Core Functions. Dinerware User Guide

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Core Functions

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Information in this document is subject to change without notice. The names of companies, products, people, characters, and/or data mentioned herein are fictitious and are in no way intended to represent any real individual, company, product, or event, unless otherwise noted. Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without the express written permission of Dinerware Corporation. If, however, your only means of access is electronic, permission to print one copy is hereby granted.

Dinerware may have patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights covering subject matter in this document. Except as expressly provided in any written license agreement from Dinerware, the furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property.

Microsoft, Intel, Epson, Lynkys, Netgear, D-Link, Elo, Microtouch, Verifone Active Charge, PC-Charge and any other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

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Welcome to Dinerware

Welcome to the Dinerware User Guide. This guide will show you how to use Dinerware features to accomplish all of your restaurant manager tasks as well as individual server tasks.

Dinerware is intuitive, forgiving, and easy to use. There is often more than one way to accomplish your tasks, and sometimes the best way to learn what works best for you is to experiment. This manual will offer you several methods of accomplishing a particular task. We recommend that you read about and try the different methods, and choose the one you like best. Any time a business adopts a new system, there will be a period of

adjustment. The Dinerware POS system has many powerful capabilities and it may take some time before you are using the software to its fullest. Anything you do with the system can be un-done quickly so there is no harm in experimenting.

Your Dinerware reseller can help you to adopt the most effective strategy for integrating the new system into your business.

Have fun with your new Dinerware system! As always, if you cannot find the information you need in this manual, contact your reseller, or visit us at www.dinerware.com.

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Hardware Requirements

This section is intended as a reference guide. Your Dinerware reseller will provide you with all necessary equipment to get your system installed and working.

CPU

Dinerware requires the following minimum specifications for each computer on the network that will act only as an order entry station:

Minimum Recommended

700 mhz Intel® Celeron processor 2Ghz Celeron processor

256MB RAM 1G RAM

2 serial ports Same

20G Hard disk drive Same

Windows XP or Embedded Same

For the primary or ―Brain‖ computer, the specification will be higher than those above:

Minimum Recommended

2Ghz Intel® Pentium 4 2.8Ghz Pentium 4

512MB RAM 2G RAM

2 serial ports Same

20G Hard disk drive Same

Windows XP or Embedded Windows XP Professional

Network

Dinerware works with widely available standard Ethernet equipment. Most PCs come pre-configured with appropriate network cards and protocols for Dinerware.

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Dinerware requires the following network configuration:

 One Broadband Router, such as Linksys®, Netgear® or D-Link® with a

minimum of four ports must be present when two or more stations are installed.

 Standard Ethernet network cards for each computer.

 Wireless Ethernet (802.11x) may work in limited capacity, provided you

have low interference. We do not recommend that you use it as your primary solution.

 Each PC must have the ―TCP/IP‖ protocol installed. This is the protocol

used by the Internet, and is installed by default with Windows.

Touch Screens

Dinerware works with standard touch screens from Elo®, Microtouch®, and

a variety of other manufacturers.

Please remember the following things when you are buying a touch screen:

 All screens must support 1024x768 resolution.

 Most 12‖ LCD panels are NOT 1024x768, in spite of what a salesperson

may tell you; so be sure about what you are ordering. To get 1024x768, you will usually have to purchase a 14‖ or bigger LCD panel.

Printers

Dinerware is tested to work with Epson®-compatible printers, such as the

Epson TM-88 receipt printer and the Epson U-220 dot-matrix kitchen printer. The Epson TM-88 is quiet, fast, reliable, and inexpensive. Dinerware recommends the Epson U220 impact printer for kitchen printing. Dinerware may be compatible with other printers but only Epson printers are certified to work with Dinerware.

Cash Drawers

Cash drawers must attach directly to receipt printers with a special cable available from the cash drawer manufacturer. Two cash drawers may be connected to each printer using a splitter box.

Dinerware does not support serial or parallel cash drawers.

Magnetic Card Readers

Magnetic card readers must be ―keyboard wedge‖ or USB. USB card readers must emulate a keyboard device. Card readers are only necessary for

integrated credit card processing or user authentication. If you are located in an area where broadband is not available or reliable, use a standalone credit card processing system.

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Installing Dinerware

This section is provided for reference. Your Dinerware reseller will perform software installation.

Dinerware actually consists of three applications that run simultaneously.

 The Workstation program is the main program that your employees will

see. The Workstation program is installed on all machines that will be used for ticket handling or management functions.

 The Brain program does all the work, accepting requests from the

Workstations, and storing results in the database. The Brain must only be running on a single computer on your network.

 The Database is a program that runs in the background on the same

computer as the Brain. All of your restaurant data is stored in the

database. Dinerware uses a ―SQL‖ database, which is considered the state of the art in reliable database technology.

Because Dinerware uses a SQL database, you can connect to it and bring live data into outside applications such as Microsoft Excel or Word. This is very easy to do; however, Dinerware cannot provide customer support for this activity.

Figure 1: Dinerware Software Diagram

Internet SQL Server Master Print Queues Active Charge X M L

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Installing the Brain Software

The Brain and the associated database are installed and run on only one computer in your restaurant. In other words, you will run the Brain on your primary computer, and link the Workstations to that computer.

Even though Dinerware is designed to be highly resistant to power failure, it‘s still a good idea to invest in an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) for the primary or ―Brain‖ computer, and to back up the contents of the hard drive nightly using a tape backup, zip disk, or other external backup device. Your Dinerware representative can assist in providing a backup strategy.  To install the Brain software

1. Choose a computer that will be the ―Brain‖ machine.

2. Insert the CD or transfer the file ―Dinerware.exe‖ to the computer you have chosen. The Dinerware setup file can be found at

http://www.dinerware.net/download/dinerware.exe.

3. Once the file is copied to the computer, Double-Click ―Dinerware.exe‖ to start the installation.

4. Follow the instructions on the screen, making sure you choose to install the component called ―Brain.‖

The Dinerware installer may download and install several

additional required components, including the Microsoft .net framework, Microsoft MSDE, and the reporting engine.

It is a good idea to allow the installer to install all components.

