What is a Category in MarginEdge?
MarginEdge uses "Products" to help keep all of your vendor items (the ever-changing names of the things you purchase from your vendors) organized, countable and useful in things like recipes.
"Categories" are used to make all those Product purchases (and returns) organized and reportable.
Every Product in MarginEdge is given a Category (such as “Dairy”) and mapped to a Category Type (such as “Food”).
Every Category is mapped to a GL account in your accounting system (such as "5106, COGS, Dairy"). Multiple Categories in MarginEdge can be mapped to the same GL account (in case you want Bread, Dairy and Grocery to all map to your general "COGS, Food" account).
Core Categories
Below is the list of core Categories that we recommend everyone utilize when setting up MarginEdge. When we create your restaurant unit in onboarding, our team will match the MarginEdge Core Categories to the accounting categories you already have to see where we can expand your list for better visibility (and where we might occasionally suggest to tighten down to reduce the clutter). Just reach out if you have any questions or concerns!
| Category Name | Category Type | Food Reports | Default to tax exempt? | P&L |
| Bread | Food | Yes | No | Yes |
| Dairy | Food | Yes | No | Yes |
| Grocery and Dry Goods | Food | Yes | No | Yes |
| Meat | Food | Yes | No | Yes |
| NA Beverages | N/A Bev | Yes | No | Yes |
| Produce | Food | Yes | No | Yes |
| Seafood | Food | Yes | No | Yes |
| Liquor | Liquor | Yes | No | Yes |
| Beer Bottle / Can | Beer | Yes | No | Yes |
| Beer Keg | Beer | Yes | No | Yes |
| Bar Consumables | Liquor | Yes | No | Yes |
| Wine | Wine | Yes | No | Yes |
| Restaurant Supplies | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Donation / Sponsorship | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Contract Cleaning | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Equipment Rental | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Linen / Laundry | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Pest Control | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Uniforms | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Repairs and Maintenance | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Dues and Subscriptions | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Insurance ‐ Liability and General | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Licenses and Permits | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Office Supplies | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Postage and Delivery | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Utilities - Electricity | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Utilities - Gas | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Utilities - Trash Removal | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Utilities - Water and Sewage | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Utilities - Telephone / Internet | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Utilities - Cable | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Advertising / Marketing | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Auto Expenses | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Cleaning / Janitorial Supplies | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Decoration / Decor | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Employee Benefits | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Kitchen Supplies | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Landscape | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Meals & Entertainment | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Paper Supplies | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Printing | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Professional Fees | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Smallwares | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Travel | Other | No | No | Yes |
| Rent | Other | No | No |
To understand more about how the product's Category controls where it reports in your accounting system and how the Category Type controls where it reports on your [me] P&L, read more here: General Ledger Accounts, Categories, and Category Types
To make any category changes for your existing products, see this article: How to Change a Product’s Category in MarginEdge