> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.storetalk.app/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Building your menu > Categories, items, modifiers and allergens in the Restaurant app Your menu is built in the **Menu Builder** in the restaurant dashboard. It has three building blocks: categories, items, and modifier groups. ## Categories Categories are the sections of your menu — *Coffee & Hot*, *Brunch*, *Wraps & Salads*, *Cold Drinks*. Add a category, then add items to it. Categories appear as tabs on the customer's menu in the order you set. ## Items Each item has a name, a price, an optional photo and description, a kitchen **station** (so the order routes to the right screen), and allergen / dietary information. * **Price** is entered in your currency's main unit (e.g. `3.20` for £3.20). Internally everything is stored in the smallest unit (pence, cents, paise) so totals never drift. * **Station** (e.g. `bar`, `grill`, `cold`) decides which Kitchen Display ticket the item joins. Leave it blank for a single-station kitchen. * **Allergens** — tick any of the 14 FSA allergens; they're shown to the customer inline. * **Vegetarian / vegan** markers show a green dot on the menu. * **86 an item** — toggle *Available* off to hide a sold-out item instantly; toggle it back on when it returns. ## Modifier groups Modifier groups are how a customer customises an item — *Size*, *Milk*, *Add extras*. A group is **reusable**: build "Milk options" once and attach it to every coffee. Each group has: * **Required or optional** — a required group must be chosen before the item can be added to the basket (e.g. *Size*). Optional groups can be skipped (e.g. *Add extras*). * **How many** — the minimum and maximum a customer may choose. Set max to 1 for a single choice (radio buttons); higher for multi-select (checkboxes). * **Options** — each option has a name and a **price change** (which can be zero, or even negative). "Large +£0.80", "Oat milk +£0.50", "Extra shot +£0.60". When a customer picks options, the item's price updates live and the exact choices are saved with the order — so a later menu edit never changes a placed order. ## Tax, service charge and tips In **Settings** you choose how money is handled: * **Tax mode** — *VAT* (UK/EU), *GST* (India), *Sales tax*, or *None*. * **Inclusive or exclusive** — UK menus are usually VAT-inclusive (the price already includes tax); exclusive adds it at checkout. * **Per-order-type rates** — e.g. eat-in vs cold-takeaway can carry different VAT. * **Service charge** — an optional percentage (commonly 12.5%) applied to dine-in orders. It is discretionary, so the customer can remove it, and it sits outside the tax base. * **Tips** — offer preset tip percentages at checkout. Next: print table QR codes and run the kitchen board.