Installing the Workstation Software

Once you have installed the Brain, it is time to install the Workstation software on all of the computers you will use for ticket entry and management functions.

 To install the Workstation software

1. Insert the CD or transfer the file ―Dinerware.exe‖ to the computer. 2. Double-Click ―Dinerware.exe‖ to start the installation.

3. Follow the instructions, making sure you choose to install the component called Workstation. It is OK to install the other components as well, but it is important that the Brain software runs on only one computer.

Tip

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Starting the Dinerware Software

Once installation has been completed, starting the Dinerware software is a two step process. First you start the Brain, and then you start the

Workstation.

 To start the Brain

1. From the Windows Desktop, double-click the Dinerware Brain icon. 2. A Dinerware window will appear, displaying the status of the startup

process.

3. You can minimize this window, and then continue with starting the Workstation software.

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 To start the Workstation

1. From the Windows Desktop, double-click the Dinerware Workstation icon.

2. The Dinerware Welcome screen will appear.

3. You are ready to begin using Dinerware.

Installing and Managing Printers

Printing is one of the most important features of your Dinerware system, and Dinerware has very flexible and powerful printing capabilities. You will use printers to make guest checks, credit card receipts, customer receipts, and to print orders in the kitchen, at the bar, or at an expediter station.

Printers are attached to the serial communications port (otherwise known as COM ports) on any computer in your restaurant, so you can minimize cable lengths by attaching them to a conveniently located computer.

In larger systems, or where a cable run is necessarily long, your remote printers may be installed as Ethernet devices. This means that your printers are members of the network alongside your computers. The print queue for an Ethernet printer is serviced by a workstation, just as with a serial printer.  To install a Serial Printer

1. Choose a computer to host the printer, and make sure it is properly powered off.

2. Plug the printer into an available serial port. Usually, your touch screen will use the serial port attached to the motherboard (COM1), and a printer can use the second (COM2).

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3. Turn on the computer.

4. Start the Dinerware Workstation program.  To make Dinerware recognize the Printer 1. From the Manager screen, choose Printers.

2. If you have already created a printer in the Master List, simply choose the printer, and then choose Adopt to make this workstation send jobs from the queue to this physical printer. Otherwise, you will need to create the printer in the Master List and then adopt it at this workstation.

 To create a new Printer in the Master List 1. From the Manager screen, choose Printers.

2. On the Printer Setup screen, choose New. A screen called ―Edit a Printer in the Master List‖ will appear.

3. Name the Printer. When the printer is active, a checkmark will appear in the ―Active‖ box.

4. Choose OK. The newly named printer will appear on the Printer Setup list.

5. Choose the new printer from the list. 6. Choose Adopt.

7. Enter the information, including the COM Port to be used. To make the printer the local receipt printer, be sure to check the appropriate box in the Adopt dialog.

If you experience printer problems, you can easily adopt a master printer at a different workstation to temporarily work around any

difficulties. Any printer in the system may be deactivated and its print jobs assigned to another printer.

 To Adopt a Printer at a workstation 1. From the Manager screen, choose Printers. 2. Select the printer from the list.

3. Choose Adopt.

4. Check the appropriate settings. Be sure you have checked ―Adopt printer at this computer‖

5. Choose ―Test Print‖ to check for basic connectivity

If you do not get a test print, you will not get any other prints. If the test print does not work, check the connection and adoption settings. Tip

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Removing a Printer from the Master List

If you no longer wish to create jobs for a particular printer, deactivate it.  To deactivate a Printer

1. From the Manager screen, choose Printers.

2. On the Printer Setup screen, select the printer you wish to remove from use.

A screen called ―Edit a Printer in the Master List‖ will appear. 3. Choose Edit.

4. Click on the checkmark in the ―Active‖ box.

When the printer is inactive, there will not be a checkmark in this box. 5. Choose OK.

The newly removed printer will no longer appear on the ―Show Active‖ list.

To view inactive printers, choose the ―Show All‖ button at the bottom of the page.

 To reactivate a deactivated Printer 1. From the Manager screen, choose Printers.

2. Choose Show All at the bottom of the Printer Setup screen. 3. Select the printer you wish to return to use.

A screen called ―Edit a Printer in the Master List‖ will appear. 4. Choose Edit.

5. Click on the checkmark in the ―Active‖ box.

When the printer is active, there will be a checkmark in this box. 6. Choose OK.

The newly removed printer will now appear on the ―Show Active‖ list.

Master and Physical Printers, and Adoption

A Physical Printer is what it says on the box, so to speak: a printer that is connected to a computer or the network, which can print orders for food and beverage, and possibly slips for the Customer, such as Guest Checks,

Receipts, and Credit Card slips. The Physical Printer controls:

 How the printer is physically connected to your Dinerware system.  Physical characteristics of the Printer, such as paper cutter and attached

cash drawers.

 The model of Epson in use. This affects where the paper will be cut after

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A Master Printer is a software ―placeholder‖ for the Physical Printer. You create a Master Printer in order to tell Dinerware that you intend to print orders or slips. The Master Printer controls:

 How prints are formatted.

 Which employees may use the printer.

 Which items will be sent to the printer when ordered.

 How any cash drawers attached to the physical printer will be identified.

The master printer includes a print queue. Orders for food and beverage are sent to the queue, where they remain until they are retrieved and sent to the physical printer which is adopted to the master printer.

For each master printer that is enqueuing orders, it is important to adopt that master printer at only one workstation in the system. That workstation will service the master printer queue, retrieving jobs and sending them along to the adopted physical printer.

Sometimes, it is desirable to assign two master printers to the same physical printer, in case the printer is performing two roles. For example, you may want to assign the same printer to print jobs by seat position for the Expediter, and a condensed version by Item Group for the chef. You do this by assigning menu items to print at the appropriate master printer. Then adopt the master printer to the COM port or IP address where the appropriate physical computer is plugged in, using the Adopt function.  To create a new master printer in the master list

1. From the Manager screen, choose Printers. 2. On the Printer Setup screen, choose New.

A screen called ―Edit a Printer in the Master List‖ will appear. 3. Name the Printer.

4. Choose OK.

The newly named printer will appear on the Printer Setup list when the ―View All‖ option is selected.

