Smart Menu - Help & Support

For restaurant owners, staff, and diners. Questions not covered here: lord245@gmail.com

Getting started

Install Smart Menu from Google Play and tap Sign in with Google.
Fill in your restaurant profile: name, address, currency, tax rate, and opening hours. Diners see these when they scan your QR.
Add your first category (Starters, Mains, Drinks...) and a few dishes - or import or scan your existing menu (see below).
Open the menu (☰) and tap Show menu QR. Print it and put it on tables.

Categories are the tabs of your menu. Add them from the ☰ menu or the + button on the Menu tab.
Dishes have a name, price, photo, veg/non-veg, and optional extras: description, spice level, highlights like "Today's special" or "Recommended", portion, allergens, sizes, and add-ons (under "More options" in the dish editor).
Mark a dish unavailable any time - it shows greyed out to diners.
Prices display in the currency from your restaurant profile.

Scan a printed menu

☰ menu > Scan a menu photo. Take a photo (or pick one from the gallery) of a printed menu and the app converts it into categories and dishes automatically. Review and edit before saving. Good light and a flat page give the best results. The free plan includes 5 scans; Pro is unlimited.

Import from CSV or a sheet

Fastest way to load a full menu. ☰ menu > Import from a sheet, then either upload a CSV file from your phone or paste a public Google Sheet / Excel link.

Download the CSV template

The format

The first row must be this header, in this order:

category,item,description,price,veg,image

Column	Required	What goes in it
category	Yes	Menu section, e.g. Starters. Rows with the same category are grouped; matching an existing category adds to it.
item	Yes	Dish name, e.g. Margherita Pizza
description	No	Short description. If it contains commas, wrap it in quotes: `"Tomato, mozzarella, basil"` (Excel and Google Sheets do this automatically when exporting CSV).
price	No	Number, e.g. `12` or `12.50`. Currency symbols are stripped automatically.
veg	No	`yes` / `no` (also accepts true/false, y/n, 1/0). Blank means non-veg.
image	No	Direct photo link starting with `https://`. Leave blank to add photos later in the app.

Making the file

Open the template in Google Sheets or Excel (or start a blank sheet with the header row).
One dish per row. Keep the header row as row 1.
CSV upload: File > Download > Comma-separated values (.csv), then choose "Upload a CSV file" in the app.
Or by link: in Google Sheets choose Share > "Anyone with the link", copy the link, and paste it in the import dialog.

What the import does

Every row is validated. Rows with problems are skipped - the app shows you exactly which rows and why (e.g. "Row 7: missing item name").
Categories that already exist (same name) are reused, not duplicated.
Re-importing the same file adds the items again. To start fresh instead, tick "Replace existing menu" before importing.

QR code & sharing

☰ menu > Show menu QR - save or print it. One QR works for every table.
The QR opens your menu in the Smart Menu app if installed, or in the browser otherwise - diners never need to install anything.
Share menu sends your menu link (https://restaurantmenu-801a7.web.app/m/...) through WhatsApp, Instagram, email, anywhere.

Taking orders

New orders appear on the Orders tab in real time, grouped by table, with a badge on the tab icon.
Advance each order: New > Preparing > Ready > Served > Completed. Diners see the status change live on their phone.
Choose table service or counter service in your restaurant profile - counter service asks diners for their name instead of a table number.
Turn on Order alerts (☰ menu) to get a notification for new orders even with the app in the background.
Orders are pay-at-counter; Smart Menu doesn't process payments.

Staff accounts

☰ menu > Staff & roles. Add staff by their Google email, or generate a 6-character access code for staff without one (they tap "Have a staff code?" on the sign-in screen).
Chef sees a kitchen queue without prices. Waiter sees ready orders grouped by table and checks off each item as it's served.
Staff can't edit your menu, settings, or see your reports.
The free plan includes 1 staff member; Pro is unlimited.

Insights & reports

The Insights tab shows orders, revenue, average order value, dine-in vs takeaway, revenue by day, and your top dishes.
Free plan covers Today and 7 days; Pro adds 30 days, all time, and custom date ranges.
Use the ⋮ menu to share a summary (free) or export orders as CSV (Pro) for your accountant or spreadsheet.

Serving offline (Pro)

No reliable internet at the venue? ☰ menu > Serve menu offline hosts your menu on your own Wi-Fi network (or a hotspot from your phone). Diners join the Wi-Fi via one QR and open the menu via the other. Works with zero internet.

Smart Menu Pro

The free plan runs a complete restaurant: unlimited menu, QR, web ordering, and the live order queue. Pro adds unlimited staff accounts, full insights ranges, CSV export, unlimited AI scans, and offline serving. Subscribe from the app (☰ menu > Upgrade to Pro); billing is handled by Google Play and can be cancelled there any time.

For diners

Scan the table QR with your camera - the menu opens in your browser or the app.
Add dishes to your cart, enter your table number (or name), and place the order. No account or app needed.
Watch your order move from Preparing to Ready in real time, and add more items to the same table any time.
After your meal, save or share your receipt, and rate the dishes you tried.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Try this
Import says rows were skipped	The message lists each row and reason. Most common: missing item name, or a price that isn't a number. Fix those rows and re-import with "Replace existing menu" ticked.
Sheet link import fails	The link must be public: in Google Sheets, Share > General access > "Anyone with the link". Direct .xlsx links work too.
Menu scan misses prices or items	Retake the photo with the page flat, filling the frame, in good light. You can always edit the results before saving.
Orders not appearing	Check the phone's internet connection. Orders placed while offline upload automatically when the connection returns (you'll see a "waiting to sync" banner).
QR opens the wrong thing	Regenerate it from ☰ > Show menu QR and reprint. Old QRs from other apps won't work.
Staff member can't sign in	Email staff must use the exact Google account you added. Code staff: generate a fresh code from Staff & roles and have them re-enter it.

Still stuck? Email lord245@gmail.com with your restaurant name and a screenshot.
Privacy policy: restaurantmenu-801a7.web.app/privacy.html