Create a Digital Menu – Step by Step

Before you begin adding items, a little preparation pays off. Gathering your content in advance lets you build the digital menu far more quickly and avoids gaps later on. No technical knowledge is required – you simply need your dishes and a few basic details.

• An up-to-date list of all dishes and drinks with their prices
• The ingredients per dish, so you can assign allergens correctly
• Any existing photos of your dishes in good resolution
• A free gastronomx account (start without a credit card)

Once these basics are in place, you can build the menu quickly. A tip: start with your classics and add seasonal or special dishes later – the menu can be extended at any time.

A clear structure helps your guests find their way quickly. Organise your dishes into intuitive categories that follow the order of a visit. That way the menu naturally guides the eye from the starter through to dessert.

Setting up sensible categories

• Starters and small dishes to share
• Main courses, grouped by meat, fish and vegetarian
• Sides and salads
• Desserts as well as hot and cold drinks

Keep the number of categories manageable. Too many sections make orientation harder, while a well-considered structure leads your guests confidently through the offering.

This step-by-step guide takes you from a blank slate to a published, mobile-tested menu. With gastronomx you maintain each dish only once – description, price, photo and allergens – and the mobile menu, the QR code and the language variants are generated automatically.

1. 1Create your categories first, so you can sort the dishes correctly from the start.
2. 2Add each dish with its name, a short description and a price.
3. 3Where possible, add a photo per dish, which is automatically optimised for the mobile view.
4. 4Assign each dish the relevant ones of the 14 main allergens in line with food labelling rules.
5. 5Review the order of categories and dishes and adjust it where needed.
6. 6Generate the QR code, which points straight to your published menu.
7. 7Publish the menu and finally test it on a smartphone.

Because you maintain each piece of information in one place, the mobile view, QR code and language variants stay consistent at all times. If a price changes, a single edit is enough – everywhere.

Good descriptions whet the appetite and answer questions before they arise. Stay concrete, name the key ingredients and the preparation, and avoid empty superlatives. One or two lines per dish are usually enough.

• Name the defining ingredients and sides, such as sauce, vegetables or a filling accompaniment
• Highlight special features, for example house-made, regional or spicy
• Use a consistent tone and spelling across the whole menu
• Set prices clearly and without extra charges that only appear later

With prices, pay attention to a uniform format. A consistent presentation looks professional and builds trust – especially on the small display of a smartphone.

Photos are optional, but they noticeably increase the appeal of a dish. Use them selectively for your signature items and pay attention to good light and a calm background. gastronomx automatically optimises the images for the mobile display.

Labelling the 14 allergens correctly

Labelling the 14 main allergens in line with food information rules is one of your obligations. Assign each dish its relevant allergens conscientiously – this creates safety for your guests and makes questions easier for your service team. In the digital menu, the details appear right next to each dish.

Finally, publish the menu and generate the QR code. Print it for tables, the entrance or a display stand, then scan it yourself with a smartphone to check legibility, order and language switching.