special characters in file names. Please remove all punctuation characters from file names before attempting to upload a file or you will receive an error uploading.

Once you have the image you would like to attach to the menu item in the system you can click on it to highlight it, then choose the "Attach" button on the right pane to select it.

==== Adding and Managing Options ====
For many menus, options (otherwise known as modifiers) are critical to simplifying ordering. Dine Local has a robust options setup which allows for great flexibility in menu setup, but which can also be complicated when you work through the setup of your menu.

Click the "Options" tab at the top of your menu to go to the options setup for this menu item.

[[File:Menu Options Admin Page.png|alt=Menu Options Admin Page|frameless|575x575px]]

You have a few main items you can manage here:

# You can create a new Option set for this menu item that will be available for re-use on any other menu item in the future.
# You can choose an existing Option set that you previously set up and add it to this new menu item. This is useful for things like a "Choose a Side" option set that is common and used on all menu items in the "Mains" category of your menu. In this way, you can manage a single list of options (including choices, upgrade prices, etc) and have them apply to every menu item they are added to.
# You can choose an existing Option set that you previously set up and modify it. If you are updating pricing on your menu for example, you may want to just edit an option set from here and you can choose to have it update the options across all items that currently have it assigned.
# You can choose an existing Option set that you previously set up and duplicate it. If you have a need for the same list of items in an option set, but would like customers to be able to choose them in a different way this can be helpful. For example if you have a list of pizza toppings which has different prices depending on the pizza size, or a list of wing sauces but you allow customers to select only one for some sizes and multiple choices for other sizes.
# You can modify the existing options that are assigned to this item including setting requirements, minimums/maximums, item specific pricing, reorder options, or delete/remove options from an item.

===== Creating a New Option =====
[[File:New Menu Option Screen.png|alt=New Menu Option Screen|thumb|New Menu Option Screen]]
To create a new option, click the "+ New Option" button to the right of the option drop down box.

To set up a new option set you will set the following:

* '''Option Name:''' Choose something concise, but which helps the customer and your staff know what this grouping is for. Simple phrases such as "Choose Your Side", "Included Toppings", or "Add Dips".
* '''Location(s):''' You need to select which locations will have access to this option set. For restaurants with only one location/brand this will only have one option, but it needs to be specified.
* '''Display Type:''' Dine Local supports four key option behaviours:
** '''''Radio''''' - users can select only one item from the list
** '''''Checkbox''''' - users can select one or more items from the list (can be restricted)
** '''''Select''''' - users can select only one item from a drop down (not a common use - not as user friendly)
** '''''Quantity''''' - users can select zero or more quantities of each item in the list (can be restricted)
* '''Option Values:''' You can add one or more option values to be available to the customer to choose from in this option set. Each item has it's own name, option price (price added to the cost of the menu item if selected), allergens (ie. gluten-free, vegan), or "counts as quantity" which is useful when you are restricting selections like included pizza toppings, but have premium toppings which count as two items when selected.
* '''Show Option In Order:''' By default you will want to save all options to your order so this should be set to ON except in very specific circumstances. For example, we sometimes will create an Option to improve customer experience such as "Need More Items?" which then will expand a dependent menu item for the customer to choose from. In this case, the selection of "Yes" is not required on the order itself and can be set not to save. Use this setting carefully.
* '''Sort Options By:''' By default options will be sorted manually in the order in which they are set up in the option set, but we have made it possible to ensure consistent sorting across items and option sets by specifying the sort order as:
** Manual Priority (default)
** Alphabetical (either A-Z or Z-A)
** By option price (either low to high or high to low)
** By counts as value (either low to high or high to low)

Once you have set up the option as you would like it to be available, click to 'Save' the option to the system.

===== Select and Attach a Menu Option to the Menu Item =====
Once you have a menu option set created, you can add it to the menu item you are working on.

[[File:Select Menu Option from Dropdown.png|alt=Select Menu Option from Dropdown|frameless|575x575px]]

Click the dropdown box for a list of all of your menu options.

If you have a long list, you can type in the search bar to restrict the options list to find the one you are looking for.

Select the menu option you would like to add to the menu item, and then click the "Add to Menu" button to the right of the dropdown.

The option will be added to the list of menu options automatically.

===== Select and Edit a Menu Option =====
If you need to make changes to a menu option set you can also do that from this screen. Simply select the menu option you would like to modify from the list and click the "Edit Option" button to the right.

Note that editing the option may affect all menu items that it is already added to. You can edit any of the option settings from the Add an Option set from the screen that pops up, and then you have an option to have the changes update all other menu items when you save.

We generally recommend ''always'' updating all other menu items when you save to ensure that things stay in sync. If you have a reason to have different pricing for the same options across multiple items we generally recommend setting up multiple option sets with the different prices to make price updates easier in the future (ie. Extra Toppings 8-Slice, Extra Toppings 12-Slice etc)

===== Select and Duplicate a Menu Option =====
For those situations where you need essentially the same menu option set, but you need to assign different pricing for a different size, you can simply select the base menu option from the list, and then click the duplicate button to the right of the drop down once selected. Once you confirm that you want to take action, a new menu option with the same name and '- Copy' appended will be available.

Now you can simply select that newly created 'Copy' option and edit it as in the previous step to give it an appropriate name and update the other fields as required.

==== Setting Option Settings on an Item ====
Now that you have added the options you would like to have available on the item, you can add item specific modifications to them such as the order in which they appear or minimums/maximums for selections. You can also set menu item specific pricing for these options, however we generally recommend handling those situations with a separate option set as noted previously.

You will have the full set of menu options added to your item as noted below:

[[File:Menu Item Options List.png|alt=Menu Item Options List|frameless|575x575px]]

You can do several things to these menu options from here.

===== Reorder Menu Options =====
The order that the options appears in has a lot to do with the user experience when ordering. It should make logical sense what they are being asked and in what order, otherwise it may confuse and frustrate the customer who is just trying to order your amazing food.

To reorder the menu options, simply drag the option blocks up and down until they are in the order you want, and then tap the "Save" button at the top to update the order in the system.

===== Delete a Menu Option =====
If you need to remove one of the menu options from your list, you can simply click the Trash Can icon on the right of the option block. The system will confirm that you really want to delete it, and then the option will be removed from the menu item.

===== Set Item Specific Menu Option Controls =====
Tap on an individual menu option to set controls for this specific menu item for that option set.

There are a few different types of controls you may want to change for a menu item. Two examples are shown below:

[[File:Menu Option Checkbox Settings for Item.png|alt=Menu Option Checkbox Settings for Item|frameless|393x393px]] [[File:Menu Option Radio Settings for Item.png|alt=Menu Option Radio Settings for Item|frameless|394x394px]]

In the left/first example we have a checkbox option for Included Pizza toppings. In this case, these are free toppings which are included in the base price of the pizza, but the customer is limited to be able to choose only 2 included / free toppings. To do this, we set the Min Selected to 0 (the customer can choose no toppings and just have sauce and cheese) and the Max Selected to 2 (the customer can choose up to two items, or one item in the case they choose a premium item that counts as two).

In the right/second example we have a radio option for an included drink. In this case, the customer is required to choose a drink for their combo. We don't want them to be able to order without selecting a drink for their combo, so we set the "Option Required" to be enabled. Because it is a Radio option the customer can only choose one item so I don't need to set the Min Selected or Max Selected fields.

It would also be possible to have a hybrid type example with a Checkbox that is required. In this case I might have an option where the customer can choose up to 3 options from within a set of options, but they are required to choose at least one. In that case we would set the Option Required field to enabled, the Min Selected field to 1, and the Max Selected field to 3.

==== Dependent Menu Options ====
You can set a menu option to be dependent, or only shown, when another menu option is selected. For example, if you have a list of side dish options, you can have the Salad Dressing option only show when the Garden Salad side option has been selected. On the menu, the salad dressing option will not be visible unless the garden salad option has been selected by the user. Additionally, if you make the option required, it will only be validated if the dependent option has been selected.

====== Other Menu Option Settings ======
When you scroll down you can also make additional changes such as changing the Option Price for this specific option set on this specific item. Price changes here will not be reflected on any other item that uses this option set. Further, if you ever update the option set itself and push the updates to all menu items that use it, any price changes you made here in the item will be overwritten. We generally don't recommend managing option pricing at the menu item level.

You can also set the default value(s) that are already selected for the customer when they go to order the item. This can be helpful in unique cases, but we generally recommend letting the customer choose what items they want to choose rather than defaulting values for them.

=== Setting Specific Tax Rates ===
Some items may qualify for Grocery tax status which are tax exempt, or another special tax rate. You can specify the correct tax rate for a menu item under the Tax Settings tab. ''Note: You are responsible for ensuring that your tax collection is aligned with local tax code.''

