Frequently asked questions

Yes. You can try Harlo free for 30 days with your real menus, ingredients and team.

Most teams start with the menu information they already have. Setup time depends on menu size and complexity; guided setup helps you import, review and complete the detail.

Yes. Import your menu data or supplier sheets, then review and complete the information in Harlo before you publish.

Harlo manages allergen information from the underlying ingredient data. When an ingredient changes, that information can flow through to the dishes and guest-facing menus that use it.

Yes. Harlo supports shared menu and ingredient data across locations, while allowing each site to manage its own menus, pricing and brand details.

Yes. Harlo has no long-term lock-in, so you can cancel when it no longer suits your operation.

Choose Starter or Pro when your trial ends. There is no long-term commitment, and you can cancel at any time.

Yes. Your saved data is retained on downgrade. If you exceed Starter’s limits, you can still edit existing items and menus, but must archive unused records or upgrade before adding more. Costings requires Pro.

Starter and Pro each include one location. Contact us about Groups for additional venues and a rollout that fits your business.

Specification sheets and labels are standalone modules, separate from Starter and Pro. Contact us to discuss the modules you need.

No. You can explore Harlo and set up your real menu before choosing a paid plan.

No. The prices shown are the subscription prices; group onboarding or bespoke rollout requirements are agreed clearly before work begins.

It means allergen information is recorded against the ingredients first, rather than copied onto every dish. Recipes, menu items, variants and add-ons can then use the detail from the ingredients they contain.

Update the source record, review the connected recipes and menu items, then publish the guest-facing change when your team is ready.

Yes. Sauces, toppings, swaps and add-ons can be part of a dish, so the allergen information reflects the version a guest is actually considering.

Harlo keeps the ingredient and recipe structure behind the dish, giving the team a clearer route back to the source information when they need to check it.

Shared ingredient and recipe data can be managed centrally, while each location uses the menu, price and guest presentation that are relevant there.

Allergen management software helps restaurants track, manage and display allergen information accurately across menus. Instead of relying on spreadsheets or static PDFs, it keeps allergen data up to date as ingredients, recipes and suppliers change. Good allergen software reduces risk, saves time and helps teams answer allergen questions confidently during service.

The most reliable way to manage allergens is at ingredient level. When allergens are attached to ingredients rather than individual dishes, connected recipes and menu items use that source detail. Review changes before service and publish updated guest-facing information when it is ready.

Spreadsheets and PDFs rely on manual updates. Every ingredient change means someone has to remember to update multiple dishes, recheck allergens and republish menus. In busy kitchens, this is where things go wrong: information becomes outdated, versions conflict and teams lose confidence in what they are serving.

Allergen data should be updated whenever an ingredient, supplier or recipe changes. Update the source information in Harlo, review the connected dishes, then publish the guest-facing change when your team is ready.

Ingredient-level allergen tracking means allergens are stored against ingredients first, not just dishes. Recipes, menu items, variants and add-ons automatically inherit allergen information from the ingredients they contain. Review the connected dishes and publish the guest-facing change when your team is ready.

Harlo connects guest menus to the ingredient and recipe information behind each dish. Review changes and publish the updated information without replacing the menu link or uploading another PDF.

A digital menu is one way to provide allergen information; it is not a blanket legal requirement. The required format and timing depend on the food and how it is sold. Follow current Food Standards Agency or Food Standards Scotland guidance for your business.

The best allergen system for small teams updates automatically, does not rely on spreadsheets, works without specialist training and keeps guest information consistent.

Yes. Good allergen management software should account for sauces, toppings, swaps and add-ons. Harlo handles variants properly so allergen information stays accurate even when guests customise dishes.

Clear, consistent allergen information builds confidence. When guests see the same accurate information on menus, QR codes and digital ordering points, they are more likely to trust the venue and feel comfortable ordering without repeated clarification.

Many enterprise allergen systems are expensive and designed for large head offices. Harlo offers ingredient-level allergen control and live digital menus at a price point designed for real hospitality businesses, making it accessible for independents, small groups and franchises.

