The system has 2 menu levels that are active at all times, main and sub. So assuming level 1 is the default for both, the system will be on main level 1 and sub level 1. These levels can be changed, in various ways and for various reasons. So a system can be switched to main level 1 and sub level 2, and so on. There are 10 possible levels for both main and sub that work independently of each other. The name of the menu levels (not the class) should be descriptive to emphasize their purpose, like Happy Hour.
The two most common reasons to change the systems menu levels is to
1- change the price of menu items
2- change the availability of menu items
Typical programming practice was to use the main level to control availability and the sub level to control price. But this is completely arbitrary, but very common. If availability is always constant (everything available all the time), then the system would always stay on main level 1.
Note: on the bottom of the terminal touch screens there are information boxes. The main and sub level names (not the number) will be displayed there for the staff to reference. If it is not displayed, press Enter to toggle between the time/date and menu level (this depends on what touch screen template is being used).
There are 3 locations in the POS Configurator to complete programming levels
1- Sales>Menu Levels (you found this)
- this section simply defines the levels that are active for each class. In your case, if the system switched to sub levels 5-10, no menu item or price would be active (at least the menu items assigned to classes that do not ignore menu levels)/(they would either disappear or pop an error when pressed).
2- Revenue Center>RVC Transactions>Menu Levels
- this section names the actual menu level and prefix for each revenue center (one system can run multiple restaurants, or the bar and restaurant could have separate revenue centers to allow for programming differences and behavior, like menu levels).
3- Sales>Menu Item Classes>Price/Totals
- this section has check box options to allow menu items of certain classes to change menu levels and other menu classes to ignore the change in the system menu levels. This also tells the system if main or sub level will be looked at for pricing. (can't be both)
You should notice that both section 1 and 2 (from above) have options related to "pop to main/sub levels". This allows for override of the menu level class by specific revenue centers.
So, go to RVC Transactions > Menu Levels and see what the names are. If they are descriptive it will give you a clue as to what they should be. Also, go to Sales > Menu Item Classes > Price/Totals and look at a class that is assigned to one of your beers (first find a beer in your list and note the menu item class assigned to it). Verify it is using sub level for prices.
Finally, if sub 2 is determined to be your happy hour level, make sure the option called "Do not pop up to sub-level" is checked for all effected revenue center. Also make sure the option in the drop down for "Pop up to Sub-level" is 2 for the happy hour class in the Sales > Menu Levels section.
The only thing missing is how to change and schedule the change of menu levels, but that is for another day.
Hint: While working in the POS Configurator, if you click on the question mark icon at the top of the window, then click on an option in that window, a context sensative help window will describe in brief what that option is for/does. Also, next to the question mark is an icon that is a book with a yellow question mark. That will pop up your complete reference/user guide. Go to the section under "Contents" expand "Feature Reference" expand "L-Q" expand "M", you will see the section on menu levels.
Hope this helps.
David Jenulis
