Book combo menus with food and drinks

A combo menu of food and a drink at one total price – such as a lunch menu with a main course and a drink – combines items with different tax rates. For the VAT to be calculated correctly, the total price has to be split into a food share and a drink share, each with its own tax rate. This guide shows how to set up such a menu in bessa using article options.

Why a combo menu has to be split

In many countries, food and drinks are subject to different tax rates, for example:

If you sell both at one total price, a single article with a single tax rate is not correct. The price has to be split into a food share and a drink share, each taxed at its own rate.

You decide the ratio, for example based on the individual selling prices of the items. In Germany, a flat split of 70% food and 30% drink is currently also accepted.

How it works in bessa

In bessa, a combo menu consists of three parts:

• Menu article: the article your staff books, e.g. "Lunch menu". It has no price of its own and belongs to an article group with a 0% tax rate.

• Article option for the food: holds the food share with the tax rate for food.

• Article option for the drink: holds the drink share with the tax rate for drinks.

Each selected option is stored as its own line item with its own price and tax rate. The options add up to the menu price, and the tax summary on the receipt shows each share under its tax rate – the shares are included in the fiscal signature and in the reports in the same way.

There are two ways to set up the options:

• Option A – fixed shares: one helper article each, "Menu food" and "Menu drink", carries the share. The options are preselected, so the menu is booked with a single tap.

• Option B – choice at a fixed share: the guest picks the food and the drink from your existing articles. The option applies the same share to every choice, and the tax rate comes from the chosen article.

Option A: fixed shares via helper articles

Suitable if the menu is always the same or the choice only matters on the kitchen ticket.

Example: lunch menu at €12.90, split into €9.00 food and €3.90 drink.

1. Check the article groups: you need one article group each with the tax rate for food, for drinks and with 0%. Create any missing ones under Article groups.

2. Create the helper articles: under

   Articles

   , create two articles of type Option:

   • "Menu food", article group with the food tax rate, gross price €9.00

   • "Menu drink", article group with the drink tax rate, gross price €3.90

3. Create the menu article: create "Lunch menu" of type Article in the article group with 0%, gross price €0.00.

4. Create the article options: under Article options, create two options of type Option, with the settings in the table below

5. Place the menu article: put "Lunch menu" on an order screen under Displays

Because each option has exactly one preselected choice, no selection dialog appears when booking – the menu is booked directly with both shares.

Option B: choice at a fixed share

Suitable if the guest picks the food and the drink from your existing range.

1. Create the menu article as in option A, step 3.

2. Article option for the food: type Option, selection Min 1 / Max 1, price Adjusted gross price €9.00. Add the selectable dishes under article selection and assign the option to the menu article.

3. Article option for the drink: the same, price Adjusted gross price €3.90, with the selectable drinks.

The adjusted gross price applies to every choice in the option. bessa calculates net and tax with the tax rate of the chosen article – if the guest accidentally picks a dish instead of a drink, the share is taxed at the food rate. So only add articles with the matching tax rate to each option.

How the menu appears on the receipt

The menu article is the main line on the receipt, with the chosen options indented below it together with their prices. The food share and the drink share are therefore visible on the receipt – in option A as "Menu food" and "Menu drink", in option B with the names of the chosen articles.

The tax summary at the end of the receipt lists the shares separately by tax rate. Because the menu article belongs to an article group with 0%, an additional line with 0% and an amount of €0.00 may appear there.

Things to keep in mind

• Kitchen and bar tickets: options are printed according to the printing group of the article group the option article belongs to. A drink share in a drinks article group therefore appears on the bar ticket. Check the printing groups of your article groups.

• Changing the menu price: adjust the prices of the two shares – in option A the prices of the helper articles, in option B the adjusted gross prices of the options. The menu article itself stays at €0.00.

• Pricing levels: if the menu should cost differently depending on the pricing level, set the pricing level on the helper articles (option A). See Assigning price levels to articles.

• Reports: in the reports, each share counts towards the article group of its option article. If needed, put the helper articles into their own article groups, e.g. "Menu – food", to evaluate menu sales separately.

Related topics

• Article options

• Article types

• Article groups

• Tax types

• Pricing levels