Yes. Good systems are particularly effective for multi-site operations. They keep shared ingredient and recipe information connected across locations, so central teams can review changes and publish the information relevant to each site.

Harlo starts with ingredient nutrition, then uses recipe weights, batch recipes and portions to calculate the calories and macros for each dish.

Yes. Teams can enter values from a pack or specification, or import a supplier sheet for review before using the nutrition data in a recipe.

Yes. Batch-made sauces, prep recipes and portion weights sit alongside bought-in ingredients, so the same source values are reused wherever they appear.

Update the source record once, then review the connected recipe and menu-item nutrition before the new total is used by your team or published to guests.

Yes. Extras, toppings and other menu choices can be included in the dish structure so the calorie total reflects the version a guest is choosing.

Harlo can carry reviewed calorie and nutrition information through to the same branded digital menu that guests use.

Digital menu publishing software lets restaurants manage menu content in one place and publish it as a live online menu. Harlo also keeps the allergen, nutrition and pricing information behind each dish connected to what guests see.

Yes. Harlo lets you control your logo, colours, fonts, imagery, layouts, menu cards, navigation and other guest-facing styling rather than forcing every business into the same template.

Yes. Harlo publishes a responsive live menu designed for phones, tablets and desktops. Unlike a static PDF, you can update menu content without exporting and uploading a new file each time.

Yes. A published menu can be opened from a normal web link or QR code, with no guest app required.

Yes. Guest-facing menus use the allergen and nutrition information already managed in Harlo, so you do not need to maintain a separate set of menu data.

Yes. Locations can use different menus and prices while remaining part of the same Harlo organisation.

Yes. Harlo’s published menus can allow guests to filter dishes using allergen and suitability information held against your menu content.

Changes are managed in Harlo, so you can review and publish updated guest-facing information without rebuilding a PDF or replacing the menu link.

Restaurant recipe costing software calculates the ingredient cost of a dish from purchase prices and recipe quantities. Harlo connects those costs to the same menu item used for allergens, nutrition and publishing, so you can review food cost and gross profit without maintaining a separate costing spreadsheet.

Harlo uses the supplier price and pack size you have selected for each ingredient, then calculates the cost of the quantity used in the dish. It adds those lines, including any batch recipes, to show the total ingredient cost per menu item. Changing the recipe quantity changes the contribution of that ingredient.

Yes. You can record more than one supplier price and pack size against the same ingredient, then choose the price to use for costing. Harlo uses your chosen source rather than assuming that the cheapest price is the right one.

Yes. A batch recipe has its own ingredient costs and a configured yield. Harlo uses the cost of the amount taken from that batch when it is added to a connected dish, so shared prep does not need to be costed separately for every menu item.

Update the ingredient price or choose another supplier price in Harlo, then review the cost of the recipes and dishes that use it. Costings are calculated from the saved source records rather than a separate copied total. Supplier prices are maintained in Harlo; this does not rely on an automatic supplier price feed.

Yes. Harlo supports compatible weight and volume conversions, such as kilograms to grams or litres to millilitres. You can configure a portion conversion where needed. Batch recipes also need a yield so the cost of the amount used can be calculated correctly; weight and volume are not treated as interchangeable.

Harlo removes the configured tax from the selling price, then subtracts the ingredient cost to calculate gross profit. Gross profit margin is that profit as a percentage of net revenue. You can also compare the result with a target margin and review the selling price needed to reach it.

Yes. Set a standard menu price and optional pricing tiers for locations that need a different selling price, without duplicating the dish. Compare the gross profit for the selected price. A selling-price change affects revenue and margin, not the underlying ingredient cost.

Harlo marks the costing as incomplete and highlights the ingredient that needs attention. Missing prices are not treated as zero, so a partially costed recipe is not presented as a complete margin calculation.

The costing shown here covers recipe ingredients. Gross profit from ingredient costs is not net profit and does not include labour, rent or other overheads. It gives you a clear food-cost view to use alongside the rest of your financial planning.