 To make a physical printer adopt a master printer’s print queue 1. From the Manager screen, choose Printers.

2. On the Printer Setup screen, select the master printer. 3. Choose Adopt.

A screen called ―Edit a Printer and Setup a Local Printer‖ will appear. 4. Select the location (COM port or IP address) where you want the actual

printing to occur.

a. Choose a location to which a working printer is connected. If you select a location to which no printer is connected, the print jobs will not print.

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b. When the printer has been adopted, a checkmark will appear in the ―Adopt‖ box.

c. All jobs from the selected master printer will now print at the selected location.

Always perform a Test Print before assuming a printer has been properly assigned/configured. The Test Print button is in the Adopt screen.

 To switch a master printer’s print orders to a different printer 1. From the Manager screen, choose Printers.

2. On the Printer Setup screen, select the master printer. 3. Choose Adopt.

A screen called ―Edit a Printer and Setup a Local Printer‖ will appear. 4. Change the location from the former physical printer‘s port to the new

physical printer‘s port.

Choose the COM port to which a working printer is connected. If you select a COM port to which no printer is connected, the print jobs will not print.

All jobs from the selected master printer will now print at the new location.

If the master printer was formerly adopted at a different computer, be sure to deactivate the old adoption setting at that computer. Otherwise, both computers will contend for the jobs in the queue.

Using Cash Drawers

Cash drawers are attached to a special receptacle on the back of a receipt printer. The cable is a special item, available from the cash drawer

manufacturer. Up to two cash drawers may be connected to any printer by using a splitter box available from your cash drawer vendor.

 To attach a Cash Drawer

1. Attach a printer to the com1puter that will operate the cash drawer. 2. Physically attach the cash drawer to this printer.

3. Go to the Printer management screen, and set up the printer.

Make sure you check the box to specify the printer as the local receipt printer.

Make sure to check the ―Cash Drawer‖ box.

In order for the cash drawer to open during Order Entry: 4. The user must have the Cash Drawer security privilege.

Important

If a printer malfunctions, it is easy to temporarily assign the jobs for the master printer to a different physical printer.

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5. The user must clock in at the station with the drawer and choose the

drawer during the clock-in process. It may be necessary for the user to

clock out and then clock in properly in order to use the drawer.

Be sure to try a test print to see if the cash drawer is properly attached. The test print exercises all of the features of the printer that you designate in the Adoption screen.

Credit Card Verification

Dinerware is designed to integrate with Mercury® Payment Systems. Mercury uses Internet Protocol (IP) processing and offers 2-second transactions, gift card processing, 24/7 technical support and online reporting. Contact Mercury at 800-846-4472 to set up an account.

If you wish to use a different credit card processor, Dinerware is also designed to work with Active-Charge® or PC-Charge® software from Verifone®, Inc. Verifone software must be purchased separately, and installed on the same computer as the Brain. Dinerware supports versions 5.7.1 and higher. Once your Verifone software is working properly with your merchant ID, modem, and processing network(s), you can set up Dinerware to authorize cards through your Verifone software.

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Using Dinerware‘s Manager Features

Most of the Dinerware features that you will need to manage your restaurant business are located on the Manager screen.

All of the administrative functions you‘ll need will also be accessed through the Manager screen. You can decide who has access to the various

administrative functions and establish individual PIN codes for your staff. Looking at the Manager screen, you‘ll see a list of buttons that when touched will lead you to:

 The Menu screen, which allows you to set up and control your onscreen

menu.

 The Employees screen, which allows you to manage information about

your employees.

 The Jobs screen, which allows you to set up jobs for your employees.  The Sections screen, which allows you to define the sections of your

restaurant.

 The Discounts screen, which allows you to set up happy hours, coupons,

employee discounts, and other discounts.

 The Voids screen, which allows you to establish particular reasons allowed

at your establishment for voiding tickets or menu items.

 The Advanced screen, which allows you to create custom menus, discount

and table area sets.

 The Daily screen, which allows you to set a ―message of the day,‖ run

daily reports and perform tasks such as setting up Fresh Sheets.

 The Tickets screen, which allows you to see all open tickets reopen closed

tickets.

 The Labor screen, which allows you to manage time clocks and tips.  The Reports screen, which allows you to track your business.  The System screen, which allows you to set up receipt headers, set

automatic gratuities, and business hours.

 The Printers screen, which allows you to set up and name printers and

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Accessing the Manager Screen

As you can see from the list above, your main access point to the restaurant-manager features of Dinerware will be the Manager screen.

 To access the Manager screen 1. Type in your PIN number to log in.

The Order Entry screen will appear.

2. In the upper right corner, click on the green and blue pencil marked ―Manager.‖

If your system is set up to restrict access to the administrative functions, a box labeled ―Enter Manager PIN‖ will appear.

3. Enter your PIN.

4. The Manager screen will appear.

Setting a Message of the Day

Now that you‘re at the Manager screen, you‘re ready to get started setting up your restaurant menu. But first, we‘ll show you how easy it is to perform your first manager task using Dinerware. Let‘s set a ―Message of the Day‖ for your employees. When your employees log in, they‘ll be greeted by your message. Be creative -- this is your opportunity to spread sunshine, wisdom, or wit to all of your employees!

The Message of the Day will appear on the Main screen. Keep in mind that customers as well as employees may be able to read the message if your screens are prominently placed.

 To set a new Message of the Day 1. From the Manager screen, choose Daily.

2. Click the ―Message of the Day‖ box on the right hand side of the screen. 3. Edit the text box on the Manager screen to set the message that will

appear to all employees on the login screen.

4. Now you‘re ready to continue customizing Dinerware to run your business!

You may set up your system so that only users with the proper PIN codes will be allowed to proceed to the Manager screen. For instructions on how to limit access to

confidential information, please see Security.

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Setting Up Your Menu

This section describes how to set up your own restaurant menu in Dinerware. This process is a little time-consuming, but you only need to do it once. Once you have set up your menu, you can add to it or change it in minutes.

We recommend you read this entire section to get a feel for how the system works, before you enter any items.

Before you begin setting up your menu, it is good to understand how

Dinerware organizes a restaurant menu into working pieces. You will find the Menu functions organized as follows:

 Screen Categories, where you determine how Menu Items appear on the

Order Entry screen.