=== Setting Specials or Lead Times ===
If you would like to set up specials for an item you can do that from the 'Specials' tab at the top of the menu item. We have a special section that overviews these settings for you.

==== Lead Times ====
Dine Local also supports item specific lead times to allow you to handle complex items that either take longer to prepare, or which need to be ordered day(s) in advance. Click to the "Lead Time" tab for item specific lead time options.

[[File:Lead Times for Menu Items.png|alt=Lead Times for Menu Items|frameless|575x575px]]

If the switch for requiring a special lead time is disabled, this item will be available at the [[Adjusting Your Pickup Ready Time|default pickup lead time]] for your location for the customer.

When you set this to enabled, you can set the pickup lead time in minutes, hours, or days depending on your item.

Some example use cases:

* Most menu items can be prepared in 25 minutes, but you offer a family sized lasagna which requires 60 minutes to prepare from scratch
** Set the pickup lead time on the Lasagna item to be 60 minutes
** Customers will be notified that their order will take 60 minutes if they add the lasagna to their order so that they have appropriate expectations on pickup or delivery time
* You have catering platters which require 24 hours notice for preparation (ie. if a customer is ordering at 2pm today, you can not have the catering ready before 2pm tomorrow)
** Set the pickup lead time on the catering platter to 24 hours
** Customers will be notified that they need to choose an order time after 2pm tomorrow in order to add this item to their cart
* You have a special order item which takes 3 days to come in (ie. a customer orders at 4pm and you get your orders to your supplier at end of day to be in in three days)
** Set the pickup lead time on the special order item to 3 days
** Customers will be notified that they need to choose an order time that it at least 3 days from now to add it to their cart

Your new item is now complete and you can confirm that it is working as expected by viewing your menu on your order page to ensure it behaves as you expected.

== Editing a Menu Item ==
To edit a menu item, click the pencil icon beside the menu item in the list of menu items.

You can change any of the settings on the menu item as noted in the Add a Menu Item Section.

== Deleting a Menu Item ==
We highly recommend '''''NEVER''''' deleting menu items.

While there is no specific negative impact of deleting a menu item, we have found through our experience that it is common for menu items that you stop offering at some time often come back at another time.

Rather than deleting a menu item, we usually recommend going in to edit the menu item and setting it's status to 'Disabled' so that it can not be ordered.

If you do want to delete a menu item, go into the edit screen for the menu and click the Trash Can button at the top of the page. Once you confirm that you want to delete the item, it will be gone.

Deleting an item can not be undone.

Main Restaurant/Location Settings

2025-04-10T17:18:46Z

Administrator: Add the Save Option Names option which was added in the locationoptions extension.

Installing the Dine Local Restaurant App

2025-04-04T12:30:32Z

Administrator: Rebrand and update app apk link

Note: Currently the Dine Local apps continue to be branded under the Dine Local name. This will be changing in the coming weeks, but the Dine Local restaurant app will continue to work for Dine Local customers until that happens.

== Installing on iOS (iPad or iPhone) ==
''The Dine Local Restaurant App is available from the Apple App Store in Canada only. If your Apple ID Account is set to a country other than Canada you will not be able to install the Dine Local Restaurant App.''

To install the Dine Local Restaurant App, from your iOS (iPad or iPhone) device visit: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/dine-niagara-restaurant/id6444082075

This will launch you into the Apple App Store on the Dine Local Restaurant App page.
[[File:Dine Local App Store Listing.png|none|thumb|Dine Local Apple App Store Listing page.]]
To install the Dine Local Restaurant App tap on the 'GET' button and authenticate your Apple ID login.

Your Apple device will install the app and the icon will be placed on your home screen.
[[File:Dine Local app icon.jpg|none|thumb|Dine Local Restaurant App Icon]]

== Installing on Android (Google Play Store) ==
''The Dine Local Restaurant App is available from the Google Play Store in Canada only. If your Google Account is set to a country other than Canada you will not be able to install the Dine Local Restaurant App.''

To install the Dine Local Restaurant App from your Google Android with Google Play Store, open the Google Play Store and search for 'Dine Local Restaurant', or from your Google device go to: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dineniagara.dineniagara_restaurant
[[File:Dine Local Play Store Listing.png|none|thumb|500x500px|Google Play Store Page for the Dine Local Restaurant App]]
To install the Dine Local Restaurant App tap on the "Install" button and your device will automatically install the app and add the icon to the home screen of your device.

== Installing on Fire Tablet or Generic Android Device (APK Install) ==
If you are using an Amazon Fire Tablet or any other Generic Android Device that does not have the Play store available, or if your Google Account is set to a country other than Canada, you can still install the Dine Local Restaurant App using the APK file.

''Note: By installing the Dine Local Restaurant App using the APK Install Method you will not get automatic App updates as we release new versions of the App. You will need to monitor our email updates and reinstall the app each time we notify our restaurant partners of a new version. If you have the option to install using the Google Play Store we highly recommend using that approach.''

To install the Dine Local Restaurant App you will first need to download the APK install file from your tablet/device at: https://dinelocal.at/downloads/dinelocal_restaurant.apk

This will save the APK file named 'dinelocal_restaurant.apk' to your device, usually under your Files or Downloads folder.

You will then need to follow the instructions appropriate to your device at the following links:

==== Installing on an Amazon Fire Tablet ====
Follow the instructions available at: https://www.technipages.com/kindle-fire-how-to-install-apk-files

Note you will need to give permission on your tablet to install from unknown sources as part of this process.

==== Installing on a Google Android Device ====
Follow the instructions available at: https://www.technipages.com/install-apk-files-on-android

Note you will need to give permission on your tablet to install from unknown sources as part of this process.

== Support ==
If you require additional support installing the Dine Local Restaurant App to your device, please reach out to us at [mailto:support@dinelocalapp.ca support@dinelocalapp.ca].

File:Dine Local Play Store Listing.png

2025-04-04T12:28:43Z

Administrator:

Dine Local Play Store Listing

File:Dine Local app icon.jpg

2025-04-04T12:27:25Z

Administrator:

Dine Local app icon

File:Dine Local App Store Listing.png

2025-04-04T12:25:43Z

Administrator:

Dine Local App Store Listing

Free Design Services

2025-04-03T18:38:56Z

Administrator: Administrator moved page Free Design Services to Design Services: Design services are no longer free and included.

#REDIRECT [[Design Services]]

Design Services

2025-04-03T18:38:56Z

Administrator: Administrator moved page Free Design Services to Design Services: Design services are no longer free and included.

Dine Local offers graphic design services for restaurants using our platform for in-store or print marketing that includes the QR code for your order page. Design and printing is quoted for each job individually. Reach out to us to work with us for more ideas!

Here are some examples of what is possible:

== Takeout Container Stickers ==
Redirect the customers that are using the "big" delivery apps to order to your lower cost Dine Local channel with eye-catching stickers!

[[File:Restaurant - Order Online Sticker.png|alt=Online Order Sticker for takeout containers|frameless]]

We will design a sticker to suit your needs at no cost and can arrange for printing at good prices based on your volume needs. Simply place these stickers on takeout containers as they leave the kitchen to help build awareness that you prefer online orders through your Dine Local order page.

== Takeout Print Menus ==
Are you still paying for menu design? Dine Local can either work with your existing menu or from scratch to provide you with an attractive layout for your next printed menu that includes the QR code and link for online ordering through your Dine Local order page! Make it easy for customers to bring home your menu, and keep your order page easy to access from where it's posted on their fridge!
[[File:Person holding Italian Cafe takeout menu.png|none|thumb|An example of a takeout menu done as a Rack Card (front/back) for Italian Cafe in St. Catharines]]
[[File:Pizza Menu Example.png|alt=Example of a Pizza Menu done as a half-fold design (front/back/inside).|none|thumb|Example of a Pizza Menu done as a half-fold design (front/back/inside).]]

Design work is free for customers on our platform, you pay only for printing costs based on the volume you require.

== Window Stickers ==
If your restaurant is located in a high volume location, your potential customers are walking by all the time! Sometimes people don't want to stop in to see you, but they are interested in your menu, or they are walking by at a time you're not open. Make it easy for those potential customers to connect with a QR code window sticker that catches their eye!

[[File:Restaurant 24x12 Window Sticker.png|alt=Restaurant Window Sticker with QR Code|frameless]]

Large format stickers can be printed quickly in low quantities at low cost. Great for store windows, vehicle windows and more!

