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title: "Sub Items | SpotOn Restaurant BOH"
canonical: "https://help.spoton.com/space/SK/2658076199/Sub%20Items%20%7C%20SpotOn%20Restaurant%20BOH"
format: markdown
---
What are Sub Items and when should they be used?
A **Sub Item **group is a different way to present choices while ordering a **Menu Item**. **Modifiers** are generally easier for order entry, and they tend to create more readable kitchen tickets. If it’s possible to meet a requirement with **Modifiers, **they are the preferred choice.
> ℹ️ If a choice requires modifier options (i.e. No, Lite, Onside, 2x), use modifiers. Sub item groups have no prefixes or modifier options. A possible workaround is to create items with names like **No Onions** and add them to the sub item group, but this is not ideal.
Sub items are choices that pop up after ordering a menu item, but they use a **Menu Item Group** instead of a **Modifier Group**. The **Menu Items** in this group are the choices. If a menu item group exists only to provide sub items, consider hiding the group and/or items from search and online ordering. A group like this should probably not be added to any **Menu Screens**. If the intent is to allow make half-and-half pizzas, it should not be possible to order half of a pizza.
| **Features** | **Modifier** | **Sub Item** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Offer different choices based on previous selection** | No | Yes |
| **Use Modifier Options** | Yes | No |
| **Appear as an Item in reporting** | No | Yes |
| **Print somewhere different than the parent item** | No | Yes |
| **Make the same selection twice** | Yes* | Yes |
| Obey Pricing Events | No | Yes |
| Obey Price Levels | Yes | Yes |
| **By attaching the same modifier group twice* |
These are some requirements that cannot be easily met with modifiers:
- Different selections require different options at the next stage. If the an entrée offers a choice between **Fries** and **Salad** as a side, the **Fries / Salad** choice should be implemented as a sub item group. The **Fries** may not need a follow-up choice, but the **Salad** probably needs a **Dressing** choice. Modifiers do not provide a way to ask the dressing question only when the salad option is selected.
- A choice needs to be tracked in reporting as an item. If it’s important to track the sales of **Fries** as a side together with **Fries** ordered a la carte, use a sub item. Modifiers are still tracked in reporting. If front-of-house usability benefits from implementing **Fries** as a modifier, the sales can easily be calculated by adding the **Fries** item to the** Fries** modifier.
- The same choice can be selected more than once. If a meal comes with two sides, it’s possible that the guest will want two portions of the same side. If a modifier is already chosen, selecting the same button again will remove it. Sub item groups allow selecting the same button more than once to increase the quantity ordered. A similar outcome can be achieved by linking the same modifier group to an item multiple times, and the specific circumstances determine which method is better.
- A choice needs to follow a different print routing than the item. Modifiers will always print with the item, but sub items can be configured to follow their own requisition group or to follow the parent item. This is important in kitchen environments where the **Fry** cook is not meant to get a ticket for the **Salad**.
- Half-and-half pizza. If a guest is allowed to combine two specialty pizzas into one half-and-half pizza (i.e. one large pizza, half **Meat Lover** and half **Supreme), **sub item items are often the best way to calculate the correct price. **This is not necessary for adding or removing individual toppings on half of a pizza, only for combining two distinct menu items**.
- The choice needs to be affected by a pricing event. Modifiers cannot be made unavailable or have their prices changed by pricing events. In some cases, affecting the price or availability of the menu item is as good as affecting the modifier. If not, consider using sub items.
- Menu Item Reusability. If a dinner entrée comes with a choice of sides, and the choices all exist as menu items as the **Sides** menu item group, consider using that as a sub item group. Differences in price can easily be handled with a **Price Level**. Not only does this save time, but it can make future menu changes easier by eliminating confusing duplicates. There are also advantages in front of house functionality. If all occurrences of **Fries** are the same menu item, a user can 86 the item and it will appear as out-of-stock in both the **Sides** menu and the sub item group offering side choices for entrees.
| | |
| --- | --- |
| **Action** | **Display** |
| 1. Create or find the appropriate **Menu Item Group**.
> ℹ️ **Creating a Subgroup**
> ℹ️
> ℹ️ When creating a Subgroup, keep the following SpotOn standards in mind:
> ℹ️
> ℹ️ **Standards for New Subgroups**
> ℹ️
> ℹ️ - Assign the color white as an indicator.
> ℹ️ - Color: White
> ℹ️ - Write the name between curly brackets { }.
> ℹ️ - This ensures the new Subgroup is automatically placed at the end of the list.
> ℹ️
> ℹ️ **Using Existing Menu Groups**
> ℹ️
> ℹ️ - If you are using an existing regular Menu Group, do not apply these indicators. |  |
| 2. Ensure that this group contains the correct **Menu Items**. These items will appear as choices after ordering the parent item and selecting its **Modifiers**. | 
 |
| > ℹ️ If a menu item group exists only to provide sub items, consider hiding the group and/or items from search and online ordering. A group like this should probably not be added to any **Menu Screens**. |  |
| 3. Find the parent item. This is the item that the sub item group attaches to. |  |
| 4. Select **New Linkage** and choose the appropriate **Menu Group** in the list. | 
 |
| 5. Determine the **Min** and **Max** based on what the guest should be allowed to have and what information is necessary to make the order.
> ℹ️ If **Min** is blank, the order flow can proceed without selecting any sub items. If **Max** is blank, an unlimited number of sub items can be added. |  |
| 6. Select the checkbox ‘**Print in Red**’ to ensure that the subgroups print in red on the kitchen printer, unless that subgroup is used as a size choice (*for example, pizza sizes*).
7. Choose a **Price Level** in the **Pricing** drop-down. If the price of the sub items is included in the parent item, select **None**. **Current** uses the **Standard** price of the menu item. Other price levels are created in the **Price Levels **section of the back office and set for each menu item. **Rollup Pricing** adds the price of the sub item to the parent item instead of displaying it on a different line. The best practice is to make this match the menu that is shown to guests.
> ℹ️ If the parent item includes one sub item, but additional sub items can be added for a price, consider attaching the sub item group twice:
> ℹ️
> ℹ️ Once with **Max: 1 **and **Pricing: None**
> ℹ️
> ℹ️ And again with no **Max** and a different **Price Level**. | 
 |