 Item Groups, where you group together Menu Items for pricing,

reporting, and course firing.

 Menu Items, where you enter each of the actual items that you offer from

your restaurant menu.

 Choice Sets, where you group together sets of choices for ease of

assigning them to individual Menu Items.

 Choices, where you list choices your customers have for individual Menu

Items.

 Revenue Classes, where you assign Menu Items to appropriate groupings

for accounting and tax purposes.

 Taxes, where you set your appropriate tax rates to Revenue Classes and

individual Menu Items.

Consider having a copy of your printed

restaurant menu accessible while you’re reading this section, and taking notes on ideas you have for entering your menu into the Dinerware system.

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Note in the Edit Menu screen below, the hierarchy scheme for creating menu items. Follow the lines connected to the Menu Items button. Each category connected to the Menu Items needs to be completed before adding menu items.

Setting up Screen Categories

Screen Categories help you to group together Menu Items so that they appear in a logical order on the Order Entry screen.

You can create any Screen Categories that make sense for your restaurant. You may want to follow your printed menu as a guideline for creating Screen Categories. For example, if your printed menu has sections for Beverages, Appetizers, Sandwiches, Entrees, and Desserts, then these would make sense as Screen Categories. If your business is an espresso bar and you sell many categories of beverages, then setting up Screen Categories for each beverage type might make more sense. For example, you might have espresso drinks, drip coffees, hot teas, and cold teas, all as individual Screen Categories. After you create Screen Categories, and then you will create Menu Items, starting with Choice Sets and their Choices. Finally, you will assign Menu Items to the appropriate Screen Category. Creating Menu Items is covered in a later section.

 To create a new Screen Category 1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu. 2. Choose Screen Categories.

3. Choose New.

4. Enter the new category name.

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 To edit an existing Screen Category 1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu. 2. Choose Screen Categories.

3. Choose Edit.

4. Change the old category name to the new category name. 5. Make sure that there is a checkmark in the ―Active‖ box.

Assigning Menu Items to Screen Categories

Once you have created your Screen Categories and Menu Items (see Creating Menu Items, later in this section) you are ready to decide where particular Menu Items appear on the screen. You do this by assigning Menu Items to the proper categories. A Menu Item can belong to multiple Screen

Categories.

 To add Menu Items to a Screen Category 1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu. 2. Choose Screen Categories.

3. Select the Screen Category to which you will be assigning the Menu Items. A list of items in the category will appear at the bottom of the screen. You may scroll through the items.

4. Choose Items in Category.

Menu Items not already included in the selected category appear on the left side of the screen.

Menu Items already included in the selected category appear on the right side of the screen.

5. From the ―Items not in Category‖ list, select the Menu Item you want to add to the Screen Category.

6. Use the arrows between the ―Items Not in Category‖ and ―Items in Category‖ lists to move a Menu Item onto the Items in Category list. When you return to the Order Entry screen, the item you added will appear when the assigned Screen Category is selected.

 To remove Menu Items from a Screen Category 1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu.

2. Choose Screen Categories.

3. Select the Screen Category that contains the Menu Items you want to remove.

4. Choose Items in Category.

Menu Items not already included in the selected category appear on the left side of the screen.

Menu Items already included in the selected category appear on the right side of the screen.

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5. From the ―Items in Category‖ list, select the Menu Item you want to remove from the Screen Category.

6. Use the arrows between the ―Items Not in Category‖ and ―Items in Category‖ lists to remove a Menu Item from the Items in Category list. When you return to the Order Entry screen, the item you have removed will no longer appear when the assigned Screen Category is selected.

Changing the order of Menu Items on the Order Entry

Screen

The Screen Categories screen controls the order in which groups of Menu Items appear on the Order Entry screen, while the Item Groups screen controls the order in which Menu Items are printed on the kitchen and bar printers.

It is very easy to change the order of individual Menu Items within each Screen Category.

 To change the order of Menu Items on the order entry screen 1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu.

2. Choose Screen Categories.

3. Select the Screen Category to which you will be assigning the Menu Items. A list of items in the category will appear at the bottom of the screen. You may scroll through the items.

4. Select ―Items in Category.‖

Menu Items not already included in the selected category appear on the left side of the screen. Menu Items already included in the selected category appear on the right side of the screen.

5. On the ―Items in Category‖ list on the right side of the screen, select the Menu Item you want to move.

How the items are listed here is how they will appear on the Order Entry screen.

Viewing Menu Items in a Screen Category

There are three ways to find out how Menu Items are listed in a Screen Category:

1. Check the Order Entry screen. Click on the category you wish to view. Buttons for each item within the category will appear on the right side of the screen.

2. Check the Screen Categories screen. When you select a category, a list of items in the category will appear at the bottom of the screen. You may scroll through the items.

3. Check the Items in Category screen. On the Screen Categories screen, select the category you wish to view and then click on ―Items in

Category.‖ A list of items in the selected category will appear on the right side of the screen.

Screen Categories are listed top to bottom on the Order Entry screen in the same order as they are listed on the Screen Categories screen. If you want to change the order on the Order Entry screen, simply change the order on the Screen

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Activating and Deactivating Screen Categories

If a Screen Category no longer fits your needs, you may remove it so that it does not appear on the Order Entry screen.

For example, you may have a group of iced drinks that are served only in summer. In the winter, when they are not served, keeping this category would only clutter the Order Entry screen. To remove the iced drinks category, you deactivate it.

A deactivated Screen Category remains on the Dinerware system, so that it is easy to reactivate it later. A Screen Category must be active in order to appear on the Order Entry screen.

There are two ways to deactivate a Screen Category:  To remove a screen category from use 1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu. 2. Choose Screen Categories.

3. Select the category you wish to remove.

4. Choose the ―Deactivate‖ button in the upper right corner of the screen. The deactivated Screen Category will no longer appear on the ―View Active‖ list or the Order Entry screen. It will still appear on the ―View All‖ list.

- OR -

1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu. 2. Choose Screen Categories.

