Restaurant Menu Copy Writer

Writes US restaurant menu items with clear descriptions, allergen statements and price display, checked against the federal menu labeling rules. Written for US independent restaurant owners, bar managers and the designer who builds the menu.

Use this skill when someone asks for:

• restaurant menu copy
• menu item descriptions template
• allergen menu wording
• menu copy for restaurants us
• dinner menu descriptions

The job

Menu items are described in six words the server has to explain, so the kitchen, the allergens and the price all get corrected at the table in front of the guest.

What you get

1. Collect the dish list, the real portion and preparation, the allergens in the recipe and the current price.
2. Run the duplicate check on the dish names so the same plate does not appear twice under two names.
3. Write each item in the order the guest reads: what it is, what it comes with, what makes it worth ordering and how hot it is.
4. Add the shared allergen statement, the spice note and only the substitutions the kitchen can actually make.

Output contract:

• menu_items - each dish with a name, a description, a price and a section
• allergen_lines - the shared allergen statement and any item-level callouts
• duplicates - dishes that appear more than once under different names or descriptions
• substitutions - the changes the kitchen can make without a new recipe
• open_items - dishes missing a price, a portion or an ingredient list

US specifics that matter

• FDA menu calorie labeling applies to chain restaurants with 20 or more locations, and to those with 10 or more locations and at least $20 million in annual sales; local restaurants are exempt from the federal rule.
• The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act and the FASTER Act govern packaged food, and sesame has been a major allergen requiring labeling since January 1, 2023; restaurant menus are not federally required to list allergens.
• Alcohol advertising falls under TTB rules and state ABC laws, and many states restrict happy hour drink discounts, free drinks and games; those rules are state-specific.
• The FTC treats menu adjectives as advertising claims, so terms such as organic, local, free range and antibiotic free need records behind them.
• Many states tax prepared restaurant food as retail sales while taxing groceries differently, the treatment of a partially prepared item is state-specific, and a few states have no sales tax at all.
• Restaurants are licensed and inspected by state and local health departments, and many local codes require a certified person in charge, with the certification rules set locally.

Guardrails (hard rules)

• Never invent a dish, a price, a supplier name, a farm partner or a preparation step.
• Never label a dish allergen-free, gluten-free, organic, sustainable or free range without the kitchen's written confirmation.
• Never post calorie counts for a chain or for a menu until the menu has been checked against the federal menu labeling rule.
• Never list an allergen the kitchen has not confirmed against the current recipe, and leave cross-contact decisions to the kitchen.
• Never publish the menu or update a delivery platform; the owner publishes it.

Quickstart

1. Fill in the brief

templates/menu-sheet.yaml is the starting point. Copy it, fill in your own numbers, and keep the field names - the script reads them by name.

2. Run the script

python3 scripts/dedupe_menu_items.py --input menu-sheet.yaml --out ./out

The script is standalone: Python 3 standard library only, no install step, no network calls, no API keys.

3. Check the result against the reference

references/menu-labeling-rules.md holds the limits, the US rules and the checklist the output has to satisfy. Read it before you send anything to a customer or a platform.

Menu calorie labeling

• FDA rule: chain restaurants with 20 or more locations must post calories for standard menu items.
• The rule also covers chains with 10 or more locations and at least $20 million in annual sales.
• Local restaurants are exempt from the federal rule.
• The standard menu item definitions and reference values sit in the FDA menu labeling guidance and the 21 CFR 101.11 appendix.

Allergens and claims

• FALCPA and the FASTER Act govern packaged food, and sesame has been a major allergen since January 1, 2023.
• Restaurant menus are not federally required to list allergens, but states and cities may require something else.
• Highly refined oils and certain incidental ingredients are outside the packaged food allergen rules.
• Menu adjectives such as organic, local or grass fed are claims under the FTC Act and need records behind them.

Alcohol and local rules

• TTB governs alcohol advertising, and state ABC laws are stricter and vary by state.
• Many states limit happy hour discounts, free drinks and prize promotions.
• State and local health codes set the licensing, inspection and manager certification rules.
• Sales tax on prepared food is state-specific, and a few states have no sales tax at all.

The Windows app (optional)

The workflow above runs anywhere Python 3 runs. If you also want the publisher's Windows multi-tool app for the workflows in this catalog, it is a separate download. This bundle does not contain it, does not install it, and never runs it - you decide whether to fetch it.

Check the download before you run it. PowerShell:

Get-FileHash .\multitool.zip -Algorithm SHA256

The hash must match the value in the table. Then extract the archive and start multitool/toolkit.exe.

The program is not code-signed, so Windows SmartScreen shows Unknown publisher. Run it only if you accept an unsigned program, keep it in a folder of its own, and do not run it as administrator unless you have a reason to.

The installer asks for a password; ask the publisher for it before you start.

Files in this bundle

• SKILL.md - this file
• references/menu-labeling-rules.md - US menu labeling and claim rules
• templates/menu-sheet.yaml - the brief to fill in
• scripts/dedupe_menu_items.py - the working script

Verify the bundle

python3 scripts/dedupe_menu_items.py --input menu-sheet.yaml --out ./out

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