Preparing For Menu Integration with ezCater

ezCater is excited to connect your content systems with ezCater’s menu catalog. These pages will help you prepare your menu content in order to make the project move quickly. Please review the following guidelines to prepare your menu to be integrated with ezCater

Menu Structure

ezCater has a specific structure for modeling menus. Information is primarily organized into Categories, Items, Options, and Choices. Here is a bit more information about each element of the ezCater menu structure:

Categories: Sections that group items, options and choices together. The category includes elements such as the name, description, and the order categories will be presented in. See Appendix A: Category Names & Order for additional information.
Items: These are typically the items you sell. Item images are supported.
Options: A group of choices or item modifier selections.
Choices: The individual selections available for a given option.

Please note: Nested items or options are not supported at this time. Therefore, you may need to prepare an ezCater specific menu or make modifications to your existing menu to remove nesting.

ezCater Specific Field Configurations

"Serves (# of people)": A numeric field identified as being specific to catering. The field allows a customer to identify the number of people participating in an event. restaurant partners use this numeric value to describe how many people a large tray or bowl serves.
Dietary Tags (FoodLabelingTags): Describe qualities of an item or choice related to labeling. If an item qualifies under a specific tag (ex. “vegetarian”) only if certain option choices are selected, then the option choices that qualify should also be tagged accordingly. Values include: AWARD, GLUTEN_FREE, HALAL, HEALTHY, KOSHER, POPULAR, SPICY, STAR, VEGAN, VEGETARIAN.
Packaging Tags (IndividualWrapStatus): Identifies whether the item is individually wrapped. Values include: POSSIBLE/WRAP
Drinks & Dessert Tags (ItemTypeTags, ChoiceTypeTags): These values are specifically used for upsell opportunities. Please ensure all beverage and dessert items are tagged accordingly. Values include: DESSERT, DRINKS
Utensil Tags (ItemTypeTags, ChoiceTypeTags): For items and option choice representing utensils, please tag the entity as “UTENSILS”. See Appendix B for additional information.
Tax categories: Values stored by menu items describing the Avalara tax classifications. The classification is used by ezCater to look up tax rates and charge taxes per order. Tags used to classify how a given item is taxed. Values include: BAKERY_ITEMS, CAKES_AND_PIES, CANDY, CHIPS_AND_SNACKS, COFFEE_TEA_MILK, DRESSINGS_AND_CONDIMENTS, ICE_CREAM, MISCELLANEOUS, NON_SODA_DRINKS, PREPARED_FOOD, SANDWICHES, SODA, WATER.
UOM: A set of values used to describe the quantity required of a given item.
QuantityUnit: A UOM for ordering items. Default to item if needed. Values include: BAR, BOTTLE, BOWL, BOX, BUFFET, CAKE, CAN, CARAFE, DOZEN, FOOT, FULL_PAN, GALLON, HALF_GALLON, HALF_PAN, ITEM, KIT, LITER, PACKAGE, PAN, PERSON, PIE, PIECE, PINT, PIZZA, PLATTER, POUND, QUART, ROLL, SIX_PACK, SKEWER, SLIDER, TACO, TRAY, TWELVE_PACK, TWO_LITER

Menu Requirements

Per ezCater’s Equal Price Guarantee, which is agreed to by all caterers in the Terms & Conditions of the platform (or signed MSA if applicable), you agree that the pricing you provide us for menu items, service and other fees to display on your ezCater pages for a given location will match the lowest prices and fees you charge customers through your or any other website or online channel for substantially similar offerings at that location. ezCater cannot sell items for higher than the lowest advertised price online.
ezCater requires all items to have a price greater than zero.
Please don’t forget the utensils! ezCater’s core customer base is people and groups at work who often need forks, napkins, and plates. You can add utensils for a fee as items or you can provide free utensils as Options/Choices. ezCater does require utensils to be added to menu items with limited exceptions. See Appendix B: ezCater Integrated Plates / Napkins / Utensils for additional information and examples.

Menu Create User Permissioning

Prior to requesting user create permissions, an API user must be created, and confirmation that all API documentation on this platform has been read and understood must be provided. Once those steps are completed, a request needs to be submitted to [email protected].