3. Select the category you wish to remove. 4. Choose Edit.

5. Click on the checkmark in the ―Active‖ box. When you do this, the checkmark will disappear.

The deactivated Screen Category will no longer appear on the ―View Active‖ list or the Order Entry screen. It will still appear on the ―View All‖ list.

When you want to make a Screen Category appear again on the Order Entry screen, you need to reactivate it. There are two ways of activating a Screen Category:

 To reactivate a screen category

3. Choose the ―View All‖ button in the upper right corner of the screen. 4. Select the category you wish to reactivate.

In Dinerware, nothing is ever deleted. If your menu changes seasonally, you can simply Activate and Deactivate individual menu items, or entire Screen Categories as necessary. In most lists, you can choose to “View Active” or “View All” to see items that have been deactivated.

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5. Choose the ―Activate‖ button in the upper right corner of the screen. The reactivated Screen Category will now appear on both the ―View Active‖ and the ―View All‖ lists, as well as on the Order Entry screen. - OR -

3. Choose the ―View All‖ button in the upper right corner of the screen. 4. Select the category you wish to reactivate.

5. Choose Edit.

6. Choose the ―Active‖ box. When you do this, a checkmark will appear. The reactivated Screen Category will now appear on both the ―View Active‖ and the ―View All‖ lists, as well as on the Order Entry screen.

Using Item Groups

An Item Group is a collection of Menu Items with similar attributes. Using Item Groups makes it easy to work with groups of Menu Items for tasks such as price changing, sales tracking and applying discounts automatically. Another advantage of using Item Groups is course firing, since orders can be printed in the kitchen in Item Group order. By arranging your Item Groups in course order on the Item Group list, you can make orders print out in the order that they will be served. See Also ―Using Menu Items for Course Firing‖ for another method.

To set up an Item Group, you need to decide what Menu Items belong together. Examples of Item Groups might include Appetizers, Domestic Beers, Glass Wine, Bottle Wine, and Salads.

 To create a new Item Group

1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu. 2. Choose Item Groups.

3. Choose New.

4. Type in a name for the Item Group and a price for items in that group.  To create a new Menu Item and add it to an Item Group

1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu. 2. Choose Menu Items.

3. Choose New.

4. Enter information about the Menu Item.

5. Under ―Item Group,‖ select the appropriate Item Group for the Menu Item.

6. Click OK to make the change.

Since orders print in Item Group order, it is a good idea to create your Item Groups in course order. That way, orders will print on the kitchen printers in course order.

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 To assign an already existing Menu Item to an Item Group 1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu.

2. Choose Menu Items.

3. Choose an Item Name from the Item Names list. 4. Choose Edit.

5. Choose the appropriate Item Group for the Menu Item. 6. Click OK to make the change.

Always assign a Menu Item to an Item Group. Even if different menu items in the same category all have unique prices, belonging to an Item Group makes reporting more manageable and gives you better insight on how your restaurant is functioning.

Setting Item Group Prices

When you set up an Item Group, you can set a default price for all of the Menu Items within that group. If you later want to alter the default price, you can simply edit it on the Edit Item Group screen.

If you want to change the price of a single Menu Item within the Item Group, you do not need to assign it to new Item Group. Instead, you may keep it within the same Item Group and set a unique price for that individual item.

 To create a new Item Group with a standard default price 1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu.

2. Choose Item Group. 3. Choose New.

4. Enter information about the new Item Group:  Name the Item Group.

 Enter a default price in the ―Price of Items in this Group‖ box.  Remember to assign the desired Menu Items to the new Item Group.  To change the default price for an Item Group

1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu. 2. Choose Item Group.

3. Select the Item Group whose default price you wish to change. 4. Choose Edit.

5. Change the default price in the Price of Items in this Group box. 6. Click OK to make the change.

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Changing the Price of an Item

If you want to change the price of one menu item, you do not need to assign it to a new Item Group. Instead, you may keep it within the same Item Group, but set a new price for that individual item.

For example, all of your appetizers may have originally been priced $7.00, but the cost of the ingredients in the artichoke dip have risen, so you want to charge $8.00 for the artichoke dip. Simply change the price of the artichoke dip from the default price for the appetizer Item Group ($7.00) to a unique price ($8.00), as detailed in the steps below.

 To edit the price of a single Menu Item within an Item Group 1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu.

3. Select the Menu Item Name from the list on the screen. 4. Choose Edit.

5. Choose Item has a Unique Price. A checkmark will appear in the box. 6. Enter the unique price for the Menu Item.

Even though the Menu Item is still assigned to an Item Group, it will be priced at the price you just set, not at the default Item Group price. 7. Click OK to save the change.

Example: Price all your bar snacks the same

Item Groups are used to make it easier to price an entire category of Menu Items. Instead of entering an individual price for each Menu Item, you may set a price for the entire group, and then simply assign Menu Items to that group. This example shows you how to create a group of bar snacks, all priced the same.

 To price all your bar snacks the same 1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu. 2. Choose Item Group.

3. Choose New.

4. Create a new Item Group. Name the new group ―Bar Snacks,‖ and enter the appropriate price in the ―Price of Items in this Group‖ box.

5. Choose OK and return to the Menu screen. 6. Choose Menu Items.

7. Choose New to create a new Menu Item in the ―Bar Snacks‖ Item Group.

8. Name the new Menu Item Pretzels and enter information about pretzels. 9. Under Item Group select ―Bar Snacks.‖

The Pretzels Menu Item is now included in the Bar Snacks Item Group, and are priced at the default price.

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10. Choose OK and return to the Menu Items screen.

11. Repeat steps 6-10 to continue adding new Menu Items to the Bar Snacks Item Group.

Example: Price domestic beers using Item Groups

The following examples walk you through creating an Item Group for your domestic beers and changing prices for the entire group or an individual beer.  To create a “Domestic Beers” item group with uniform pricing 1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu.

2. Choose Item Group. 3. Choose New.

4. Create a new Item Group. Name the new group ―Domestic Beers,‖ and enter the appropriate price in the ―Price of Items in this Group‖ box. 5. Choose OK and return to the Menu screen.

6. If you have not yet done so, create Menu Items for each of your domestic beers. If you already have created Menu Items for your domestic beers, then you add the Menu Items to the ―Domestic Beers‖ Item Group. All of the beers within the ―Domestic Beers‖ Item Group will now appear on the ticket with the same price unless you set a unique price for a particular beer.

