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Menu Setup

The menu system is the heart of BarStrad-Bot. This guide covers how to configure, customize, and manage your menu files.

BarStrad-Bot uses JSON files to store menu data:

  • src/data/menu-items.bg.json - Bulgarian menu
  • src/data/menu-items.en.json - English menu

Basic Menu Structure​

Each menu file follows this structure:

[
  {
    "category": "Category Name",
    "icon": "🍸",
    "items": [
      {
        "name": "Item Name",
        "price": "4.00 лв.",
        "icon": "🍸"
      }
    ]
  }
]

Field Descriptions​

Category Object​

  • category (string, required): Display name for the menu category
  • icon (string, required): Emoji icon for the category
  • items (array, required): Array of menu items in this category

Item Object​

  • name (string, required): Display name for the menu item
  • price (string, required): Formatted price string
  • icon (string, required): Emoji icon for the item

Example Menu Configurations​

Bulgarian Menu Example​

[
  {
    "category": "Шотове",
    "icon": "🍸",
    "items": [
      { "name": "Текила Jose Cuervo Silver 30мл", "price": "4.00 лв.", "icon": "🍸" },
      { "name": "Текила Jose Cuervo Gold 30мл", "price": "4.50 лв.", "icon": "🍸" },
      { "name": "Aftershock 30мл", "price": "4.00 лв.", "icon": "🍸" },
      { "name": "Jagermeister 30мл", "price": "4.00 лв.", "icon": "🍸" }
    ]
  },
  {
    "category": "Джин",
    "icon": "🍸",
    "items": [
      { "name": "Tanqueray 50мл", "price": "6.00 лв.", "icon": "🍸" },
      { "name": "Bombay Sapphire 50мл", "price": "6.50 лв.", "icon": "🍸" },
      { "name": "Hendrick's 50мл", "price": "8.00 лв.", "icon": "🍸" }
    ]
  }
]

English Menu Example​

[
  {
    "category": "Shots",
    "icon": "🥃",
    "items": [
      { "name": "Tequila Jose Cuervo Silver 30ml", "price": "4.00 лв.", "icon": "🥃" },
      { "name": "Tequila Jose Cuervo Gold 30ml", "price": "4.50 лв.", "icon": "🥃" },
      { "name": "Aftershock 30ml", "price": "4.00 лв.", "icon": "🥃" },
      { "name": "Jagermeister 30ml", "price": "4.00 лв.", "icon": "🥃" }
    ]
  },
  {
    "category": "Gin",
    "icon": "🍸",
    "items": [
      { "name": "Tanqueray 50ml", "price": "6.00 лв.", "icon": "🍸" },
      { "name": "Bombay Sapphire 50ml", "price": "6.50 лв.", "icon": "🍸" },
      { "name": "Hendrick's 50ml", "price": "8.00 лв.", "icon": "🍸" }
    ]
  }
]

Common Bar Categories​

Here are typical categories for bars and their suggested icons:

Category (EN)Category (BG)IconDescription
ShotsШотове🥃Shot drinks
GinДжин🍸Gin-based drinks
WhiskyУиски🥃Whisky varieties
VodkaВодка🍸Vodka drinks
RumРом🍹Rum-based drinks
CocktailsКоктейли🍹Mixed cocktails
BeerБира🍺Beer selection
WineВино🍷Wine selection
Non-AlcoholicБезалкохолно🥤Soft drinks

Restaurant Categories​

For restaurants, consider these categories:

Category (EN)Category (BG)IconDescription
AppetizersПредястия🥗Starter dishes
Main CoursesОсновни ястия🍽️Main dishes
DessertsДесерти🍰Sweet treats
SoupsСупи🍲Soup varieties
SaladsСалати🥗Fresh salads
PizzaПица🍕Pizza options
PastaПаста🍝Pasta dishes
SeafoodМорски деликатеси🐟Fish and seafood

Item Naming Conventions​

Best Practices​

  1. Be Descriptive: Include key details like size, ingredients, or preparation method
  2. Include Size: Specify volume (ml, cl) or weight (g, kg) where relevant
  3. Brand Names: Include brand names for premium products
  4. Consistency: Use consistent formatting across all items