== If You Can Dream It... ==
We can work with you and our local suppliers for all sorts of printed materials to help promote your online ordering. Let us know what you're thinking and we'll get to work!

Other ideas:

* Printed Takeout Containers
* Coasters
* Fridge Magnets
* T-Shirts
* Table Stand-Ups / Tent Cards
* Pens / Keychains
* Magnetic Calendars
* Frisbees
* Bottle Openers

[https://dineniagara.ca/contact Contact us] today with your ideas and let's bring it to life!

Design Services

2025-04-03T18:37:32Z

Administrator: Rebrand to Dine Local

Receiving and Processing an Order

2025-03-25T18:56:28Z

Administrator: Added the change order time section.

The main function for the Daily Operations user is to receive and process orders. The [[Installing the Dine Niagara Restaurant App|Restaurant App]] will automatically redirect back to the orders page after 5 minutes of inactivity to ensure that you never miss an order, and we have repeating telephone notifications which are automated to ensure that you are aware of an order regardless of the state of your tablet or where you are in the app.

=== Orders Page ===
[[File:Orders Page Screenshot.png|none|thumb|600x600px|Orders page with no pending orders.]]
The default orders page will indicate that there are No Orders waiting if you have no orders outstanding for today or in the future. This page will ''only'' show you orders that are for the current day or in the future and which have not been marked 'Complete' or 'Cancelled'. If you would like to view all orders including completed and cancelled orders or orders from past days, tap or click the 'View All Orders' button at the top right of the screen.

If you ever want to return to the Orders page from anywhere in the app, you can tap the 'Orders List' icon at the top of the page:
[[File:Orders link in app top bar.png|none|thumb|Link to Orders page in top bar.]]

=== Processing a New Order ===
When you receive a new order, it will pop up on the screen and your tablet will begin to 'Ding' audibly (if your volume is turned up). If your tablet is not working for some reason or you are not on the order page, our system will automatically phone you with a robocall at 1 minute and 3 minutes after the order was placed. If the order is still pending after 5 minutes, our team will begin to phone you as well as using whatever other messaging tools we have available with your management team to ensure you do not miss an order.
[[File:Order - New Order Notification.png|none|thumb|New Order Notification]]
The incoming order notification is intended to provide you the basic details required to accept an order. Orders are not confirmed to to the customer until you accept them through the tablet or admin panel.

Your order will be identified with the following details:

* Delivery or Pickup Order
* Delivery driver pickup time (for Delivery by Dine Local Orders)
* Delivery customer requested time (for orders you deliver yourself)
* Customer pickup time for pickup orders
* Customer details (name, phone number, and delivery address for delivery orders)
* Customer loyalty information (number of orders from you, last order they placed, whether they have ordered from other restaurants) including a link to get more detailed information.
* Summary of the order items and options
* Order notes
* Total charge on the order including taxes, delivery fees, and tips

Based on this information you need to action the order to confirm or reject it for the customer:

==== Accept an Order ====
If everything is acceptable on the order summary and you will be able to meet the customer's expected timing or delivery pickup time, simply tap or click the 'Accept' button to confirm the order. The order will be updated to confirmed status, payments will be confirmed with the credit card provider (if required), and the order will be moved into your order list.

==== Accept and Delay an Order ====
[[File:Order - new order delay options.png|thumb|Accept and delay an order.]]
If you are busy and can't meet the expected customer or pickup timing, you can choose to Accept the order, but also notify the customer that it will be a bit longer than expected. While the times that can be selected may change from time to time based on our feedback from customers and restaurant partners, our default available delay times are:

* 10 Minutes
* 20 Minutes
* 30 Minutes
* 45 Minutes

Please use caution when selecting delay times that are significantly extended. If you are adding more than 20 minutes to the expected pickup or delivery time, we generally recommend contacting the customer by phone first to ensure they are ok with it.

If you are very busy and have extended pickup times, we recommend updating your [[Adjusting Your Pickup Ready Time|Pickup At Ready]] time in the app so that customers are aware that their orders will be longer than normal.

Even if you are very busy when an order comes in, we highly recommend accepting the order with a delay, and then turning off new orders using the [[Quick Close to Pause or Stop Orders|Quick Close]] option rather than Declining an order. Customers will choose another restaurant next time if they find that the effort they put into placing the order is rejected.

==== Decline an Order ====
If you are truly unable to accept an order, we have provided the ability to decline an order for three reasons. Depending on the option you select we will notify the customer by email and SMS of the cancellation, and update your restaurant settings.

===== Too Busy To Accept =====
You can choose to decline an order as 'Too Busy' and we will notify the customer that you are too busy to accept the order. We will also automatically pause orders to your location for 30 minutes to ensure that other customers do not try to place an order when we know you are too busy.

===== Closed =====
If you have closed early but haven't yet set the [[Quick Close to Pause or Stop Orders|Quick Close]] for your location for the day, you can decline the order with the 'We are closed' option and we will notify the customer as such. We will also automatically close your location for the rest of the day. If for some reason you want to reopen the orders later int he day, you would need to use the Quick Close option to 'Reopen' your location later.

===== Out of Stock =====
If you are out of stock on an item and there isn't a reasonable substitute you can offer the customer by phoning them, you can decline an order indicating that you are out of stock on an item. In this case, we will simply notify the customer, but we will not automatically update any restaurant settings. We highly recommend that you then take the step to mark the item out of stock on your menu to prevent other customers from ordering it until it is back available.

=== Managing the Order Queue ===
The order queue is divided into four main sections which are only visible depending on what orders are in your queue.
[[File:Order Screen Quadrants.png|none|thumb|600x600px|Order Screen Quadrants]]
New orders will always appear to the left of the screen and will have a different background colour for Delivery and Pickup orders to make them more noticeable for you and your users.

Orders which are scheduled for driver or customer pickup in the next 30 minutes will be in the 'Make Now' section of the page which will have a flashing red header to indicate that you have an order which needs action.

Pre-orders are any order in the future and they will be ordered by soonest order first. These orders will be clearly marked with when the pickup day/date and time is to prevent errors.

On delivery orders are orders which are being delivered with the Delivery by Dine Local network but which have not yet been dropped off at the customer location. We keep these here for your own visibility in case the customer calls or you would like to view the delivery tracking.

==== Delivery by Dine Local Orders - Automatic Dispatch ====
[[File:Order delivery by dine detail.png|none|thumb|Delivery by Dine Local Detailed View]]
Orders that are being delivered by the Dine Local network will be clearly marked with our Delivery by Dine Local logo. Any order that has our logo indicated has already had the delivery driver requested and dispatched for you. For locations where we have enabled automatic dispatch, the delivery will automatically be set up when you confirm the order and the details will be populated into the order detail.

The order detail for each order will clearly mark:

* Customer Name (Order Number)
* Customer loyalty information including total orders, last order date, and whether they have ordered from other restaurants
* Driver Pickup Target Time
* Customer Delivery Time / Customer Phone Number / Total Payment / Payment Method
* Delivery Address
* Current Order Status
* Order Details, Options and Comments

If you ever want to display the full details of the order you can tap the 'Magnifying Glass' icon at the top right of the order card, and you will be taken to the Order Detail page.

For orders which are being delivered by Dine Local, we will automatically update the order status based on the updates we get from the delivery partner.

* Delivery request accepted = 'Confirmed'
* Order confirmed and scheduled = 'Preparation'
* Order picked up and out for deliver = 'Delivery'
* Order delivered complete = 'Completed'

==== Delivery by Dine Local Orders - Manual Dispatch ====
If you use the Delivery by Dine Local service, but have opted for manual dispatch, or you use our delivery only for some of your delivery orders, you will need to manually request a driver through the system from the order.
[[File:Order - Delivery Detail with Driver Request Button.png|none|thumb|Delivery Detail card with Manual Dispatch Button]]
Note that this order also shows an 'Order Note' entered by the customer. These notes can be added at the order level for any type of order in the system when the customer is checking out.

In order to request a Dine Local delivery driver, you will need to tap or click the 'Car' icon at the top right of the order card which will take you to the scheduling page.
[[File:Confirm delivery pickup time.png|none|thumb|482x482px|Confirm schedule for delivery pickup.]]
We will highlight any differences in the delivery fee charged to the customer and the actual delivery cost from the provider. These differences are generally caused by a delivery discount you have configured for your customers on the system (in our test case we offer $1 off delivery over $20 so this is the expected difference).

You need to specify the time that the food will be ready for pickup, confirm whether the order/item requires ID (we default this based on the items in the order), and tap or click the 'Save & Request' button at the top of teh page. We will request the delivery with the provider and return you to the orders page where your order will now be marked as a 'Delivery by Dine Local' order and will receive the same standard status updates as if it had been dispatched manually.