 To set a unique price for domestic beer X within the “Domestic

Beers” item group

3. Select ―Domestic Beer X.‖ 4. Select ―Item has a Unique Price.‖

A checkmark will appear in the box.

5. Enter the desired price for Domestic Beer X.

Even though Domestic Beer X is assigned to the ―Domestic Beers‖ Item Group, it will be priced at the price you entered here, not at the default price for the ―Domestic Beers‖ Item Group.

If you want to change the price of your Domestic Beers, you can do it very quickly by using the Item Groups function.

 To raise or lower the price of all of your domestic beers 1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu.

2. Choose Item Group.

3. Select ―Domestic Beers‖ from Item Groups list. 4. Enter a new price for all domestic beers.

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Remember, once you have created the ―Domestic Beers‖ Item Group, you will need to assign the domestic beer Menu Items to it.

 To assign a new beer to the “Domestic Beers” item group 1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu.

2. Choose Menu Items. 3. Choose New.

4. Enter information about the new domestic beer. 5. Under ―Item Group,‖ select ―Domestic Beers.‖

 To add an existing beer to the “Domestic Beers” item group 1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu.

3. Select the beer that you want to add to the ―Domestic Beers‖ Item Group.

4. Choose Edit.

5. Under ―Item Group,‖ select the ―Domestic Beers‖ Item Group.

Controlling Print Order with Item Groups

Menu Items are printed in the same order in which Item Groups appear on the Item Group list. In other words, if you arrange your Item Group list in the order Appetizers, Entrees, Desserts, orders will print at the kitchen printer in the order of first Appetizers, then Entrees, and then Desserts. To control the order of the Item Groups list, either create your Item Groups in course order or rearrange them, using the Item Groups screen.

Why is it important to control printing order? Most kitchen staffs typically want to see orders printed out in course order: Appetizers, Entrees, and Desserts. Therefore, you should create or edit your Item Groups so that they appear on the list in the order in which they will be served.

 To change the order in which Item Groups appear on the Item

Groups list

1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu. 2. Choose Item Group.

3. Select the Item Group you wish to move.

4. Use the ―Move Up‖ and ―Move down‖ buttons to change the order of Item Groups within the list.

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Creating Menu Items

Dinerware allows you to decide how and where any given menu item appears on your screen. It lets you organize them into Screen Categories, set

individual or category prices, designate where the order will be printed out, and display what choices are available for the item.

Dinerware is designed to make it easy for you to enter new Menu Items. You can speed up the menu entry process even more if you have the following information available when you sit down to create your menu:

 Item Group to which each Menu Item will belong and the price you plan

to charge for it

 Screen Category to which each Menu Item will belong  Name of each Menu Item

 Menu Item description (optional)

 Alternative Kitchen Print Name (optional) helpful in printing items in

another language (Roman characters)

 Cost of Menu Item to produce (optional)  The Choice Sets offered with each Menu Item  The Choices offered with each Menu Item

 The Revenue Class to which each Menu Item will belong  Applicable taxes, if any

 Printer(s) where the Menu Item orders should be sent

 The location where you would like the Menu Item to appear on the Order

Entry screen

Once you have gathered all of the above information, you‘ll be ready to create Menu Items in Dinerware.

 To create a new Menu Item

3. Choose New.

4. Enter information for the item. This may include an item name and description, alternative kitchen name, the Item Group and Screen Category it belongs to, price, revenue class, printer choice, and any available choice set.

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 To create a Menu Item with a unique price 1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu. 2. Choose Menu Items.

3. Choose New to create the new Menu Item. 4. Enter information about the new Menu Item. 5. Choose ―Item has a Unique Price.‖

6. Enter the desired price for the Menu Item.  To edit an existing Menu Item

3. Choose Edit.

When to Create a Menu Item and When to Create a Choice In general, a Menu Item is an item that may be ordered from the menu independently, with or without a making a Choice. In fact, most Menu Items can be ordered without an associated Choice. (However, you may set up the Menu Items so that certain choices must be made. See Optional and Forced Choices for more information).

A Choice is a specific option available to modify a given Menu Item. A Choice is never ordered without an associated Menu Item. However, if you want to be able to place an order for something without ordering another Menu Item, create the item as a Menu Item. If an item necessarily comes with a Menu Item, then create it as a Choice. You could also have items in both categories.

Example: Should a small green salad be a Choice or a Menu Item? If your restaurant serves identical small green salads as both a side to an entree and as an individual item, then you should create two different small green salads: one as a Choice (associated with the entrée) and one as a Menu Item.

Creating Daily Specials

Dinerware allows you great flexibility in managing your specials. You can set up your Daily Specials in several different ways:

 Create a generic Daily Special Menu Item with a fixed price (see below).

The Daily Special Menu Item then would appear as ―Daily Special‖ on the Order Entry screen, and your servers could simply remember what the daily special is.

 Create a specific new daily special Menu Item for each day‘s special, in the

same way you would create any other Menu Item.

 Create a generic ―Daily Special‖ Discount on the Discount list with a

forced price discount. Then your servers may apply the discount to whatever happens to be the daily special on a given day.

 Create a specific new daily special Discount for each day‘s special.

Menu Items may be created with an individual price, using the Edit Menu Item screen. However, do assign each Menu Item to an Item Group, for ease of course firing.

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It may save you time to create a generic ―Daily Special‖ Menu Item with a fixed price. That way, a Menu Item named ―Daily Special‖ will always appear on the Ticket screen‘s Menu list. Your staff can then describe the daily special to the customer, touch ―Daily Special‖ on the menu, and the order will be sent to the kitchen designated as ―Daily Special.‖

 To create a generic “Daily Special” Menu Item 1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu.

2. Choose Menu Items. 3. Choose New. 4. Enter information:

a. Name the item ―Daily Special.‖

b. Assign it to the proper Screen Category, Item Group, Revenue Class, and Printer.

c. Select the Choice Sets that generally go with your entrees, if you desire. 5. If you want the ―Daily Special‖ to be priced at the same rate as its Item

Group, you need not enter a unique price.

