Reference guide
Seasonal menus: prepare a temporary offer without omissions
A scheduled seasonal menu has a start and end date, so it activates and expires automatically. Prepare its content, availability, allergens and dates separately, then check what guests will see before, during and after the period.
When is scheduling useful?
Scheduling suits offers that have a known period: a summer terrace, a Christmas market, a festival, the ski season or an event menu. It avoids depending on a manual activation on the very first day, and on a removal that gets forgotten once the period is over.
In SimplyRestau V2, scheduled seasonal menus are available on the Essential and Pro plans, not on the Free plan.
What should be prepared?
- The exact name and period of the menu.
- The sections and products that will genuinely be available.
- Prices validated specifically for that period.
- Allergens checked carefully against the seasonal recipes.
- Translations reviewed for every language published.
- A replacement menu shown before the start and after the expiry date.
What working calendar should you use?
- Preparation: create and proofread the menu; check recipes, prices, allergens and languages.
- Before opening: preview it on mobile; check dates, links and the order of the sections.
- During the period: track any items that become unavailable; keep dining room, kitchen and menu consistent with each other.
- After expiry: check the menu that is now active; make sure no expired offer is still reachable.
How should activation be secured?
A restaurant prepares its Christmas menu well ahead of time, fixes its dates, then keeps its usual menu ready to take over. Automation only handles the display; the team remains responsible for the availability and accuracy of the products themselves.
- Use the venue's own time zone when fixing the dates.
- Avoid two incompatible menus being active over the same period.
- Decide in advance which menu takes over once this one expires.
- Note down a human check at both the start and the end, even when activation itself is automatic.
- Keep the finished menu only as a template, and only once information that has become inaccurate has been removed.
Which mistakes should be avoided?
- Reusing the allergen data from an old product without checking the new recipe.
- Scheduling an end date without deciding what menu comes next.
- Overlooking the gap between preparation in the kitchen and the availability actually announced.
- Changing prices in only one language.
- Presenting scheduling as if it were automatic stock management.
Frequently asked questions
Does a seasonal menu automatically manage stock levels?
No. Scheduling only concerns when the menu is displayed. Real availability must always be tracked separately by the venue itself.
Can the menu be prepared before it is actually published?
Yes — that is precisely the point of a scheduled period: to prepare and check the content thoroughly before its start date arrives.
Sources and review
Try SimplyRestau with your own menu
Start with a free menu and check the mobile result before choosing a plan.