When a menu in a second language helps
A menu in a second language helps where the guest does not read Bulgarian: in a resort, in a hotel restaurant, on a street with many tourists, in a guest house serving breakfast to foreign guests. The guest wants to understand what they are ordering, and when they do not, they often pick the most familiar dish or order nothing.
It also helps with allergies. A guest who cannot read the ingredients either takes a risk or asks the waiter about every dish.
When it is not needed
If the venue is in a residential area, serves local guests and has almost no foreigners, a second menu is extra work with no benefit. It is better for the Bulgarian menu to be accurate and always up to date than to maintain a second language that nobody opens. Look honestly at your dining room over the last season: if you explained the menu to a foreign guest more than once a week, a second language is worth it.
Which language to start with
Start with one extra language: that of the guests you actually see. Do not choose by guesswork. Ask the staff which guests most often need help with the menu, or look at which guests book with you. Add another language only when the first is maintained without effort.
Which parts to translate
- The names of dishes and drinks. If the name is traditional, add a short explanation.
- The descriptions: main ingredients and method of preparation, in simple sentences.
- The allergens. They must not be left out: the guest relies on them most.
- The categories and notes: for example "starters", "portion for two", "seasonal".
You do not need to translate every word. A short, clear description is better than a long one that is hard to read.
Who translates and who checks
The translation is done by a person who knows both the language and the cuisine: an owner, a chef, a member of staff or a translator who has had the differences between dishes explained to them. A second person, if possible, checks the dish names and allergens. If you use a helper tool for a first draft, do not put it in front of guests directly: the text is read and corrected by a person. A mistake in a dish name is unpleasant, and a mistake in an allergen can cause harm.
How to keep translations from going out of date
The most common way a menu goes out of date is this: you change the price in one menu and forget the other. So the rule is simple: the price, availability and the dish itself are kept in one place, and the translations are versions of it, not separate menus.
- You change the price or remove a dish once, and the guest sees the change in all languages.
- You add a new dish and at the same moment write its name and description in the enabled languages.
- Once a season, you read the menu in the second language from start to finish, as a guest would.
- Decide who is responsible for the translation: when that is clear, nobody forgets it.
How the guest chooses a language
The guest opens the menu in their phone's browser and chooses a language from the menu itself. Only the languages you have enabled are shown; a language that is not ready should not be visible. So enable a new language only after it has been translated and checked.
How it works in ISKA Menu
In ISKA Menu, the Plus plan shows the menu in up to four languages, Bulgarian being one of them, and ISKA Restaurant · Pro in up to ten. You translate the names and descriptions of the dishes from the portal, at the dish itself, and only the enabled languages are visible publicly. Allergens are not typed or translated by hand: you mark them on the dish from a ready list, and the guest sees them in the menu's language. The allergen names are the same for every venue; check that they meet the requirements for your venue. The menu opens in Bulgarian, and the guest changes the language with the language button; if a dish has no translation, the guest sees the Bulgarian text there. Changes are a draft until published, and the link to the menu stays the same. The free plan comes with a menu in Bulgarian.