6. If you want the ―Daily Special‖ to have a specific preset price, click on the ―Item has a unique price‖ box and enter the price.

Designating Where Orders are Printed

A single order may be sent to as many printers as required. For instance, if a customer orders a steak with a side salad and a glass of red wine, you can set up the system so that the steak order prints on the kitchen printer, the salad order prints on the cold side printer, and the red wine is printed on the bar printer. (For further instructions on how to set up printers, see Installing and Managing Printers).

You may designate the proper printer for any given Menu Item when you create a menu item, or you may edit it later.

 To designate a printer for a particular Menu Item 1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu.

2. Choose Menu Items. 3. Choose New.

4. Enter desired information about new Menu Item.

5. Under ―Select Printer‖ on the right side of the screen, select the desired printer location for the item.

 To select a printer using Choice Sets 1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu. 2. Choose Choices.

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4. Choose New.

5. Enter information about available choices for the new Menu Item. 6. Make selection under ―Print on these printers‖ on right-hand side of

screen.

 To change a printer for a particular Menu Item 1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu.

3. Select the item you wish to reroute to a different printer. 4. Choose Edit.

5. Under ―Select Printer‖ on the right side of the screen, select the desired printer location for the item.

- OR –

1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu. 2. Choose Choices.

3. Select item you wish to send to a different printer. 4. Choose Edit.

5. Change selection under ―Print on these printers.‖

Using Menu Items for Course Firing

If you have printed the entire order of several courses to the kitchen, you will need to notify the kitchen when it is time to fire the next course. You can do this easily by creating a hidden menu item.

 To set up course firing using Menu Items 1. Create a new Menu Item using the procedure above.

Call the menu item something meaningful and noticeable, such as ―======= FIRE COURSE.‖

2. Assign the menu item to the appropriate printer(s).

3. Check the box that says ―Do not print on customer receipts.‖ This will prevent the item from appearing on the guest check.

4. Assign the item to a convenient Screen Category. You may assign it to several different locations if desired.

When it is time to notify the kitchen, simply open the ticket, add the item anywhere, and choose OK.

Use Choices on your hidden menu item to create variations on the command or to print in red:

======== FIRE COURSE 2

There are two different ways to edit printer routing for an already existing Menu Item.

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Assigning Revenue Classes

Dinerware allows you assign Menu Items to Revenue Classes for tax and accounting purposes. Revenue Classes make it easier to track reportable stock.

Most Menu Items in the average restaurant fall into three Revenue Classes: Food, Beverage, and Alcohol. Because liquor is taxed pretty much

everywhere, you may designate whether a Revenue Class contains liquor or not on the Edit Revenue Class screen.

Revenue Classes are groups of Menu Items with similar tax requirements, such as Food, Beer, Wine, Liquor, and Gift Certificates

Because tax rates vary from region to region, Dinerware does not ship with specific tax information. You are responsible for knowledge of tax law in your locale.

Set up your Revenue Classes before you enter menu items. You must assign each item to a Revenue Class.

 To create a new revenue class

1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu. 2. Choose Revenue Class.

3. Choose New.

4. Name the Revenue Class (e.g., Alcohol).

5. If the Revenue Class contains liquor, check the ―Class is Liquor for tax purposes‖ box.

 To assign a new Menu Item to a revenue class 1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu.

2. Choose Menu Items. 3. Select New.

4. Create a new Menu Item.

5. Under ―Revenue Class,‖ select the proper Revenue Class. If the proper Revenue Class does not appear on the list, create it.

6. Choose OK.

 To assign an existing Menu Item to a revenue class 1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu.

3. Select the Menu Item you wish to add to a Revenue Class. 4. Choose Edit.

5. Under ―Revenue Class,‖ select the proper Revenue Class. If the proper Revenue Class does not appear on the list, create it.

Revenue Classes are the way to get a broad overview of your sales performance.

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Working with Taxes

You use the Taxes function to apply applicable taxes to Revenue Classes or individual Menu Items.

Once Menu Items are assigned to a Revenue Class, you may simply set taxes for the whole Class in one step.

Menu Items may also be taxed individually.

Creating a New Tax

Before you can assign a tax to a Revenue Class or a Menu Item, you must first create it, using the Menu, Revenue, and Tax Setup screen. Dinerware has many powerful capabilities with regard to taxes. Be sure to test your tax setup thoroughly, and understand how your particular taxes are reported.

Consult your tax advisor to learn what taxes are required in your area  To create a new tax

1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu. 2. Choose Taxes.

3. Choose New.

4. Name the tax (e.g., ―Washington State Liquor Tax‖). 5. Enter the amount of the tax and specify how it is applied. 6. Select the appropriate boxes to specify whether the tax is:

 A percentage of the price OR  A flat fee

7. To link the tax to specific Menu Items, select the appropriate boxes on the ―Items‖ list.

8. To link the tax to Revenue Classes, select the appropriate boxes on the ―Revenue Classes‖ list on the far right.

Assigning a Tax to a Revenue Class

In most areas, alcohol sales and food sales are taxed at different rates. Use the Taxes and Revenue Class functions to track your sales of differently taxed groups.

By linking a Tax to a Revenue Class, you can apply that Tax to all Menu Items linked to that Revenue Class in a single simple step.

Consult your tax advisor to learn what taxes are required in your area.  To assign a tax to a revenue class

1. Log in and go to the Manager screen. 2. Choose Menu.

3. Choose ―Taxes.‖

You are responsible for finding out what taxes are necessary and proper in your area. Dinerware will not provide you with this information.

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4. Select the Tax you wish to assign to the Revenue Class. If the Tax you wish to assign does not yet exist, create it. 5. Choose Edit.

6. To link the tax to specific Menu Items, click on the appropriate boxes on the ―Items‖ list.

Setting Tax Rates for Individual Menu Items

Some Menu Items may have individual taxes associated with them.  To assign a tax to a specific Menu Item

1. Log in and go to the Manager screen. 2. Choose Menu.

3. Choose ―Taxes.‖

4. Select the Tax you wish to assign to the Menu Item. If the Tax you wish to assign does not yet exist, create it. 5. Choose Edit.

