A combo meal consists of two or more menu items grouped together in combo meal groups and sold to the customer for a single price. Quick service restaurants typically sell combo meals to increase business by packaging the most frequently requested menu combinations (for example, hamburger, fries, and a drink) and offering them for a lower price than à la carte items.
A combo meal group allows you to configure the menu items within a group so that the POS client knows which items to combine. Two typical combo meal groups are combo sides and combo drinks. For example, you can configure a meal named Combo 1 with a primary menu item called Combo Sandwiches and additional Combo Groups (such as Combo Drinks and Combo Side Items).
A fixed price meal (FPM) is a complete meal offered at a fixed price. For example, during special occasions or holidays, restaurants sometimes serve multi-course meals with only a few menu item choices for each course, and charge a fixed total price.
There is no restriction on the number of FPMs or side items (courses). The workstation operator can order multiple meals on the same seat. If the parent menu item increments the seat number, ordering multiple meals adds them to different seats (for example, three pre-dinner specials). The sides can default to a placeholder menu item that the workstation operator replaces in a later round. Placeholder menu items can be shown or hidden in the check detail area.
You can configure FPMs like combo meals. Creating Combo Meal Groups contains more information about assembling required items for a FPM, and assigning alternate groups to allow guests to substitute items.