==== Pickup or Self-Delivery Orders ====
[[File:Order - pickup order detail.png|none|thumb|Order detail view]]
For pickup orders or orders which you are delivering yourself, you will need to provide updates to the customer on the status of their order. When the status changes, we automatically notify the customer via email and SMS text message so that they are aware of the timing of their order.

To update the order status, simply click the buttons at the top of the delivery card:

* Prep = Preparation (Your order is being prepared or is scheduled to be prepared)
* Ready = Ready for Pickup (Your order is out of the kitchen and ready for pickup) ''Pickup Orders Only''
* Delivery = Out for Delivery (Your order is out of the kitchen and out with your delivery driver) ''Delivery Orders Only''
* Completed = Order is complete

We do not send a notification for 'Complete' to the customer. Once an order is marked complete it will be moved from your active orders page.

=== Delaying an Order or Changing the Order Time ===
From your orders page when an order is either > 15 minutes away or when a delivery driver has not been assigned, you will have the ability to delay or edit the order time using the buttons at the bottom of the order card.
[[File:Order Time Change Buttons.png|none|thumb]]

==== Quick Delay Order ====
If you simply need an extra 15 minutes for an order because your kitchen or your delivery drivers are backed up, you can tap the 'Quick Delay Order' dropdown and select the appropriate time delay. If the order is a delivery by Dine Local, we will automatically adjust the driver pickup time for you.

Change Order Time

If you need to make a more drastic time change, for example if a customer accidentally ordered for the wrong day or time, you can tap the Change Order Time option and you will be taken to an order time edit screen.
[[File:Order Time Edit Screenshot.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]
From this screen, simply update the order date/time to the correct time, enter a reason (or leave the default 'Customer Request') and hit the 'Save Changes' button at the top. You will be returned to your order screen with the order time updated. Again, any Dine Local order dispatch will automatically be updated based on the new date and time you have entered.

=== Tracking a Delivery by Dine Local Order or Driver ===
From your orders page you can easily track a driver that is expected for arrival, or track their progress on their delivery using our GPS window.

Once the GPS tracking is available for your order you will see the map icon appear on the order card:
[[File:Order - detail card with tracking button.png|none|thumb|GPS tracking button on Order Card]]
If you tap the Map / Tracking icon, we will load the current GPS tracking page. This is the same page and information as is shared with the customer so you are viewing the same information they have available at all times.
[[File:Order - GPS Tracking Screen.png|none|thumb|600x600px|GPS Tracking Screen]]

== Support ==
If at any time you have trouble processing an order please contact our support team at 289-438-8061 or by email at [mailto:support@dineniagara.ca support@dineniagara.ca].

File:Order Time Edit Screenshot.png

2025-03-25T18:54:33Z

Administrator:

Order Time Edit Screenshot

File:Order Time Change Buttons.png

2025-03-25T18:51:02Z

Administrator:

Order Time Change Buttons

Main Restaurant/Location Settings

2025-03-18T18:21:07Z

Administrator: Added Google Tag Account field.

When you are logged in with your manager account, you have the ability to change some of the settings related to your restaurant on the Dine Niagara platform. To access the Restaurant Settings page, you need to log into the [[Accessing the Admin Panel|Administrator panel]] using the manager login that was provided to you. If you have only one location enabled under your login, you will then go to the 'Settings' option under the 'Restaurant' heading in the left navigation pane. If you have multiple locations, you'll visit 'Locations' under the 'Restaurant' heading and then click on the 'pencil' icon beside the location you want to edit.
[[File:Location Settings Page Screen Shot.png|none|thumb|600x600px|Main Location settings page.]]
There are several tabs of information which can be edited as described below:

=== Location Tab ===
You are able to edit the following data for your location:

* '''Name''' - the restaurant name as it will appear on your menu order page and in the restaurant list. ''(Required. Max 128 Characters)''
* '''Email''' - the email address where you will receive email notifications of new orders ''(Required. Max 96 Characters. Must be a valid email address)''
* '''Telephone''' - the telephone number for order notifications ''(Required.)''
* '''Image''' - the logo image that will be shown on your menu order page and the restaurant list.
* '''Status''' - this shows whether your location is visible to the public. If you need to change this option you need to contact our team at [mailto:support@dineniagara.ca support@dineniagara.ca].
* '''Address/City/State/Postal/Country''' - this shows the current address of your restaurant. If you need to change the address of your restaurant you need to contact our team at [mailto:support@dineniagara.ca support@dineniagara.ca].
* '''Description''' - this is a brief description of your restaurant. It is used only sparingly throughout the order page and website, so it is not required.
* '''Banner Image''' - the banner image that shows across the top of your menu order page and in the restaurant list.
* '''Hide Phone # from Front End''' - hides your phone number from the menu/order page if you prefer not to receive customer phone calls at your notification phone number.
* '''Google Tag Account''' - allows you to add your Google Analytics Measurement ID to receive Google Analytics tracking data for your menu pages. See our [[Google]] section for more information.

=== Settings Tab ===
You are able to edit the following data for your location:

* '''Offer Delivery''' - turn on or off delivery as an available ordering option for your location. ''Note: Generally this should be left ENABLED or you will not be able to receive delivery orders.''
* '''Delivery Time Interval''' - this is the time between order slots for customers to choose from when they are pre-ordering. ''Note: This does not affect "As Soon As Possible" orders and we recommend you leave it set to 15 minutes.''
* '''Delivery Lead Time''' - this is the default time we will show customers as the expected delivery time from when they place an order. ''Note: This time is also updated whenever you change the "[[Adjusting Your Pickup Ready Time|Pickup Ready Time]]" from the top bar. This does not affect the speed or timing of delivery services.''
* '''Allow Pre-Order for Delivery''' - this turns on or off the ability for customers to pre-order in advance. ''Note: If you disable this option, customers will only be able to place orders "As Soon As Possible" and will not be able to order outside of your business hours. It is highly recommended that you leave this setting enabled.''
* '''Delivery Pre-Order Days in Advance''' - this is the number of days in advance that a customer can pre-order. We default this value to 5 days when we set up your location which is usually sufficient for most restaurants. If you offer menu items with longer lead times or catering type menu items, you may want to consider extending this to 20-30 days.
* '''Same Options as Above for Pickup Orders'''
* '''Offers Dine-In''' - If you have dine in available we will show your restaurant dine-in hours in addition to your takeout and delivery hours on your menu/order page and restaurant list. This should only be turned off if you have no seating in your restaurant.

=== Schedules Tab ===
The Schedules Tab allows you to edit your regular business hours for the platform. This should be your standard running hours and you do not need to edit these hours for special days such as vacations or holidays. Those should be set using the Special Schedules process.

There are three sets of hours which can be adjusted:

# Opening Schedule is the hours that your dine-in restaurant is open (which may include hours that you do not serve food for bars/nightclubs)
# Delivery Schedule is the hours that you offer delivery orders (which may differ from pickup orders if you do your own deliveries)
# Pickup Schedule is the hours that you offer pickup orders (which should be the same as the hours that your kitchen is open)

To change your hours you will click on the hours you would like to adjust, and use the interface to set open and closed and hours for the day.

Setting hours can be somewhat complex, particularly if you offer multiple opening times in a day. We recommend that if you need to adjust your hours that you send us your new hours and effective date to [mailto:support@dineniagara.ca support@dineniagara.ca] and we will make the adjustment for you.

=== Gallery Tab ===
You have the ability to add photos to a gallery that will be shown on its own tab on your menu/order page. This is completely optional and most restaurants do not set any images here.

=== Payouts Tab ===
This is where you will find your link to set up or view your Stripe Connect account which is where all credit card and Dine Niagara gift card payments are processed to your bank account.

==== Initial Stripe Connect Setup ====
If you have not yet set up your Stripe Connect account, you will see a button that allows you to "Create a Stripe Connect account"

You can find full instructions on your Stripe Connect setup on our [[Setting Up and Verifying Your Stripe Connect Account|help page for Stripe]].

'''''It is mandatory that you configure your Stripe Connect Account before we can enable your restaurant for orders.'''''

==== Viewing your Stripe Connect Account ====
Once you have set up your Stripe Connect account you can click the "View stripe connect account" button to launch Stripe and view all transactions and balances that are destined for your bank account.

=== Reviews Tab ===
You can provide the link for your Google Reviews and Facebook Reviews in this section. If you have provided these links, your customers will be presented with the opportunity to leave a Google or Facebook review after [[Customer Feedback|providing feedback on their orders]].