6. To link the tax to specific Menu Items, select the appropriate boxes on the ―Items‖ list.

Defining Choices

Dinerware allows you to control what Choice options appear when a Menu Item is selected on the Order Entry screen. A Choice is the option that appears on the Order Entry screen when a Menu Item is selected (e.g. Ranch Dressing), while a Choice Set is the collection of Choices available to

accompany any given Menu Item (e.g. Salad Dressings). Use the Choices screen to set up individual Choices within Choice Sets.

Choices are linked to specific Menu Items through Choice Sets. For a Choice to be available to be added to a Choice Set, the Choice must first be created, using the Choices screen.

You may set up a Choice to be optional, or you may make it mandatory. You may use the Price Modifier function if you need to charge extra to add a Choice to a Menu Item.

You can also track how much it costs the restaurant to offer a selected Choice with the Choice Cost function.

You can also set up a default Choice, which will be added automatically to the Menu Item order if no other Choice is selected.

Choices are always printed along with the Menu Items to which they are linked. If you want an additional slip to be printed at another printer (e.g., at the salad area printer as well as the kitchen printer), use the Edit Choice screen.

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 To add new choices to the list of possible choices 1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu.

2. Choose Choices. 3. Choose New.

4. Enter information about the new Choice: a. Name the Choice (e.g., ―Gorgonzola‖)

b. Determine whether the new Choice will cost extra to order (optional). c. Determine in which Choice Sets you want it to appear.

d. If necessary, select a printer other than the printer assigned to the Menu Item, for choices such as side salads that may be made in a different location.

What if my Choice comes with another Choice?

Some Choices require choices of their own. For example, an entrée Menu Item may come with a choice of soup or salad. If the salad choice is selected, then you will be asked to choose what kind of dressing you want on the salad. It is simple to link a primary Choice to a secondary Choice using Choice Sets. When you create the primary Choice, use the ―Has these Sub-Choice Sets‖ function on the Edit Choice screen to select the secondary Choice Set you want to link to the primary Choice.

For example, let‘s say that your Roast Lamb Menu Item comes with a choice of pumpkin soup or a spinach salad. The pumpkin soup and the spinach salad would both be created as Choices, and assigned to a ―Side Dishes‖ Choice Set. On the Roast Lamb‘s Edit Menu Item screen, you would select the ―Side Dishes‖ Choice Set to offer the side dishes as an option.

Since the Spinach Salad Choice comes with a choice of dressings (e.g., vinaigrette, sesame plum, and bleu cheese), you will need to create ―Vinaigrette,‖ ―Sesame plum,‖ and ―Bleu cheese‖ Choices. Link these choices to a ―Salad Dressings‖ Choice Set. Then, you may either create or edit the Spinach Salad Choice to come with the ―Salad Dressings‖ Choice Set.

 To create a choice with its own choices 1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu. 2. Choose Choices.

3. Choose New.

4. Enter information to create the new Choice (e.g., ―Spinach Salad‖) 5. Under ―Has these Sub-Choice Sets,‖ select the ―Salad Dressings‖ Choice

Set.

6. Choose OK. 7. Choose Choice Sets.

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9. Choose Choices in Set.

10. Select the new Choice (―Spinach Salad‖) from the ―Items not in Side Dishes‖ list on the right.

11. Use the arrows between the lists to move the new Choice to the ―Items in Side Dishes‖ list.

Now, to continue the example, if the Roast Lamb Menu Item is selected on the Order Entry screen, the Spinach Salad will appear as a Side Dish option. When the Spinach Salad is selected, the User will be asked to enter a choice of Dressings.

Setting Up Different Versions of Choices

If you sell several different sizes of a Menu Item, such as a pizza, each size may use its own size of Choice. Instead of creating only one Choice, you might want to create several different Choice options, one for each size. For example, since different sizes of pizza would require different amounts of a topping, it would be a good idea to create several different Choices of for each topping option, one for each size of pizza. If you offer black olives as a topping option, you would create four topping choices: Black Olives Small, Black Olives Medium, Black Olives Large, and Black Olives Extra Large.

Setting up multiple sizes of Choice also makes it easier to track your food stock. For information on tracking supply usage, see Reports.

Setting Up Choices within a Choice Set

For a Choice to appear on the Order Entry screen when a linked Menu Item is selected, you must assign the Choice to appropriate Choice Sets. (See Choice Sets for information on setting up choice sets).

 To create a choice and add it to a Choice Set 1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu. 2. Choose Choices.

3. Choose New.

4. Enter information about new Choice.

5. Under ―Comes with these Choice Sets,‖ select the Choice Sets to which you want to assign the new Choice.

You may assign the Choice to as many Choice Sets as you like. There are two ways to assign an already created Choice to a Choice Set.  To add a choice to a Choice Set

1. From the Manager screen, choose Menu. 2. Choose Choices.

3. Select the Choice you want to assign. 4. Choose Edit.

Core Functions. Dinerware User Guide

Core Functions

Table of Contents

Welcome to Dinerware

Hardware Requirements

CPU

Network

Touch Screens

Printers

Cash Drawers

Magnetic Card Readers

Installing Dinerware

Installing the Brain Software

Installing the Workstation Software

Starting the Dinerware Software

Installing and Managing Printers

Removing a Printer from the Master List

Master and Physical Printers, and Adoption

Using Cash Drawers

Credit Card Verification

Using Dinerware‘s Manager Features

Accessing the Manager Screen

Setting a Message of the Day

Setting Up Your Menu

Setting up Screen Categories

Assigning Menu Items to Screen Categories

Changing the order of Menu Items on the Order Entry

Screen

Viewing Menu Items in a Screen Category

Activating and Deactivating Screen Categories

Using Item Groups

Setting Item Group Prices

Changing the Price of an Item

Controlling Print Order with Item Groups

Creating Menu Items

Creating Daily Specials

Designating Where Orders are Printed

Using Menu Items for Course Firing

Assigning Revenue Classes

Working with Taxes

Creating a New Tax

Assigning a Tax to a Revenue Class

Setting Tax Rates for Individual Menu Items

Defining Choices

What if my Choice comes with another Choice?

Setting Up Different Versions of Choices

Setting Up Choices within a Choice Set