Good Examples​

{ "name": "Tanqueray Gin 50ml", "price": "6.00 лв.", "icon": "🍸" }
{ "name": "Grilled Salmon with Lemon", "price": "25.00 лв.", "icon": "🐟" }
{ "name": "Cappuccino (Large)", "price": "4.50 лв.", "icon": "☕" }

Avoid These​

{ "name": "Gin", "price": "6.00 лв.", "icon": "🍸" }          // Too vague
{ "name": "Fish", "price": "25.00 лв.", "icon": "🐟" }        // Not descriptive
{ "name": "Coffee", "price": "4.50 лв.", "icon": "☕" }       // Missing size

Price Formatting​

Currency and Format​

The current examples use Bulgarian Lev (лв.) format:

"price": "4.00 лв."

For Other Currencies​

You can adapt the format for your currency:

// USD
"price": "$4.00"

// EUR
"price": "4.00 €"

// GBP
"price": "£3.50"

// Turkish Lira
"price": "45.00 ₺"

Price Range Examples​

// Standard pricing
"price": "5.00 лв."

// Premium pricing
"price": "12.50 лв."

// Budget pricing
"price": "2.50 лв."

// Market price (variable)
"price": "Market Price"

// Special offers
"price": "4.00 лв. (Special)"

Icon Selection​

Emoji Guidelines​

  1. Relevant: Choose icons that represent the item or category
  2. Consistent: Use similar styles within categories
  3. Clear: Ensure icons display well on all devices
  4. Professional: Avoid overly playful icons for serious establishments

Alcoholic Drinks:

  • 🍸 Cocktails, Gin, Martinis
  • 🥃 Whisky, Shots, Spirits
  • 🍹 Tropical drinks, Rum cocktails
  • 🍺 Beer, Lager
  • 🍷 Wine, Champagne
  • 🥂 Sparkling drinks, Celebrations

Food Items:

  • 🍽️ Main courses, Complete meals
  • 🥗 Salads, Appetizers
  • 🍲 Soups, Stews
  • 🍕 Pizza
  • 🍝 Pasta
  • 🐟 Seafood, Fish
  • 🥩 Meat dishes
  • 🍰 Desserts
  • ☕ Coffee, Hot drinks

Non-Alcoholic:

  • 🥤 Soft drinks, Sodas
  • 🧃 Juices
  • 🥛 Milk-based drinks
  • 🫖 Tea
  • ☕ Coffee

JSON Syntax Validation​

Ensure your JSON is valid:

# Check JSON syntax
node -e "console.log(JSON.parse(require('fs').readFileSync('src/data/menu-items.bg.json', 'utf8')))"

Required Fields Validation​

Each menu item must have:

  • category (string)
  • icon (string)
  • items (array)

Each item must have:

  • name (string)
  • price (string)
  • icon (string)

Common Validation Errors​

  1. Missing Commas: JSON requires commas between objects and properties
  2. Trailing Commas: JSON doesn't allow trailing commas
  3. Quote Consistency: Use double quotes, not single quotes
  4. Escape Characters: Properly escape special characters

Adding New Items​

  1. Choose appropriate category or create a new one
  2. Follow naming conventions established in your menu
  3. Use consistent price formatting
  4. Select appropriate icon
  5. Test the changes with !menu command

Updating Prices​

  1. Update both language files to maintain consistency
  2. Use find-and-replace for bulk price updates
  3. Test after updates to ensure proper display

Seasonal Menus​

Consider creating seasonal variations:

# Backup current menu
cp src/data/menu-items.bg.json src/data/menu-items.bg.backup.json

# Create seasonal version
cp src/data/menu-items.bg.summer.json src/data/menu-items.bg.json

Track popular items by monitoring order patterns:

  • Most frequently ordered items
  • Peak ordering times
  • Category popularity
  • Customer preferences

Troubleshooting Menu Issues​

  1. Check JSON syntax using online JSON validators
  2. Verify file paths are correct
  3. Check file permissions (readable by the application)
  4. Review console logs for specific error messages

Items Not Displaying​

  1. Verify required fields are present
  2. Check for special characters that might break parsing
  3. Ensure consistent structure across all categories

Order Numbers Wrong​

The bot auto-numbers items sequentially. If numbering seems off:

  1. Check item order in the JSON file
  2. Verify no missing items between categories
  3. Restart the bot to reload menu data

Need help with environment setup? See Environment Variables or check out Discord Setup.