Quick Start Guide
Quick Start Guide
Get your food business live on Menuraq in under 15 minutes. This guide walks you from account creation to publishing your first digital menu.
Prerequisites
- A valid email address
- Your business name and basic details
- A menu to digitize (or ideas for one)
Step 1: Create an Account
Navigate to /auth/signup and fill in the registration form:
- Full name , your name or the business owner's name
- Email , your working email address (verification required)
- Password , minimum 6 characters
Accept the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, then click Create account.
Screenshot Placeholder: Sign-up form showing the three fields, Google OAuth button, and terms checkbox.
You can also sign up with Google OAuth by clicking "Continue with Google".
Step 2: Verify Your Email
After signing up, check your inbox for a verification email from Menuraq.
- Open the email and click the verification link
- You will be redirected to
/auth/verifywhich processes the verification - On success, you'll see "Email verified" and a Continue to Dashboard button
Screenshot Placeholder: Email verification success screen with the checkmark icon and "Continue to Dashboard" button.
If the link expires, request a new one from the sign-in page or onboarding flow.
Step 3: Complete Workspace Onboarding
The onboarding wizard at /dashboard/onboarding creates your first Business, Branch, and Menu in a guided 6-step flow:
Step 3a: Welcome (Step 1)
Review what gets created: a business workspace, your first branch, and a draft menu. Click Get Started.
If your email is unverified, you'll see a prompt to verify first , you can continue without verifying, but it's recommended.
Screenshot Placeholder: Onboarding welcome screen with progress sidebar and "Get Started" button.
Step 3b: Business Details (Step 2)
Enter:
- Restaurant name , the name of your food business
- Business URL slug , your public URL (e.g.,
blue-olivebecomesmenuraq.com/business/blue-olive) - Business logo (optional) , upload a logo image (max 2MB, resized to 400x400)
The slug is checked for availability in real time.
Step 3c: Choose a Plan (Step 3)
Select your starting plan:
- Digital Menu Only , QR menus, templates, promotions, analytics, public profile
- Full POS System , everything above plus floor service, counter ordering, KDS, and shifts
Screenshot Placeholder: Plan selection cards showing the two options with descriptions and "Selected" indicators.
You can upgrade from Menu Only to Full POS later.
Step 3d: Create Branch & Menu (Step 4)
- Branch name , e.g., "Main Branch" or "Downtown Location"
- Menu title , e.g., "Our Menu" or "Breakfast Menu"
Click Create Workspace to generate your business, branch, and draft menu.
Step 3e: Business Type (Step 5)
Select your business type:
- Restaurant, Cafe, Bar, Quick Service, Catering, Hotel, or Commissary Kitchen
Each type presets the operating modes (dine-in, counter pickup, delivery, etc.) that apply to your venue. You can fine-tune individual modes below the type selector.
Screenshot Placeholder: Business type selector radio list with a collapsible "Fine-tune what you offer" section.
Step 3f: Done (Step 6)
Your workspace is created. Click Go to Dashboard (or Continue to POS if you chose the Full POS plan).
Screenshot Placeholder: Completion screen showing the workspace created confirmation with Business, Branch, and Menu summary cards.
Step 4: Set Up Your Business Profile
Go to /dashboard/business-profile to complete your business identity:
- Identity , business name, tagline, description, logo
- Contact , business email, phone, website, social links
- Branch , branch address, location coordinates, operating hours
- Places , Menuraq Places discovery profile for customer findability
The profile completion ring shows your progress. High-priority items are surfaced first.
Screenshot Placeholder: Business Profile page showing the completion ring and section cards.
Step 5: Create Your First Branch
If you didn't create one during onboarding, go to /dashboard/menus and click Add Branch. Each branch can have:
- Independent menus and categories
- Unique operating modes
- Its own QR codes and public URL
- Separate billing subscription
Step 6: Build Your First Menu
Navigate to /dashboard/menus. If you completed onboarding, a draft menu already exists. Select your branch, then start building:
Add Categories
- Click Add Category
- Enter a name (e.g., "Appetizers", "Main Course", "Desserts")
- Drag to reorder , categories display in the order you set
Add Menu Items
- Click Add Item inside a category
- Fill in:
- Name , the dish name
- Description , brief ingredient or preparation notes
- Price , customer-facing price
- Image (optional) , a photo of the dish
- Sell state , Available, Sold Out, or Hidden
- Add Option Groups for customizations (e.g., "Choose your side: Fries or Salad")
Screenshot Placeholder: Menu editor showing the category list, item form with fields, and option group configuration.
Step 7: Add Categories and Menu Items (Continued)
Option Groups
Option groups let customers customize their order:
- Single select , pick one option (e.g., protein choice)
- Multi-select , pick multiple (e.g., toppings)
- Each option can have a price modifier
Selling Surfaces
Control where each item appears:
- Menu , public customer-facing menu
- POS , point-of-sale interface
- KDS , kitchen display system
- Only items assigned to a surface appear on that surface
Step 8: Preview Your Menu
Visit /preview/[slug] where [slug] is your menu's URL slug. This shows the customer-facing view with:
- Category navigation
- Item cards with prices and images
- Option group selection
- Server-side rendered content for fast loading
Screenshot Placeholder: Menu preview showing a styled digital menu with categories and items.
Step 9: Generate QR Codes
Go to /dashboard/qr to generate QR codes for your branch:
- Select the branch
- Choose QR code settings:
- Label , internal name for this QR code
- Surface , which menu surface to link to (Menu, POS, Kiosk)
- Size , QR code dimensions
- Foreground color , customize the QR code color
- Click Generate
- Download as PNG or SVG
Screenshot Placeholder: QR code generator with customization options and download buttons.
Place QR codes on tables, counters, windows, or takeaway packaging.
Step 10: Publish and Share
- Verify your menu content is complete and accurate
- Test the QR codes by scanning with a phone
- Share your public business page at
/c/[businessSlug] - Optionally:
- Set up operating modes at
/dashboard/operations - Configure operating hours at
/dashboard/branch-profile - Enable online ordering at
/dashboard/branch-profile - Install Print Bridge for kitchen tickets
Next Steps
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