Skip to main content

Modifiers

Modifiers give instructions or prompt for additions to items ordered. They can be used to tell the kitchen what temperature to cook a steak or what bread to use for a sandwich. Or they can tell the kitchen or server what sides to add to an entree. An extra charge can be connected to modifiers and charged to another item. For example, adding a skewer of shrimp to a steak dinner for $5.99. The shrimp skewer would be its own inventory item, but the only time it may be used is as a modifier to steak dinners.

You can have an unlimited number of modifiers and a modifier can have one modifier to itself. When setting up iQ-POS, you can select the Preset Templates to add commonly used Modifiers. Once you select a Preset Template, delete any items you do not use or add additional ones you need.

Creating Modifier Categories and Modifiers

Modifier categories and modifiers must be created before they can be connected to inventory items. Start by going to Maintenance > Items and Inventory. In the Modifier Information section select Insert. Enter the description of the category, for example Cheese. To add modifiers to the modifier category, click Insert.

Description - Enter a description of the modifier. For the example, Swiss, American, and Provolone, would all be modifiers in the Cheese category.

Note: Entering an exclamation point (!) as the first character in the description marks the modifier as a Priority Modifier. These modifiers will appear first in the check display window of the terminal screen and print first on the kitchen ticket. Priority Modifiers should be items the kitchen or server need to take care of first. For example, a toasted bun for a burger is a modifier the kitchen has to prepare so they want to see that on the ticket before ketchup, mustard, lettuce, etc.

Position Number - This defines where in the pick list of modifiers this modifier will appear where one(1) is first, two(2) second, etc. Use lower numbers for the most often used modifiers.

Connecting Modifier - A connecting modifier is a modifier of a modifier. In the example below, Chips is a modifier of ham sandwich, and the types of chips are modifiers of Chips.

Price - iQ-POS allows you to charge extra for modifiers, like $.50 extra for Pretzels in the example.

Actual Parent Item - If the modifier is something that is an inventory item, use the drop down box to select the item. This will charge the revenue for the modifier to its parent item and not to the order. Again from the example, the revenue for the Pretzels would come under the Pretzels item and not under Ham Sandwich. If the modifier is something that would not be sold separately, like a slice of cheese, the revenue would be charged to the inventory item modified.

iQ-POS comes with eight common modifiers from meat temperature to condiments to drink orders. Click on Insert from the Modifier Information section, and then click on Preset Templates. A menu of templates appears. Select the one you want to use and the descriptions and defaulted modifiers are entered in the modifier options section of the screen. Use the Insert, Change and Delete buttons, to add, edit, and remove current modifiers. Maximum modifiers allowed are the maximum number of modifiers on an item. For example, you cannot cook eggs scrambled and over easy, but on a sandwich you can have mayonnaise, mustard, cheese, etc. Entering 0 allows an unlimited number of modifiers to be attached to an item.

Example 1:

The inventory item is Ham Sandwich. The modifiers could be "On what bread" and "Side Of". The modifiers "On what bread" and "Side of" are called categories and the modifiers are an extension of the category.

Item            = Ham Sandwich
 Category 1       = On What Bread
   Modifier        = White
   Modifier        = Rye
   Modifier        = Pumpernickel
   Modifier        = Sourdough

 Category 2       = Side Of
   Modifier        = Pickle
   Modifier        = Chips
   Modifier        = Cole Slaw
   Modifier        = Potato Salad

Connecting Modifier:​

A connecting modifier is used if the modifier must connect to another Category to modify the modifier. Sounds complicated, but it isn't. Here is an example:

Item            = Ham Sandwich
 Category 1       = On What Bread
   Modifier        = White
   Modifier        = Rye
   Modifier        = Pumpernickel
   Modifier        = Sourdough

 Category 2       = Side Of 
   Modifier        = Pickle
   Modifier        = Chips (Connecting Modifier = 3)
   Modifier        = Cole Slaw
   Modifier        = Potato Salad

 Category 3       = Chips
   Modifier        = Baked Lays
   Modifier        = Pretzels
   Modifier        = Ruffles
   Modifier        = Sun Chips

In the above example, when/if the user selects chips, they can then pick the kind of chips.

More modifier categories and modifiers would be:

 Category 4       = Drink Modifiers
   Modifier        = On the rocks
   Modifier        = Crushed Ice
   Modifier        = No ice
   Modifier        = No olives
   Modifier        = Double

 Category 5       = Condiments
   Modifier        = Ketchup
   Modifier        = Mustard
   Modifier        = Lettuce
   Modifier        = Pickles
   Modifier        = Onions

 Category 6       = Cooking Temperature
   Modifier        = Rare
   Modifier        = Medium Rare
   Modifier        = Medium
   Modifier        = Medium Well
   Modifier        = Well

If a modifier selection is required, mark the Item itself when adding/selecting modifiers as "Required" and the user will be prompted. If it is not required, the user will not be prompted and must press the Modify button on the Point of Sale terminal screen.