To get your Google Reviews link, follow the instructions on this [https://support.google.com/business/answer/3474122?hl=en#create_and_share_a_link Google Help Document]. Your Facebook review link should be accessible from your Restaurant Facebook page. If you don't have a reviews section you can leave this blank.

=== Web Links Tab ===
You can set up all of your website and social links on this page. We have provided the ability to link website, Facebook page/profile, Instagram page, X profile, and TikTok profile which will appear on your order page above your restaurant name.

''Note: You must include the full link to each page for the links to work (for example: https://facebook.com/dinelocalapp<nowiki/>)''

=== Tax Settings Tab ===
If you have special tax settings for your location, you can adjust them here, for example if you are in a different province than Ontario or are you are a Charity location who has different tax treatment. ''Note: You can only edit the tax rate for your menu items, and you are responsible for ensuring that you are following tax code for your location. Delivery tax rates must be managed by our administrative team. If you believe you have the incorrect tax rate set for delivery please reach out to our support team.''

=== Donations Tab ===
If you have a Charity that you regularly partner with, we have enabled Donations at Checkout within our platform. If you would like to allow customers to make a small donation ($2/5/10/15) at the same time as their order, simply enable the Accept Donations at Checkout option and then enter the name of the Charity which will be displayed to customers when they check out.

All donation amounts will be included in your sales reporting for your own records. We do not hold any donations, it is your responsibility to route all donations to the charity.

=== Transaction Fees Tab ===
If you are on a variable fees plan, this page will show the current balance (if any) of uncollected fees from previous orders. Balances are created when you cancel an order that is received or if we have a technical issue recovering the fees from a previous order. The system will automatically collect the balance with the next successful order(s) placed through the system.

Google

2025-03-18T18:19:37Z

Administrator: Added Google Analytics information

Dine Local does several things to help drive traffic to your order page through Google Search and to help you track your visitor traffic through your Google Analytics account.

== Google Search Engine Optimization ==
[[File:Location description box from Location Settings.png|thumb|Location Description]]
We have worked hard to tailor our site tags to rank near the top when people search for your restaurant by default. Nothing you have to do.

We have also configured your menu page to insert your own description of your restaurant if you choose to enter one in the manager portal. You can add or edit your restaurant description by visiting the [https://dinelocal.at/admin Admin Panel] and logging in with your manager login, then visiting Restaurant -> Settings from the left pane. The description is set on the 'Location' tab.

== Order with Google ==
[[File:Order with Google Screenshot.png|thumb|Order with Google]]
Dine Local is fully integrated with Order with Google which allows customers to quickly access your order page from their Google Maps or Search results. When a customer clicks to "Order Online" they are presented with a list of providers who they can order from based on which integrated partners indicate that they have a relationship with you.

=== Preferred Provider ===
You can set your preferred provider to Dine Local to ensure your customers know that you prefer orders through our platform. This helps customers know that you trust Dine Local and helps guide them to the option that has a lower cost to you, and which does not charge extra service charges and fees to your customers.

To learn how to set your preferred provider, visit [https://support.google.com/business/answer/10842217?hl=en#zippy=%2Cset-a-preferred-online-order-provider this Google help article].

=== Remove a Provider ===
If you see a provider listed which you no longer do business with, or which you would prefer didn't show up on your search results (even if you still take orders through them), you can request to have their link removed. Simply follow the instructions on [https://support.google.com/business/answer/10842217?hl=en#zippy=%2Cremove-a-specific-third-party-provider this Google help article] to review the providers linked to you and request removal of those which you don't want listed. (This process takes up to 5 business days)

== Google Menu Integration ==
Dine Local provides structured menu data from your online ordering portal to Google daily which allows customers to browse your menu directly in their Google Search and Maps results. Many times a customer will preview your menu within Google's page before clicking to place and order or visit you in person. This is an automatic feed from our system which is coupled with our Order with Google updates.

=== Preferred Menu ===
Depending on other technology providers you may work with, there may be multiple data feeds for your menu data. In some cases there will be no difference and there is no particularly need to update your preferred provider. If, however, you have price markups on other providers such as Order with DoorDash, your customer may be presented with elevated pricing over your normal restaurant pricing when browsing your menu which may impact their buying intent.

You can review the menu feeds that are available for your restaurant and select the preferred provider by following the instructions on the [https://support.google.com/business/answer/9455840?hl=en#zippy=%2Cselect-preferred-menu Google Help Pages].

== Google Analytics Integration ==
If you want to track traffic to your location pages on Dine Local, you can add your Google Analytics Property data stream measurement ID to be able to view your traffic. Google Analytics can provide you robust data about your visitors, including in real-time, so you can monitor how you are progressing your online ordering platform with Dine Local.

To add your analytics stream to our platform, you will add the "Measurement ID" that you can find on your Google Analytics property to the Google Tag Account field on your location settings:
[[File:Screenshot of Google Tag Account Field.png|none|thumb|500x500px]]
If you're not familiar with how to find your Google Measurement ID, you can refer to [https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9539598?hl=en this Google Help Document] which will help you get there on your Google Analytics account, or you can [mailto:support@dinelocalapp.ca contact our support team] for help.

== Set Your Home Page ==
If you don't have a web-site, you can submit your Dine Local Menu as your restaurant website. Most customers who are looking for you online are looking to browse your menu, so by setting your restaurant web-site to your Dine Local ordering page you maximize your views and the chances that customers will choose to simple place their order once they are there! Your website can be configured by visiting your Google My Business management page: https://www.google.com/intl/en_ca/business/

File:Screenshot of Google Tag Account Field.png

2025-03-18T18:15:48Z

Administrator:

Screenshot of Google Tag Account Field

Adjusting Your Pickup Ready Time

2025-03-17T13:36:08Z

Administrator: Add note that you can separately manage delivery times if you are self delivery for the restaurant.

When your location is set up initially we will default your 'Pickup Ready Time' for new orders to 25 minutes (unless requested).

The Pickup Ready time is the time you need from when you accept the order to be able to prepare an order (on average). When you accept and delay an order, the delay is based on the Pickup Ready Time you have set in the app.

The current 'Pickup Ready' time is always visible and available to be changed from the top bar of the app where you see the clock and time. ''Note: if you have multiple locations/brands, you will not see the time, just the clock icon.''
[[File:Pickup at ready link.png|none|thumb|Top link and display of the Pickup Ready time]]
To adjust the Pickup Ready Time to earlier or later, simply tap or click on the clock to bring up the adjustment window:
[[File:Pickup time window.png|none|thumb|Pickup Ready time adjustment for multiple locations]]
If you have a single restaurant brand, you will see only one location adjustment window. If you have multiple brands (ghost kitchens or multiple location brands) you will have an option for each restaurant location.

If you manage your own delivery services, you will also have an option to separately set the pickup and delivery times for your restaurant. If you are using the Dine Local delivery service, we will automatically manage the delivery time based on your selected pickup ready time.

Simple tap the + or - buttons for the appropriate location to change the Pickup Ready lead time, and tap the 'Save' button to adjust the timing. Changes are instant on the customer order page and we display the expected times on both the restaurant list and your own menu/order page.

== Support ==
If you have trouble adjusting your Pickup Ready time, please contact us at [mailto:support@dineniagara.ca support@dineniagara.ca] and one of our team can help.

Google

2025-03-05T14:30:04Z

Administrator: Added Google Menu Integrtation info

Dine Local does several things to help drive traffic to your order page through Google Search.

== Google Search Engine Optimization ==
[[File:Location description box from Location Settings.png|thumb|Location Description]]
We have worked hard to tailor our site tags to rank near the top when people search for your restaurant by default. Nothing you have to do.

We have also configured your menu page to insert your own description of your restaurant if you choose to enter one in the manager portal. You can add or edit your restaurant description by visiting the [https://dinelocal.at/admin Admin Panel] and logging in with your manager login, then visiting Restaurant -> Settings from the left pane. The description is set on the 'Location' tab.

== Order with Google ==
[[File:Order with Google Screenshot.png|thumb|Order with Google]]
Dine Local is fully integrated with Order with Google which allows customers to quickly access your order page from their Google Maps or Search results. When a customer clicks to "Order Online" they are presented with a list of providers who they can order from based on which integrated partners indicate that they have a relationship with you.

=== Preferred Provider ===
You can set your preferred provider to Dine Local to ensure your customers know that you prefer orders through our platform. This helps customers know that you trust Dine Local and helps guide them to the option that has a lower cost to you, and which does not charge extra service charges and fees to your customers.

To learn how to set your preferred provider, visit [https://support.google.com/business/answer/10842217?hl=en#zippy=%2Cset-a-preferred-online-order-provider this Google help article].

