Recipes and Modifiers at the Bar: Sugar, Ice, Add-Ons
Recipes and Modifiers at the Bar: Sugar, Ice, Add-Ons
Section titled “Recipes and Modifiers at the Bar: Sugar, Ice, Add-Ons”Coffee with or without sugar, soda without ice, double espresso — customers want customization. How to handle this in the system without creating hundreds of item cards, and how to calculate the cost of composite items — below.
What Modifiers Are and Why They Matter
Section titled “What Modifiers Are and Why They Matter”A modifier is a customer preference that changes how an item is prepared:
- No sugar / with sugar / double sugar
- No ice / with ice
- Extra syrup
- Low-fat milk instead of regular
- Double espresso
Modifiers fall into two types:
Free — do not change the price, only the preparation instruction. “No ice” — same soda, just without ice cubes.
Paid — change the item price. “Extra espresso shot” — costs more than a standard coffee.
How to Handle Modifiers in IZI
Section titled “How to Handle Modifiers in IZI”IZI CRM in its base version does not have a built-in modifier module with pricing. There are several working approaches depending on the situation.
Approach 1: Order Comment
Section titled “Approach 1: Order Comment”When creating an order, the administrator enters the preference in the comment field (if available in the interface): “no ice”, “no sugar”, “double.”
The bartender sees the comment on the order card in the kanban board.
Best for: free modifiers that do not change the price. Fast, requires no additional catalog configuration.
Limitation: analytics does not break down orders by modifier — you cannot find out how many times customers asked for “no sugar.”
Approach 2: Separate Items for Paid Variations
Section titled “Approach 2: Separate Items for Paid Variations”If a variation of an item costs more — create a separate card.
Example:
- “Latte 200ml” — standard price
- “Latte 200ml Double” — higher price by the cost of an extra shot
- “Extra Espresso Shot” — separate item that the cashier adds to any drink
This way the price is calculated correctly, analytics per item is accurate, stock is tracked.
Best for: paid variations with consistent demand. “Double espresso” is ordered regularly — a separate card makes sense.
Approach 3: Verbal Handover
Section titled “Approach 3: Verbal Handover”For smaller clubs with direct interaction — the administrator takes the preference verbally and passes it to the bartender when creating the order at the counter. This does not scale for high order volume, but works as a starting point.
Recipes for Composite Items: How to Calculate Cost
Section titled “Recipes for Composite Items: How to Calculate Cost”Composite items — coffee, hot chocolate, tea with syrup, cocktails — have multiple ingredients. The “Purchase Price” field on the item card must reflect the real cost of one portion.
Portion Cost Formula
Section titled “Portion Cost Formula”Portion Cost = Σ (Ingredient Amount × Price per Unit of Ingredient)Example: latte cost calculation
| Ingredient | Amount per Portion | Price per Unit | Cost in Portion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee beans | 18 g | 3 (per gram) | 54 |
| Milk | 150 ml | 0.08 (per ml) | 12 |
| Sugar | 5 g | 0.02 (per gram) | 0.1 |
| Total | 66.1 |
Rounded: cost = 66 in your currency. This number goes into the “Purchase Price” field on the “Latte” item card.
How to Determine Ingredient Amount
Section titled “How to Determine Ingredient Amount”Weigh or measure at the first preparation. For coffee beans — weigh the ground portion. For milk — measure with a measuring cup. Record it as the recipe standard.
Revisit when the recipe changes or when you switch ingredient suppliers.
Ingredient Stock Tracking
Section titled “Ingredient Stock Tracking”For accurate stock tracking of composite items, add ingredients as separate warehouse items:
- “Coffee beans, kg” — received and stored in kilograms
- “Milk, l” — received in litres
- “Vanilla syrup, bottle” — received by unit
When a composite item sells, ingredient stock is reduced through periodic stock counts — there is no automatic ingredient deduction when a dish is sold in the base IZI version. Planned stock counts once per shift or daily provide sufficient accuracy.
More on stock counts and write-offs → Bar Write-Offs and Spoilage.
Recipe Standardization
Section titled “Recipe Standardization”Why write down recipes:
Consistent quality. Different bartenders make coffee differently — a standard evens the result. Customers get the same product regardless of who is on shift.
Predictable cost. The recipe is the basis for calculating the purchase price. Without a standard it is impossible to know the real margin.
Training new staff. A recipe card is an instruction for a new bartender without requiring verbal handover.
Store recipe cards conveniently in a folder near the bar equipment. Simple format: item name, list of ingredients with quantities, preparation steps, photo of the finished result.
Common Modifiers and How to Organize Them
Section titled “Common Modifiers and How to Organize Them”Drink temperature “Hot” / “cold” — if the same product is served in two forms (iced latte), create separate cards: “Latte Hot” and “Iced Latte.” Costs differ (ice is also an ingredient).
Size “Small” / “large” — always separate cards with different prices. “Coffee S 200ml” and “Coffee L 350ml” are different items with different costs and prices.
Free add-ons “No sugar”, “no milk”, “extra ice” — order comment, no separate card needed.
Paid add-ons “Extra syrup” (+price), “extra shot” (+price) — separate add-on items. The cashier adds them to the order alongside the main item.
What’s Next
Section titled “What’s Next”- Setting Up the Bar Menu: Categories and Cards — how to create and edit item cards
- Bar Pricing: Target Margin — how to calculate price accounting for cost
- Bar Write-Offs and Spoilage — how to account for ingredient usage and losses
- Bar Shift Procedure: Opening and Closing — how to check recipes and ingredient supplies
Frequently asked questions
What are modifiers in a bar order?
Modifiers are customer preferences for a specific item: no sugar, no ice, double espresso, extra syrup. They specify how to prepare the item and may affect the price.
How do I pass a customer's preference to the bartender if the system does not support modifiers?
Add a comment to the order in the text field (if available in the interface). Or the administrator tells the bartender verbally when passing the order. For standardization — create separate item cards for frequent variations.
Do I need to create separate items for coffee without sugar and with sugar?
Only if it affects the price. If the price is the same — one item with an order comment is better. If a 'double espresso' costs more — create a separate item.
How do I calculate the cost of coffee if it contains multiple ingredients?
Portion cost = sum of all ingredient costs for one portion. Beans × amount per portion + milk × amount + syrup × amount. This sum goes into the 'Purchase Price' field on the item card in IZI.
What do I do with ingredient stock when composite items are being sold?
Keep separate warehouse items for each ingredient (coffee beans, milk, syrups). When a composite item sells, adjust ingredient stock through a stock count — there is no automatic ingredient breakdown on sale in the base version of IZI.
How do I create a paid modifier (e.g., an extra espresso shot)?
Create a separate item 'Extra Espresso Shot' with the add-on price. The cashier adds it to the order alongside the main item. This is cleaner than manually adjusting the order price.