Quick answer
Open an eligible recipe from the venue's menu-management screen and look for Customize Recipe. In the player customization discussion, a reply describes selecting a non-red ingredient to see offered replacements. Not every recipe is reported as customizable.
Original explanatory diagram. It is not the game's menu screen.
Change an ingredient
- Open the menu-management view for the venue you are working on.
- Select the recipe and look for the Customize Recipe control.
- If that control is available, select an ingredient that is not marked red.
- Inspect the replacement list and choose one of the offered inputs.
- Re-read the resulting requirements before restocking or changing the active menu.
The named control, red-lock cue and replacement list are attributed player observations. They have not been reproduced in an installed game by this site. Follow your current interface if labels or layout differ.
Missing option or locked ingredient?
| What you see | What it tells you to check |
|---|---|
| No Customize Recipe control | Try another known recipe before assuming a game-wide fault |
| Ingredient highlighted red | The source reports that input as locked; do not assume it can be swapped |
| Replacement list is limited | Choose from the offered set rather than inventing an arbitrary substitute |
| Modified dish cannot be served | Recheck ingredient stock and required equipment |
The thread also reports preparation changes that need suitable appliances, but it does not establish every allowed method. An ingredient swap, a preparation-method choice and unlocking a new recipe are different operations.
Avoid buying for the old version of the recipe
After any change, compare the dish's displayed inputs with what the restaurant already has. Use that current list for shopping and confirm the goods reached venue storage. If you manage several venues, check the one whose menu you actually edited.
This is a purchasing safeguard, not a claim that a particular substitute guarantees better margins, calories or customer reviews. No universal best recipe is established here.
Related help and evidence
For acquiring recipes, read recipe unlocks. For the supply loop, use ingredients and recipes and food storage.
Source checked October 8, 2026: the original community conversation. Availability of specific substitutions remains recipe- and version-dependent; no first-hand customization test is claimed.