Menu Board
The menu board is a digital display designed for in-store screens (TVs, monitors, tablets) that shows your product catalog to customers as they browse. It is especially popular in cannabis dispensaries where customers review the menu while waiting. The menu board updates automatically as you change products, prices, or stock levels in the admin panel.
How the Menu Board Works
The menu board is a dedicated web page served by Brother POS. You load this page on a display device (TV, monitor, or tablet) and it runs continuously, cycling through your products. No special software is needed on the display device -- just a web browser.
Accessing Menu Board Templates
Menu board templates are managed on the Menu Board Templates page.
- Log in to the Admin Panel.
- Navigate to Menu Board Templates in the admin panel.
- The template management page loads.
Setting Up a Display
Step 1: Configure a Menu Board Template
Brother POS includes 5 default templates:
| Template | Layout Type | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Cannabis Grid | Grid | Cannabis dispensaries with product grids |
| Retail Carousel | Carousel | Retail stores with rotating product displays |
| Simple Price List | List | Clean, text-focused price lists |
| Minimal Modern | Grid | Modern minimalist aesthetic |
| Restaurant Menu | List | Food service and restaurant menus |
Each template can be configured with:
- Layout type -- Grid, Carousel, or List.
- Orientation -- Portrait or Landscape.
- Resolution -- Width and height in pixels.
- Refresh interval -- How often the display refreshes data from the server (default: every 5 minutes via HTTP).
- Page duration -- How long each page is shown before rotating.
- Transition type -- Fade, Slide, Zoom, or None.
- Zones -- Configurable header, products, and footer zones.
- Product card settings -- Which fields appear on each product card.
- Categories to display -- Select which product categories appear.
Step 2: Open the Menu Board URL
- The menu board display URL is available from the Menu Board Templates page. Each template has its own display URL.
- Copy the display URL for your chosen template.
- On your display device, open a web browser (Chrome recommended).
- Navigate to the URL.
- The menu board loads in full-screen mode.
Press F11 on the display device's keyboard to enter full-screen mode and hide the browser toolbar. For a completely clean display, use Chrome's kiosk mode.
Step 3: Position the Display
Mount or position the screen where customers can see it easily:
- Behind the counter, facing the customer.
- In the waiting area.
- At the entrance for walk-in browsing.
Menu Board Content
Product Information Displayed
Each product on the menu board shows:
| Field | Shown When |
|---|---|
| Product Name | Always |
| Price | Always |
| Category | When grouped by category |
| Strain Type | Cannabis features enabled |
| THC % | Show THC/CBD feature flag enabled |
| CBD % | Show THC/CBD feature flag enabled |
| In Stock / Out of Stock | Always (out-of-stock items can be hidden) |
Out-of-Stock Products
Configure how out-of-stock products appear:
- Show as "Sold Out" -- Product stays on the board with a "Sold Out" label.
- Hide -- Out-of-stock products are removed from the board entirely.
Set this in Menu Board Settings > Out-of-Stock Behavior.
Customizing the Appearance
Theme Settings
Templates have full theme settings with 15+ configurable colors including:
- Background colors -- Overall background, card background, header/footer backgrounds.
- Text colors -- Primary text, secondary text, header text, footer text.
- Accent colors -- Accent color, price color, sale price color.
- Cannabis-specific colors -- Indica, Sativa, Hybrid, and CBD strain type colors.
- Fonts -- Configurable font families for headings and body text.
- Visual styling -- Shadow intensity and border radius for product cards.
Real-Time Updates
The menu board updates automatically:
- Price changes -- Updated on the next refresh cycle.
- Stock changes -- Products go to "Sold Out" or are hidden when the display refreshes.
- New products -- Appear on the board after the next refresh cycle.
- Product edits -- Name, THC/CBD, and other field changes reflect after the next refresh.
The menu board uses periodic HTTP refresh (default every 5 minutes) to fetch updated data from the server. The refresh interval is configurable per template.
The menu board requires an active internet connection on the display device. If the connection drops, the last loaded data remains visible, but updates will not appear until connectivity is restored.
Multi-Page Rotation
If you have more products than fit on a single screen:
- Enable Auto-Rotate in the menu board settings.
- Set the rotation interval (seconds per page).
- The menu board cycles through pages automatically.
- A progress indicator at the bottom shows which page is currently displayed.
Multiple Menu Boards
You can run the menu board on multiple screens simultaneously. All screens display the same content. If you need different content on different screens (e.g., "Flower" on one screen, "Edibles" on another):
- Create different category selections for each screen.
- Use URL parameters to load specific configurations:
https://yourstoreurl.brotherpos.ca/menu?category_id=1https://yourstoreurl.brotherpos.ca/menu?category_id=2
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Menu board is blank | Check that products are set to Active and categories are selected in settings. |
| Prices not updating | Verify the display device has internet connectivity. Refresh the page. |
| Text too small | Increase the font size setting or move the display closer. |
| Screen goes to sleep | Adjust the display device's power settings to disable sleep/screensaver. |
| Browser toolbar showing | Press F11 for full-screen mode or use kiosk mode. |
Best Practices
- Use a dark theme -- Dark backgrounds are easier to read in retail environments and produce less glare.
- Keep it simple -- Show 15-20 products per page maximum. Too many items overwhelm customers.
- Update regularly -- Keep the menu board current. Outdated prices or unavailable products damage trust.
- Use a dedicated device -- Do not use the menu board device for other tasks. Dedicate a Chromebit, Fire TV Stick, or Raspberry Pi.
- Check from the customer's perspective -- Stand where customers stand and verify readability.
- Power cycle weekly -- Restart the display device weekly to prevent browser memory issues.
What's Next?
- Kitchen Display -- Set up a display for order preparation areas.
- Label Templates -- Print physical labels for products shown on the menu board.
- Managing Products -- Manage the products that appear on the menu board.