Harlo focuses on keeping ingredient pricing, recipes, menu items and guest information connected. You can store supplier prices and choose a costing source, but that is not the same as ordering stock, processing invoices or reporting actual versus theoretical stock usage. Use it alongside the operational and accounting tools your business needs.

Yes. Start a 30-day trial to explore ingredient pricing, recipe costing and menu management, or book a demo to see how the connected workflow could fit your team.

Harlo brings together menu views, location activity, dish attention and filter use, so you can see how guests are browsing the menus you publish.

Yes. Use location and period context to compare where menu attention is landing across your estate.

Yes. Top viewed and shortlisted dish signals make it easier to see which items are attracting attention while guests decide.

Yes. Harlo shows the allergen filters guests use, helping you understand what they are avoiding as they browse.

Yes. Dietary and suitability signals sit alongside allergen behaviour, including preferences such as vegan, halal and gluten-free options.

Harlo can show location context alongside how guests access your menus, helping you understand local interest across the business.

Yes. Period controls let teams look at engagement over time and compare activity as menus, locations or service periods change.

They provide useful behaviour signals for deciding what to develop, clarify, promote or review. They complement the operational knowledge already held by your team.

Yes. A single operator can understand one guest menu, while groups and franchise networks can add location context to the same picture.

No. The analytics are presented in practical menu and location terms, so teams can use them without building their own reports.

No. Harlo is built to give an independent hospitality operator a practical place to manage the menu detail without a heavyweight IT rollout.

No. Start with the ingredients, recipes and dishes you already use, then add detail as the team needs it.

You can start with the supplier information, ingredients, recipes and menus you already have, then build out the detail as you go.

Harlo can bring existing supplier and ingredient information into the working structure so it can be reviewed instead of retyped from scratch.

Yes. Allergen and nutrition information stays connected to ingredients, recipes and dishes before it is shown on a guest menu. Explore allergen management or nutrition & calories.

Yes. Publish a branded, responsive guest menu by QR code or web link, then update it without replacing the destination. Explore menu publishing.

Harlo keeps ingredient costs, selling prices and margin-related detail close to the recipe so the commercial effect of a change is easier to assess.

No. Harlo is designed around ingredients, recipes, batches, portions and menu items, so it can reflect the way your kitchen already builds food.

Yes. Shared ingredients, recipes and batch recipes can sit in one connected structure and be used by the relevant menus and locations.

Yes. Harlo keeps the shared menu structure connected while supporting the local menu, availability and pricing differences each site needs.

Update the source information, review the affected recipes and menu items, then publish the guest-facing change where required.

Yes. Allergen and nutrition information can travel from the same ingredient and recipe structure into the dishes and menus that use it. Allergen Management and Nutrition & Calories.

Yes. Harlo Menu Publishing supports branded live menus that can be shared by normal web link or QR code for the relevant destination. Menu Publishing.

Yes. Bring the new site onto the existing menu foundation, then add the menu, price and availability differences that apply locally.

Harlo keeps ingredient costs, selling prices and margin-related information close to the recipe so the commercial effect of a change is easier to assess.

That is the point of the shared/local structure. Keep common ingredients, recipes and menu information connected, while genuine site differences stay local.

Yes. Shared ingredients, recipes and batch recipes can sit within one connected brand structure and support the relevant menus and locations.

Yes. Keep the shared menu foundation connected while genuine local menu and pricing differences sit with the location.

Update the source information, review the affected recipes and menu items, then give locations the current information they need.

Yes. Harlo Menu Publishing can turn the relevant menu into a branded live destination shared by normal web link or QR code. Menu Publishing.

Yes. Allergen and nutrition information can travel from the same ingredient and recipe structure into the dishes and menus that use it. Allergen Management and Nutrition & Calories.

Yes. Shared ingredients, recipes and core menu information can remain connected while relevant location differences are applied where needed.

Keep practical food and menu information inside the same connected structure instead of maintaining separate files for every change or location.

Bring the location onto the existing brand menu foundation, then add the menu and pricing details that apply locally.