=== Remove a Provider ===
If you see a provider listed which you no longer do business with, or which you would prefer didn't show up on your search results (even if you still take orders through them), you can request to have their link removed. Simply follow the instructions on [https://support.google.com/business/answer/10842217?hl=en#zippy=%2Cremove-a-specific-third-party-provider this Google help article] to review the providers linked to you and request removal of those which you don't want listed. (This process takes up to 5 business days)

== Google Menu Integration ==
Dine Local provides structured menu data from your online ordering portal to Google daily which allows customers to browse your menu directly in their Google Search and Maps results. Many times a customer will preview your menu within Google's page before clicking to place and order or visit you in person. This is an automatic feed from our system which is coupled with our Order with Google updates.

=== Preferred Menu ===
Depending on other technology providers you may work with, there may be multiple data feeds for your menu data. In some cases there will be no difference and there is no particularly need to update your preferred provider. If, however, you have price markups on other providers such as Order with DoorDash, your customer may be presented with elevated pricing over your normal restaurant pricing when browsing your menu which may impact their buying intent.

You can review the menu feeds that are available for your restaurant and select the preferred provider by following the instructions on the [https://support.google.com/business/answer/9455840?hl=en#zippy=%2Cselect-preferred-menu Google Help Pages].

== Set Your Home Page ==
If you don't have a web-site, you can submit your Dine Local Menu as your restaurant website. Most customers who are looking for you online are looking to browse your menu, so by setting your restaurant web-site to your Dine Local ordering page you maximize your views and the chances that customers will choose to simple place their order once they are there! Your website can be configured by visiting your Google My Business management page: https://www.google.com/intl/en_ca/business/

Menu Item Management and Settings

2025-03-02T16:33:52Z

Administrator: Added dependent menu options section.

[[File:Menu Items Link in Admin Menu.png|alt=Menu Items Link in Admin Menu|thumb|284x284px|Menu Items Link in Admin Menu]]
The heart of your restaurant is your menu, and this is where the rubber hits the road for ordering setup. Menus are made of of two main components, the menu item and it's options (sometimes called modifiers). You will use the Menu Item Management page to set up both of these.

To access the Menu Management page, go to Restaurant -> Menu Items in the left menu when you are logged in to the [https://dineniagara.ca/admin admin panel] as manager.

== Menu Items List ==
When you first go to the Menu Items page you will be presented with a full list of all of your menu items.

[[File:Admin Menu Items List.png|alt=Admin Menu Items List|frameless|575x575px]]

Your full menu list can sometimes be difficult to navigate unless you have a very simple menu, but you can quickly navigate and filter your menu by using the filter feature. To add filters to your menu, click the funnel icon at the top right of the list header and the system will add the ability to filter the menu by category or status, or to search the menu for a specific phrase.

[[File:Admin Menus Filter Feature.png|alt=Admin Menus Filter Feature|frameless|575x575px]]

Most frequently when we are working with menus, we use the filters feature to show just a single category of items so that we can easily work on the items in that grouping at one time. For menus that have been around for a long time with lots of items being added and removed (disabled) over time, we will use a combination of the category and status to get the items that we specifically want to see and work with.

We also use these filters when we are creating a new menu to ensure that as we add new items we are seeing just what will show up in that category on the menu page when a customer is ordering.

== Add a New Item ==
Adding a new item is generally a multi-step process unless your new item is very simple and has no photo or options (modifiers).

=== Adding the Base Item ===
To create a new item, click the '+ New' button at the top of the menu list. You will be taken to the new 'base item' page where you can set up the basics of a new item.

[[File:Admin New Item Page.png|alt=Admin New Item Page|frameless|575x575px]]

From this page you are essentially setting up the "shell" of a new item, or a very basic item in your system. You will first create the basic menu information:

* '''Name''' The item name. This will also be what shows up on your order tablet as the item, so make sure that it is descriptive so you know what it is. For example you may sell a Roast Beef Sub as well as a Roast Beef Wrap and you may group them into different categories for Hot Subs and Wraps. Despite the fact that the item shows up on the menu under Sub or Wrap, it won't be clear to you which item was ordered if you name them both "Roast Beef" in the system. We highly recommend making the name descriptive so you would have a "Roast Beef Sub" and a "Roast Beef Wrap" item separately so that your staff can handle orders accurately.
* '''Price''' This will be the regular price for the base item without any options. For example, you might offer a small and large French Fries, but to simplify the menu and user ordering experience you would set up a menu item for French Fries and set the Price to be the price of the Small french fries. We can add the option later to choose the size which will include the upgrade cost for the large sized fries.
* '''Priority''' The priority is the order in which the items will appear under each category in ascending order. This is an integer (number) value and we usually recommend using values that are spaced out to allow for easier additions and editing later (for example: 10, 20, 30, 40). If you do not assign a priority, the items will be sorted in the order in which they were added to the system. This is optional and depends on how you want your menu to appear to your customers.
* '''Featured''' If you set the item to be featured, it will always appear at the very top of your menu as well as in the category you have defined. If you have items flagged as featured there will be a new "Featured" category added at the top of your menu with all items set for feature, regardless of the other categories they may appear in.
* '''Category''' You should always assign your menu item to one or more categories. A single item can belong to multiple categories if you choose, for example you may want to include your "Chicken Wrap Combo" in both your Wraps category as well as a "Featured Items" category. Most commonly, however, menu items belong to just one category to avoid repetitiveness in your menu and to keep the length of your menu to a minimum for ease of ordering.
* '''Allergens''' You can specify any allergens for the menu item such as Keto, Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Vegan, etc. We have a full set of Allergen markers and categories available for you in this list. If you see something missing that is important in your menu, please let us know and we will get it added. Note that we allow customers to filter your menu and the list of restaurants on the platform based on the existence of some of these allergen tags, so if you offer Keto, Vegan, Gluten-Free, etc dishes it is important to mark them as such using the Allergens list.
* '''Menu Schedule''' If your menu item is only available during specific times of day, days, or on a specific date, that can be controlled using Menu Schedules. You need to set up menu schedules in the system before you can tag a menu item to it. Note that if you specify a menu schedule, the item will ''only'' be available to your customers during that schedule, and will appear as unorderable (or won't be visible) at any other time.
* '''Location(s)''' You must specify which locations this menu item is available at. If you have only one location or brand that you manage, you will find that this list only has your one location listed, but either way the location is required to set up a new item.
* '''Minimum Quantity''' This is a very infrequently used setting, but we do allow you to set a minimum order quantity for a menu item. For example a customer may be required to order 6 of an item. In general we find this confusing for customers and we would recommend instead setting the item up as a bundle of the minimum quantity. For example the name of the item would be "Jalapeno Poppers (6)" and then the minimum quantity can remain 1.
* '''Stock Quantity''' If you know you will have a limited number of a specific item you can set a stock quantity and the system will automatically make the item unavailable on your menu once that runs out. This is infrequently used as most restaurants prefer to simply mark an item out of stock when it runs out rather than managing a count of inventory in the system, recognizing that you may also receive orders in person or by phone. If you leave this field defaulted to 0 then there will be no limits placed on the item and you can [[Marking Items, Categories, and Options Out Of Stock|manage out of stock situations]] through the tablet as normal.
* '''Order Restriction''' You can restrict the menu item to only be available for a specific order type (pickup or delivery). This is helpful for special pick-up discounts you might offer, or items that you want to make exclusively available for delivery. While this isn't used often, it can be a handy feature for specific promotions.
* '''Subtract Stock''' Coupled with the Stock Quantity field, enabling this setting will cause the system to reduce your "Stock Quantity" with each order until you run out and the item becomes unavailable.
* '''Description''' This is the same as the description of your menu item on your printed menu. It should help the customer clearly understand what they are ordering and can include details like the types of choices they get to make when they order. Keep in mind that this is a free-text field and it is not automatically updated when you change menu options later, so we usually recommend leaving option prices and sometimes even the specific menu option choices to be more vague in the description. For example, list that the item "includes your choice of side or upgrade" instead of "your choice of french fries, chips, or upgrade to onion rings for $2.19 or poutine for $3.49" so that you don't need to remember to change the description when you change pricing.
* '''Image''' You can not set an image until the base item is set up. Leave this alone at this point.
* '''Status''' Generally you will want to create your new item as enabled, however sometimes you may want to create the item as disabled (not available to order or visible on your menu) so that you can add the menu options and other details before it becomes available on the front end menu. If the status is enabled it will generally be visible to the customer and can be ordered. If it is disabled it is not available or visible on the customer side.
* '''Maximum Quantity''' You can limit the number of an item that your customer can order on any individual order. Set this value to 0 for unlimited, or specify the maximum quantity for special items and we will prevent over-ordering (including for variety of options) on an individual order.
* '''Hide if Not Available''' We have two different behaviours for menu items to the customer. Generally if an item is not available (due to a menu schedule restriction, a lead time restriction, or an out of stock condition) we would still show the item on the front end, but it will be greyed out with a note as to the reason why it can not be ordered right now. This is important so that customers know that you ''usually'' sell an item, but that it isn't available currently and why. If you set the item to be hidden when not available, we will not even show the item if it's unavailable - similar to it being disabled in the status. This is useful for items that are available only on a specific day or time (ie. a lunch menu) that you don't want to even be seen at other times. You should think carefully through how you want your menu item to appear to your customer before deciding how to set this flag.
* '''Menu Item Type''' Dine Niagara supports common rules for alcohol ordering and delivery, specifically the AGCO requirements that alcohol must be ordered with food items from restaurants when ordered for takeout. You should set this drop down to either Food (this is a food item that would qualify to be ordered with alcohol), Non-Food (this is non-food or alcohol, but it does not qualify as a partner to alcohol - for example a pop or a t-shirt), or Alcohol (this is an alcohol option which needs to be paired with food). This defaults to Food for simplicity and if you do not offer alcohol for takeout you don't need to worry about this field.
* '''Item Requires ID (19+)''' While we also categorize items as alcohol, food, etc you need to specify which items require ID for delivery. This can also apply to items that are not alcoholic, but for whatever reason may also require an ID verification. We use this flag for our own integrated delivery to identify orders which require special handling. If you do not set this flag properly, deliveries may not go out with a driver who is Smart Serve certified which can cause liability issues for both you and the driver network.

