How to Publish a Bar or Restaurant Menu

<h2>Who is this for?</h2> <p><strong>Bars, restaurants, tasting rooms, and speakeasies</strong> that want guests to browse pours on their phone (Safari, QR, or App Clip) without needing a WhiskeyMate account. Collectors who only want a public shelf can leave <strong>Bar / Restaurant mode</strong> off.</p> <h2>Why publish a menu?</h2> <ul> <li><strong>One link, always current</strong> — update bottles or pour prices in the app, then refresh the public menu.</li> <li><strong>Table-ready QR</strong> — guests scan and open the menu instantly; on iPhone it can launch the WhiskeyMate App Clip when available.</li> <li><strong>Pour prices guests can trust</strong> — Bar / Restaurant mode unlocks pour price fields on bottle entry and detail.</li> <li><strong>Official at your venue</strong> — claim your Google Place so guests see your menu first (not a community tip).</li> <li><strong>Faster setup</strong> — Capture menu photographs your printed board and drafts bottles + prices into the collection.</li> </ul> <h2>What you need</h2> <ul> <li>WhiskeyMate <strong>Premium</strong></li> <li>A <strong>collection</strong> that is (or will be) your venue pour list</li> <li>Bottles with quantity &gt; 0 that you want guests to see</li> </ul> <h2>Where to find the controls</h2> <p>Open the collection → <strong>Sharing</strong> (or Profile → <strong>Manage Sharing</strong>). You’ll see <strong>Share publicly</strong>, then <strong>Bar / Restaurant mode</strong>.</p> <h2>Step-by-step</h2> <ol> <li><strong>Share publicly</strong> — Turn this on to publish a guest link and QR. Anyone can open the collection without signing in.</li> <li><strong>Bar / Restaurant mode</strong> — Turn this on if the collection is a venue pour list. This unlocks pour price fields, Capture menu, and Claim your place. Leave it off for a collector shelf preview.</li> <li><strong>Add pour prices</strong> — Edit each bottle (or use Capture menu). Set pour price, optional currency/label, section, and featured pours.</li> <li><strong>Update public menu</strong> — Tap this after price or bottle changes so the guest link, QR, and App Clip show the latest snapshot. Turning Share publicly on the first time publishes; later edits need Update.</li> <li><strong>Share the link or print the QR</strong> — Copy the public URL or use the guest QR on tables / the bar rail.</li> <li><strong>Optional — Claim your place</strong> — Verify your Google Business listing so guests see <strong>Official</strong> at that venue. See <em>How Bars Claim an Official Place Menu</em>.</li> </ol> <h2>When to update</h2> <ul> <li>After changing pour prices, adding or removing bottles, or editing sections</li> <li>After a Capture menu import</li> <li>Whenever you want the QR / App Clip to match what’s behind the stick</li> </ul> <h2>How guests open it</h2> <ul> <li><strong>Web:</strong> <code>https://applinks.whiskeymate.net/public/collection/?id=&lt;shareId&gt;</code></li> <li><strong>Short App Clip path:</strong> <code>https://applinks.whiskeymate.net/c?id=&lt;shareId&gt;</code></li> <li><strong>Place hub (after claim):</strong> <code>https://applinks.whiskeymate.net/public/place/?id=&lt;GooglePlaceId&gt;</code></li> </ul> <h2>What Bar / Restaurant mode is not</h2> <ul> <li>It does <strong>not</strong> auto-fill pour prices — you set them (or Capture menu drafts them).</li> <li>It does <strong>not</strong> replace community Place Menus. Guests can still see community tips under Place Menus unless you claim Official.</li> <li>If you only want a public collector shelf, use Share publicly and leave Bar / Restaurant mode off.</li> </ul> <h2>Tips</h2> <ul> <li>Use <strong>menu sections</strong> (Bourbon, Rye, Scotch…) so the guest page is scannable.</li> <li>Mark <strong>featured</strong> pours for house favorites.</li> <li>Hide bottles with <strong>Show in public collection</strong> off, or set quantity to 0.</li> <li>Keep Share publicly on while you edit; tap <strong>Update public menu</strong> when ready for guests to see changes.</li> </ul> <h2>Need help?</h2> <p>Email <a href="mailto:info@whiskeymate.net">info@whiskeymate.net</a> — include your venue name and the public menu link if you have one.</p>