This request must include the following required information to ensure the process can move forward:

Brand Name
Integrator Name
API User Email (the integrator should know this if the brand does not)

It is also highly preferred that the request includes the number of locations that will be integrated and a rough estimate of when the go-live event(s) would begin, as this information is very helpful to the ezCater team. Please note that the ezCater Integrations team reserves the right to withhold permission assignment until all required information is completed to ensure data cleanliness and system security.

Intercom collapsible section

Appendix A: Category Names & Order

ezCater customers value uniformity across menus. It helps to make selecting food for the workplace quick and efficient.

The following category names and order are used by ezCater associates to build menus. Standard Offering is generally used for most restaurants. ezCater also uses cuisine specific naming.

Standard Offerings

Breakfast: All breakfast items (except drinks) go in the breakfast category, regardless of where they would go on a regular menu. This includes things like breakfast sides, pastries, breakfast packages, and breakfast sandwiches. Brunch items are added to Breakfast.
Boxed/Bagged Lunches: Items that are in a box or bag with other items such as sides, drinks, and/or desserts. The item is not a boxed lunch if it is a singular item just so happens to be served in a box.
Appetizers/Tapas
Catering Packages: Generally come with a drink and/or dessert. Buffets can be catering packages, but if they are a la carte make a Buffets category. Some CP’s will list an item as “Chicken Parmesan Package”, but if it only comes with Chicken Parmesan it would go in Hot Entrees. Items that come with multiple sides to feed a large group of people can be considered Catering Packages.
Sandwiches/Pizza/Specialty Items/Burgers/Hot Dogs: Basically anything handheld.
Bowls
Hot Entrees: Generally come with a side.
Pasta
A La Carte Meats: Can include basic items like chicken & meats served by the pound or simply without sides, or meats with bulk pricing.
Soups: Can include stews.
Salads: Salads that are mayo-based go into sides. Salads that are vegetable-forward go into Salads.
Sides: Side salads generally go in the salads category, other side-sized items can be placed in the Sides category. This indicates the item is not an entree portion.
Hors d'Oeuvres: Must be labeled as Hors d'Oeuvres on the CP’s menu
Desserts
Beverages
Miscellaneous: Utensils/paper goods/extended service/bags of ice, etc.

Cuisine Specific Category Names and Order

Appendix B: ezCater Integrated Plates / Napkins / Utensils

To service ezCater’s food for the workplace clientele, ezCater requires menus including utensils individually and serving utensils.

Paid for vs Free Utensil Configuration

Paid for items tagged as “UTENSIL” and presented in the menu. Customers can select these items and add them to the cart as they build their order.
Free items modeled as an Option/Choice are tagged as “UTENSIL”, hidden on the menu, and presented as part of the checkout experience. ezCater expects a majority, if not all items using this approach will have a utensil configuration.

Free Utensil Order Experience

ezCater provides consumers the ability to select or deselect their utensil requirements as the order forms in the cart. The experience includes:

Feature 1:

As items are added to the cart, tableware options appear in the cart in a dedicated section.

Feature 2:

Upon edit the consumer can select or deselect “tableware” as needed. The options available for selection change based on the item’s option/choices selected.

Utensil item and option/choice configuration examples

The following represents common language used by ezCater to describe different types of utensils.

Standard Items
Utensils
Plates
Napkins
Soups:
Plates
Bowls
Napkins
Utensils
Drinks
Cups
Ice (Optional)
Coffee
Plates
Napkins
Utensils
Cups
Stirrers
Sugar
Diet Sweeteners
Creamer
Exceptions that would not require utensils: Individual drinks.

Menus API

Preparing For Menu Integration with ezCater

Menu Structure

ezCater Specific Field Configurations

Menu Requirements

Menu Create User Permissioning

Appendix A: Category Names & Order

Standard Offerings

Cuisine Specific Category Names and Order

Chinese Cuisine Menu Category Names & Order

Indian Cuisine Menu Category Names & Order

Italian (w/ Pizza) Cuisine Menu Category Names & Order

Japanese/Sushi Cuisine Menu Category Names & Order

Mediterranean Cuisine Menu Category Names & Order

Mexican Cuisine Menu Category Names & Order

Smoothie Cuisine Menu Category Names & Order

Thai Cuisine Menu Category Names & Order