How It Works
Wondering what's behind the report and where your analysis is coming from? Here's what happens, step-by-step, from the moment you share your menu to the moment your report is ready.
1. You share your menu
Paste a link to your online menu or upload a file or photos if your menu lives somewhere we can't reach directly (like a delivery marketplace, reservation platform, or a non-Toast ordering system). Only share a link that you have the right to share with us and to authorize us to use to access the content it contains.
Either path works the same way from there. Before we begin, you'll confirm that you have the right to share this menu with Toast.
We do not share your data and it will not be used to train AI tools.
2. We confirm what we found
Before any analysis happens, we show you what we detected, including your restaurant name, cuisine, menu items, and your location, which we identify through your menu input using Google Places API. You have the opportunity to confirm that we read your menu correctly. This is also where we ask for your email, so we can deliver your finished report and provide you with materials about Toast products and services.
3. We use AI to analyze your menu
Once you've confirmed your details, your menu runs through a structured set of analyses powered by a third party LLM. Each analysis compares your menu against data from sources we have selected, outlined below.
From that analysis, the tool observes things about your menu that it identifies as consistent with our sources; infers a pattern or opportunity; and names gaps in your menu that you may or may not want to address based on your own knowledge and specific context.
Sources behind the analysis:
- Toast's own published research and educational content on menu strategy
- Published menu and restaurant-operations expertise from Toast's subject matter experts
- USDA seasonal produce data
- FDA allergen data
- Publicly available information on restaurant concepts and formats
- Toast's brand and communication guidelines, used to keep your report clear and consistent
- The content of your own menu
Every finding in your report is intended to be grounded in something we can point to in your menu itself, combined with the reference data above.
4. We send you your report
Your report opens with an overview, then breaks into detailed pages covering topics such as seasonality, menu language, industry signals, menu structure, pricing presentation, ordering cues, and featured items. The exact structure of the report depends on the content of your own menu. Each finding is labeled a Strength, an Opportunity, or Worth Watching, so you can see at a glance where the tool thinks your menu is working well and where there may be room to grow.
What this report can (and can't) tell you
This report reflects what's observable in your menu and how it compares to broader industry and seasonal data drawn from the sources above. It's a snapshot, not a substitute for a full operational or financial analysis of your restaurant. Some questions — like how a menu change could affect your order volume or revenue — require more than a menu alone can tell us. Where that's the case, we'll say so directly, and point you toward a conversation with the Toast team.
Additional Information and Disclosures
This tool uses AI, including large language models, to generate menu recommendations. AI outputs may contain errors and are for informational purposes only — they don't guarantee any business result (revenue, traffic, or otherwise) and aren't a substitute for professional business, financial, or culinary advice. Evaluate all recommendations independently before acting.
Recommendations draw on publicly available data (including USDA seasonal produce data and national trend/menu information), which Toast doesn't independently verify and which may not reflect your specific location or be current or comprehensive.
We collect your email to deliver your analysis and, with consent, send Toast product updates. Uploaded menu data isn't retained after your analysis is generated. See our Privacy Statement (California addendum).