Once you have set up the base information on the main "Menu" tab, you are ready to "Save" your new menu item to the system.

=== Adding Images and Options and Completing the Menu Item ===
Once you have Saved your base menu item, you will note a change to the header of the page and the tabs that are available to you.

[[File:Menu Item Header after Saving.png|alt=Menu Item Header after Saving|frameless|575x575px]]

You now have a new tab for "Options" which is where we will set and manage your menu options (modifiers) for the item, as well as a new button that allows you to duplicate the item.

Once the item is saved, you can also add an image on the main 'Menu' tab by clicking on the blank image and selecting or uploading an image into your restaurant folder.

==== Adding an Image ====
To add an image, go to the "Menu" tab and scroll down to the "Image" field, then click the blank image with the plus sign to add a new image. (Note if you have already added an image you'll need to click the X first to remove the existing image before you can add an image.)

You will be presented with the Media page where you can select or upload an image from your restaurant library.
[[File:Image Attach Button in Media Manager.png|alt=Image Attach Button in Media Manager|thumb|Image Attach Button in Media Manager]]
[[File:Admin Media Manager Page.png|alt=Admin Media Manager Page|frameless|575x575px]]

All images you have previously uploaded are available to you from this page.

To search for an image by filename you can type the name in the top right box and wait a second, and the list of images will be filtered. Delete the search text to return the list to all of your image files.

You can also upload a new image by tapping the blue "Upload" button at the top of the page. Dine Niagara supports JPG, PNG, or GIF images and we recommend sizing them for web as much as possible. The system will do its best to optimize large files, but a very large file will make the user experience negative while they wait for your picture to download.

It is also important to note that we do not support any special characters in file names. Please remove all punctuation characters from file names before attempting to upload a file or you will receive an error uploading.

Once you have the image you would like to attach to the menu item in the system you can click on it to highlight it, then choose the "Attach" button on the right pane to select it.

==== Adding and Managing Options ====
For many menus, options (otherwise known as modifiers) are critical to simplifying ordering. Dine Niagara has a robust options setup which allows for great flexibility in menu setup, but which can also be complicated when you work through the setup of your menu.

Click the "Options" tab at the top of your menu to go to the options setup for this menu item.

[[File:Menu Options Admin Page.png|alt=Menu Options Admin Page|frameless|575x575px]]

You have a few main items you can manage here:

# You can create a new Option set for this menu item that will be available for re-use on any other menu item in the future.
# You can choose an existing Option set that you previously set up and add it to this new menu item. This is useful for things like a "Choose a Side" option set that is common and used on all menu items in the "Mains" category of your menu. In this way, you can manage a single list of options (including choices, upgrade prices, etc) and have them apply to every menu item they are added to.
# You can choose an existing Option set that you previously set up and modify it. If you are updating pricing on your menu for example, you may want to just edit an option set from here and you can choose to have it update the options across all items that currently have it assigned.
# You can choose an existing Option set that you previously set up and duplicate it. If you have a need for the same list of items in an option set, but would like customers to be able to choose them in a different way this can be helpful. For example if you have a list of pizza toppings which has different prices depending on the pizza size, or a list of wing sauces but you allow customers to select only one for some sizes and multiple choices for other sizes.
# You can modify the existing options that are assigned to this item including setting requirements, minimums/maximums, item specific pricing, reorder options, or delete/remove options from an item.

===== Creating a New Option =====
[[File:New Menu Option Screen.png|alt=New Menu Option Screen|thumb|New Menu Option Screen]]
To create a new option, click the "+ New Option" button to the right of the option drop down box.

To set up a new option set you will set the following:

* '''Option Name'''Choose something concise, but which helps the customer and your staff know what this grouping is for. Simple phrases such as "Choose Your Side", "Included Toppings", or "Add Dips".
* '''Location(s)'''You need to select which locations will have access to this option set. For restaurants with only one location/brand this will only have one option, but it needs to be specified.
* '''Display Type'''Dine Niagara supports four key option behaviours:
** '''''Radio''''' - users can select only one item from the list
** '''''Checkbox''''' - users can select one or more items from the list (can be restricted)
** '''''Select''''' - users can select only one item from a drop down (not a common use - not as user friendly)
** '''''Quantity''''' - users can select zero or more quantities of each item in the list (can be restricted)
* '''Option Values'''You can add one or more option values to be available to the customer to choose from in this option set. Each item has it's own name, option price (price added to the cost of the menu item if selected), allergens (ie. gluten-free, vegan), or "counts as quantity" which is useful when you are restricting selections like included pizza toppings, but have premium toppings which count as two items when selected.
* '''Sort Options By'''By default options will be sorted manually in the order in which they are set up in the option set, but we have made it possible to ensure consistent sorting across items and option sets by specifying the sort order as:
** Manual Priority (default)
** Alphabetical (either A-Z or Z-A)
** By option price (either low to high or high to low)
** By counts as value (either low to high or high to low)

Once you have set up the option as you would like it to be available, click to 'Save' the option to the system.

===== Select and Attach a Menu Option to the Menu Item =====
Once you have a menu option set created, you can add it to the menu item you are working on.

[[File:Select Menu Option from Dropdown.png|alt=Select Menu Option from Dropdown|frameless|575x575px]]

Click the dropdown box for a list of all of your menu options.

If you have a long list, you can type in the search bar to restrict the options list to find the one you are looking for.

Select the menu option you would like to add to the menu item, and then click the "Add to Menu" button to the right of the dropdown.

The option will be added to the list of menu options automatically.

===== Select and Edit a Menu Option =====
If you need to make changes to a menu option set you can also do that from this screen. Simply select the menu option you would like to modify from the list and click the "Edit Option" button to the right.

Note that editing the option may affect all menu items that it is already added to. You can edit any of the option settings from the Add an Option set from the screen that pops up, and then you have an option to have the changes update all other menu items when you save.

We generally recommend ''always'' updating all other menu items when you save to ensure that things stay in sync. If you have a reason to have different pricing for the same options across multiple items we generally recommend setting up multiple option sets with the different prices to make price updates easier in the future (ie. Extra Toppings 8-Slice, Extra Toppings 12-Slice etc)

===== Select and Duplicate a Menu Option =====
For those situations where you need essentially the same menu option set, but you need to assign different pricing for a different size, you can simply select the base menu option from the list, and then click the duplicate button to the right of the drop down once selected. Once you confirm that you want to take action, a new menu option with the same name and '- Copy' appended will be available.

Now you can simply select that newly created 'Copy' option and edit it as in the previous step to give it an appropriate name and update the other fields as required.

==== Setting Option Settings on an Item ====
Now that you have added the options you would like to have available on the item, you can add item specific modifications to them such as the order in which they appear or minimums/maximums for selections. You can also set menu item specific pricing for these options, however we generally recommend handling those situations with a separate option set as noted previously.

You will have the full set of menu options added to your item as noted below:

[[File:Menu Item Options List.png|alt=Menu Item Options List|frameless|575x575px]]

You can do several things to these menu options from here.

