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🧠 Menu Optimization Guide

How Agent Penny Reads Your Menu​

Understanding Penny's "Brain"

Agent Penny uses advanced AI to understand your menu, but she needs it structured properly to work her magic. Think of your menu as Penny's cookbook - the better organized it is, the better she can help your customers.

🚀 Jump To:​

Screenshot Placeholders

SCREENSHOT NEEDED: Menu builder/editor interface in dashboard

SCREENSHOT NEEDED: Modifier groups configuration screen

SCREENSHOT NEEDED: Item availability toggles

Mobile Users

This page is content-heavy. Use Ctrl+F (Cmd+F on Mac) to search for specific terms like "descriptions", "modifiers", or "examples".

The Menu Processing Pipeline​

Step 1: Menu Ingestion

  • Penny reads every item name, description, and modifier
  • Creates a "menu map" of relationships between items
  • Identifies patterns like sizes, proteins, and customizations

Step 2: Natural Language Understanding

  • When customer says "large pepperoni pizza", Penny breaks it down:
    • "large" = size modifier
    • "pepperoni" = topping modifier
    • "pizza" = base item
  • Maps customer language to your exact menu structure

Step 3: Smart Matching

  • Handles variations: "burger" matches "hamburger"
  • Understands context: "chicken" could mean chicken sandwich, chicken wings, or chicken salad
  • Uses item descriptions to disambiguate

Step 4: Order Building

  • Constructs complete order with all modifiers
  • Applies pricing rules from your POS
  • Validates selections against available options

Why Descriptions Are Penny's Superpower​

Real Example

Without description: Customer asks "What's on the Supreme pizza?"

Penny: "While this menu doesn't have a description, a supreme pizza typically includes pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, peppers, and onions, but I'd recommend checking with the kitchen to confirm exactly what comes on yours."

With description: "Supreme Pizza - Pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, onions, and black olives"

Penny: "The Supreme has pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, onions, and black olives. Would you like that?"

Result: With descriptions, Penny gives confident, specific answers. Without them, she has to hedge and suggest verification - creating friction in the ordering process.

Common AI Challenges & Solutions​

Challenge: Ambiguous Requests

  • Customer: "I want chicken"
  • Menu has: Chicken Sandwich, Chicken Wings, Chicken Salad, BBQ Chicken Pizza
  • Solution: Good descriptions help Penny ask clarifying questions smartly

Challenge: Non-Standard Names

  • Customer: "Gimme a hoagie"
  • Menu shows: "Italian Sub"
  • Solution: Use Deliverect's "Add menu name" feature for alternative names

Challenge: Complex Modifications

  • Customer: "Half pepperoni, half veggie, thin crust, light cheese"
  • Solution: Proper modifier groups let Penny handle multi-part customizations

🎯 Critical Menu Requirements​

Your menu MUST have these for Agent Penny to work properly

✅ Descriptions for every item (tells Penny what's included)

✅ All possible modifiers set up (sizes, toppings, etc.)

✅ Separate groups for default vs. paid add-ons

✅ Clear naming without abbreviations

✅ Sizes combined into single items with modifiers

🔄 The Menu Requirements Checklist​

1️⃣ Menu Item Descriptions​

❌ BAD Example✅ GOOD Example
Breakfast Plate - $12.99

Problem: Agent Penny doesn't know what comes with this		Breakfast Plate - $12.99
Two eggs any style, choice of bacon or sausage, hash browns, and toast. Pancakes available for +$3.

Now Agent Penny knows exactly what's included and can answer questions

2️⃣ Modifier Groups Setup​

The Golden Rule: Separate Default from Extras

Why this matters

If you mix default items with paid extras in the same modifier group, Agent Penny may get confused about your menu structure and start creating her own "logical" combinations that don't match your actual offerings.

❌ WRONG Setup✅ CORRECT Setup
Burger Toppings (all in one group):
□ Lettuce ($0)
□ Tomato ($0)
□ Onion ($0)
□ Bacon ($3)
□ Avocado ($2)
□ Extra Patty ($4)		Included Toppings (select all that apply):
☑ Lettuce
☑ Tomato
☑ Onion
☑ Pickles

Premium Add-Ons ($):
□ Bacon (+$3)
□ Avocado (+$2)
□ Extra Patty (+$4)
□ Fried Egg (+$2)

3. Required Selections​

Always List Options in Descriptions​

Example: BBQ Plate

Small BBQ Plate - $14.99
Choice of meat: Pulled Pork, Brisket, or Chicken
Served with 2 sides and cornbread

Why? When customer says "small chicken plate", Agent Penny knows they mean the BBQ Plate with chicken, not searching for a different item.

4. Handling Sizes & Quantities​

❌ DON'T Create Separate Items:​

- Small Fries - $2.99
- Medium Fries - $3.99
- Large Fries - $4.99

✅ DO Combine Into One Item:​

French Fries
  Size (required):
  • Small - $2.99
  • Medium - $3.99
  • Large - $4.99

Same for quantities:

Chicken Wings
  Quantity (required):
  • 6 pieces - $8.99
  • 10 pieces - $12.99
  • 20 pieces - $22.99

5. Common Customizations Checklist​

Consider adding modifier groups for items where customers commonly ask for

☐ Proteins: When you offer protein choices (chicken, beef, veggie, etc.)

☐ Cook levels: For steaks, burgers, and eggs

☐ Preparations: When you offer multiple cooking methods

☐ Allergies: Common substitutions (gluten-free buns, dairy-free options)

☐ Portions: When size variations make sense

☐ Sauces: Especially for items that come with sauce

☐ Spice levels: For items with heat options

☐ Substitutions: Popular swaps (fries for salad, etc.)

Remember: Simple items with no modifications work perfectly too! Agent Penny handles "one large pepperoni pizza" beautifully without needing 47 modifier options.

6. Avoid These Common Mistakes​

❌ No "Remove" or "No" Options​

Wrong:

Remove Ingredients:
□ No Lettuce
□ No Tomato

Right:

Included Ingredients:
☑ Lettuce (checked by default)
☑ Tomato (checked by default)

❌ No Abbreviations​

Wrong: "Lg Pizza", "6pc Wings", "w/ fries"

Right: "Large Pizza", "6 Piece Wings", "with fries"

❌ No Special Characters​

Wrong: "Chik'n Wangz™", "Jalapeño"

Right: "Chicken Wings", "Jalapeno"

7. Alternative Names & Common Requests​

Pro Tip: Use Deliverect's "Add menu name" feature for alternative names

Instead of creating duplicate menu items, use the "Add menu name" button in Deliverect to add alternative names that Agent Penny will recognize without changing how items appear on your actual menu.

Example:

  • Menu shows: "Grits Bowl with Sausage"
  • Customer might say: "sausage bowl", "sausage and grits", "bowl with sausage"
  • Add these as menu names → Agent Penny understands all variations

How to set up in Deliverect:

  1. Go to Menu → Select your item
  2. Click the "Add menu name" button (blue button next to the name field)
  3. Add common variations customers use
  4. Save → Agent Penny instantly recognizes all names

Common alternative names to add:

  • Descriptive names ("sausage bowl" for "Grits Bowl with Sausage")
  • Regional variations ("sub" vs "hoagie" vs "hero")
  • Shortened versions ("Italian" for "The Italian Hoagie")
  • Abbreviated versions ("BBQ plate" for "Barbecue Combination Plate")

Next: Configuration & Payment Setup →