===== Reorder Menu Options =====
The order that the options appears in has a lot to do with the user experience when ordering. It should make logical sense what they are being asked and in what order, otherwise it may confuse and frustrate the customer who is just trying to order your amazing food.

To reorder the menu options, simply drag the option blocks up and down until they are in the order you want, and then tap the "Save" button at the top to update the order in the system.

===== Delete a Menu Option =====
If you need to remove one of the menu options from your list, you can simply click the Trash Can icon on the right of the option block. The system will confirm that you really want to delete it, and then the option will be removed from the menu item.

===== Set Item Specific Menu Option Controls =====
Tap on an individual menu option to set controls for this specific menu item for that option set.

There are a few different types of controls you may want to change for a menu item. Two examples are shown below:

[[File:Menu Option Checkbox Settings for Item.png|alt=Menu Option Checkbox Settings for Item|frameless|393x393px]] [[File:Menu Option Radio Settings for Item.png|alt=Menu Option Radio Settings for Item|frameless|394x394px]]

In the left/first example we have a checkbox option for Included Pizza toppings. In this case, these are free toppings which are included in the base price of the pizza, but the customer is limited to be able to choose only 2 included / free toppings. To do this, we set the Min Selected to 0 (the customer can choose no toppings and just have sauce and cheese) and the Max Selected to 2 (the customer can choose up to two items, or one item in the case they choose a premium item that counts as two).

In the right/second example we have a radio option for an included drink. In this case, the customer is required to choose a drink for their combo. We don't want them to be able to order without selecting a drink for their combo, so we set the "Option Required" to be enabled. Because it is a Radio option the customer can only choose one item so I don't need to set the Min Selected or Max Selected fields.

It would also be possible to have a hybrid type example with a Checkbox that is required. In this case I might have an option where the customer can choose up to 3 options from within a set of options, but they are required to choose at least one. In that case we would set the Option Required field to enabled, the Min Selected field to 1, and the Max Selected field to 3.

==== Dependent Menu Options ====
You can set a menu option to be dependent, or only shown, when another menu option is selected. For example, if you have a list of side dish options, you can have the Salad Dressing option only show when the Garden Salad side option has been selected. On the menu, the salad dressing option will not be visible unless the garden salad option has been selected by the user. Additionally, if you make the option required, it will only be validated if the dependent option has been selected.

====== Other Menu Option Settings ======
When you scroll down you can also make additional changes such as changing the Option Price for this specific option set on this specific item. Price changes here will not be reflected on any other item that uses this option set. Further, if you ever update the option set itself and push the updates to all menu items that use it, any price changes you made here in the item will be overwritten. We generally don't recommend managing option pricing at the menu item level.

You can also set the default value(s) that are already selected for the customer when they go to order the item. This can be helpful in unique cases, but we generally recommend letting the customer choose what items they want to choose rather than defaulting values for them.

=== Setting Specific Tax Rates ===
Some items may qualify for Grocery tax status which are tax exempt, or another special tax rate. You can specify the correct tax rate for a menu item under the Tax Settings tab. ''Note: You are responsible for ensuring that your tax collection is aligned with local tax code.''

=== Setting Specials or Lead Times ===
If you would like to set up specials for an item you can do that from the 'Specials' tab at the top of the menu item. We have a special section that overviews these settings for you.

==== Lead Times ====
Dine Niagara also supports item specific lead times to allow you to handle complex items that either take longer to prepare, or which need to be ordered day(s) in advance. Click to the "Lead Time" tab for item specific lead time options.

[[File:Lead Times for Menu Items.png|alt=Lead Times for Menu Items|frameless|575x575px]]

If the switch for requiring a special lead time is disabled, this item will be available at the [[Adjusting Your Pickup Ready Time|default pickup lead time]] for your location for the customer.

When you set this to enabled, you can set the pickup lead time in minutes, hours, or days depending on your item.

Some example use cases:

* Most menu items can be prepared in 25 minutes, but you offer a family sized lasagna which requires 60 minutes to prepare from scratch
** Set the pickup lead time on the Lasagna item to be 60 minutes
** Customers will be notified that their order will take 60 minutes if they add the lasagna to their order so that they have appropriate expectations on pickup or delivery time
* You have catering platters which require 24 hours notice for preparation (ie. if a customer is ordering at 2pm today, you can not have the catering ready before 2pm tomorrow)
** Set the pickup lead time on the catering platter to 24 hours
** Customers will be notified that they need to choose an order time after 2pm tomorrow in order to add this item to their cart
* You have a special order item which takes 3 days to come in (ie. a customer orders at 4pm and you get your orders to your supplier at end of day to be in in three days)
** Set the pickup lead time on the special order item to 3 days
** Customers will be notified that they need to choose an order time that it at least 3 days from now to add it to their cart

Your new item is now complete and you can confirm that it is working as expected by viewing your menu on your order page to ensure it behaves as you expected.

== Editing a Menu Item ==
To edit a menu item, click the pencil icon beside the menu item in the list of menu items.

You can change any of the settings on the menu item as noted in the Add a Menu Item Section.

== Deleting a Menu Item ==
We highly recommend '''''NEVER''''' deleting menu items.

While there is no specific negative impact of deleting a menu item, we have found through our experience that it is common for menu items that you stop offering at some time often come back at another time.

Rather than deleting a menu item, we usually recommend going in to edit the menu item and setting it's status to 'Disabled' so that it can not be ordered.

If you do want to delete a menu item, go into the edit screen for the menu and click the Trash Can button at the top of the page. Once you confirm that you want to delete the item, it will be gone.

Deleting an item can not be undone.

Customer Feedback

2025-02-27T02:20:13Z

Administrator: Full first version of the feedback feature.

Whenever an order is set to complete status either through the manual update from the order card or from the delivery update from the Dine Local delivery service, your customer will be sent a request for feedback on their meal. Customers will be able to rate their food as well as their pickup or delivery experience. Once they have provided feedback they are also given the opportunity to leave a Google or Facebook review. You can set up your Google and Facebook review links in your [[Main Restaurant/Location Settings|restaurant settings page]].

== Customer Feedback Page ==
Your customer feedback summary is available to your manager login in the [https://dinelocal.at/admin admin panel]. You will find the Customer Feedback page under the Sales menu heading on the left.
[[File:Customer Feedback menu heading.png|none|thumb|300x300px]]

The Customer Feedback summary page provides you some key information at a glance as well as the ability to drill into feedback and address customer concerns through the [[Customer Loyalty Report and Coupons|Customer Loyalty Coupon]] functionality.

=== Summary Page ===
[[File:Customer Feedback Summary Page.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]

==== Rating Summary Section ====
Your rating summary will always be at the top which will show you a summary of the last 90 days and all-time ratings for your restaurant across all categories. The review categories are:

* Food
* Pickup Experience
* Self-Delivery (when you manage your own deliveries or use your own service)
* Third-Party Delivery (when you use the Dine Local integrated delivery service)

If you have more than one restaurant location that you have access to, you can also filter this summary panel to show individual locations, or the overall "All Locations" rating.

==== Rating Detail Section ====
Your rating detail section has a list of all Feedback you have received. You can use the filters to show only specific restaurant locations (if you have multiple locations) or order types if you want to look for specific feedback. The detail list includes all of the feedback received from the customer as part of their feedback.

If you would like to address poor feedback (or reward positive feedback), you can drill into any individual feedback item by clicking on the magnifying glass.

== Customer Rating Detail Page ==
When you drill into the customer feedback you will get a clearer view of the customer feedback as well as links to view the Order and the Customer Loyalty data.
[[File:Customer Feedback Detail Screen.png|none|thumb|600x600px]]
You can easily review the detail including comments left, or use the buttons at the top to view the Order Details on the order screen, or to view the Customer Loyalty details for this customer through the [[Customer Loyalty Report and Coupons|Customer Loyalty]] functionality (where you can choose to send a Loyalty Coupon to the customer instantly to help address problems).

== Email Notifications ==
In addition to having this data available to you in the summary list view, you will receive an email every time a customer sends you feedback through the system. If the feedback is negative it will be marked with high importance. You will also have a link to the feedback page from that email to allow you to quickly address any feedback you receive.

File:Customer Feedback Detail Screen.png

2025-02-27T02:17:27Z

Administrator:

Customer Feedback Detail Screen

File:Customer Feedback Summary Page.png

2025-02-27T02:05:07Z

Administrator:

Customer Feedback Summary Page

File:Customer Feedback menu heading.png

2025-02-27T02:01:53Z

Administrator:

Customer Feedback menu heading

Customer Feedback

2025-02-27T01:58:46Z

Administrator: