HQ vs managed venue: Implementation guide

Learn how to set up multi-venue groups where HQ manages products and pricing centrally while each managed venue adds region-specific details. Use this guide to understand what HQ controls, what each venue must complete locally, and the order to roll everything out.

HQ venue = your command center. Set up once, apply everywhere: products, pricing, discounts, staff roles and permissions, checkouts and POS templates.
Managed venues = your local sites. They inherit HQ setup but customize what only they know: venue hours, legal documents (waivers), specific rooms/equipment (resources) and regional taxes.

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Who this guide is for

HQ operators setting up multiple venues
Franchise or multi-brand groups
Teams migrating from single venue to HQ structure

Reference: HQ vs managed venues responsibilities

Use these tables to see which setup tasks happen in HQ and which ones each venue must complete.

Products and pricing

HQ feature	Set up in HQ venue	Set up in managed venue
HQ stock products	Create stock items and give access to managed venues via venue tags.	Add HQ stock products to the venue’s stock list (before adding packages, party packages or memberships that include them). Customize stock variations locally if permitted.
HQ products	Create master products with names, images, pricing, product tags. Give access to venues via venue tags.	Add HQ products in dependency order (see section below), then complete local setup (waiver, resources, taxes, booking reminders)
HQ price rules	Create and manage HQ price rules centrally. For new HQ products, add price rules in the product setup, then give access to venues via venue tags. Use bulk edit to update price rules for HQ products that have already been added by managed venues. Decide if venues can create and manage their own price rules and update product pricing (via HQ staff management).	Add HQ products, and the linked HQ price rule comes with it. Create venue-managed rules only if HQ staff permissions allow (eg for local variations).
HQ discounts	Create discount codes in HQ and assign them to specific venues or groups using venue tags.	Discounts auto-sync to managed venues. Staff can’t edit HQ discounts unless HQ permissions allow it. If HQ removes a venue from a discount, it’s automatically archived at that venue.
HQ schedules	Create and manage standard product schedules in HQ and apply them across all venues or specific schedule groups.	Set local operating hours. Add the HQ product to the venue, and add venue-specific resources (eg rooms, arenas). If permitted by HQ, create venue-managed schedules for local variations. This is useful when schedules differ too much across venues (eg unique holidays, party slot gaps or irregular trading hours).
HQ bulk editing	Use Bulk edit to push updates (eg pricing, images, variations) to one, some or all venues at once using venue tags.	Automatically receive updates from HQ.
Reporting categories	Manage centrally in HQ and sync after changes.	Keep reporting categories centrally managed unless you're migrating venues or need venue-specific reporting categories.
Product categories	HQ-created product categories don't sync to managed venues — allow venues to create their own for filtering reports.	Allow managed venues to create their own product categories for filtering reports.

POS template and checkouts

HQ feature	Set up in HQ venue	Set up in managed venue
HQ POS templates	Build and manage POS templates in HQ. Select which venues can use them by assigning venue tags. Changes auto-sync to all assigned venues when saved. Control whether venues can create their own templates via HQ venue permissions. Make sure you've provided access to all products/stock in the template to venues.	Apply HQ templates to new or existing devices. Configure device settings (eg name, till float). If permitted, create their own POS templates.
HQ checkouts	Create and manage online or food & beverage checkouts in HQ. Assign to venues using venue tags and publish updates to sync changes. Control whether venues can create their own checkouts via HQ venue permissions. Ensure all products/stock in the checkout are shared with venues.	Add HQ checkouts into the venue’s checkout list. Configure local branding, hours, stock periods and link devices (eg printers or KDS for F&B). Cannot edit products or layout. Can replace existing checkouts with an HQ checkout (overwrite) if permitted.

HQ feature

Set up in HQ venue

Set up in managed venue

HQ POS templates

Build and manage POS templates in HQ. Select which venues can use them by assigning venue tags. Changes auto-sync to all assigned venues when saved.
Control whether venues can create their own templates via HQ venue permissions.
Make sure you've provided access to all products/stock in the template to venues.

Apply HQ templates to new or existing devices. Configure device settings (eg name, till float).

If permitted, create their own POS templates.

HQ checkouts

Create and manage online or food & beverage checkouts in HQ. Assign to venues using venue tags and publish updates to sync changes.
Control whether venues can create their own checkouts via HQ venue permissions.
Ensure all products/stock in the checkout are shared with venues.

Add HQ checkouts into the venue’s checkout list. Configure local branding, hours, stock periods and link devices (eg printers or KDS for F&B).
Cannot edit products or layout.
Can replace existing checkouts with an HQ checkout (overwrite) if permitted.

Settings and permissions

HQ feature	Set up in HQ venue	Set up in managed venue
HQ venue permissions	Create system or custom permission groups in HQ to control what venues can access or change. Assign groups to venues.	Follow the assigned permissions. Venues cannot edit HQ permission groups.
HQ-managed roles	Create and manage HQ-managed roles. Select the venues that have access to the role using staff groups. Updates in HQ apply instantly.	Assign existing HQ-managed roles when adding staff. Cannot edit HQ-managed roles. If allowed, venues can create local custom roles.
HQ staff management	Create staff in HQ and select which venues they have access to using staff groups.	Staff switch between venues (Account profile (person icon in main venue) > Switch venue). Multi-venue booking search is also available for HQ-managed staff accounts.

Reporting and surveys

HQ feature	Set up in HQ venue	Set up in managed venue
Reporting	HQ includes access to select managed venue reports, which you can view centrally. Select a venue from the report in HQ to drill into individual locations while working from HQ.	With the right staff permissions, venue staff can access and view reports for their venue directly in Venue Manager.
HQ guest surveys	Review and compare survey results across venues from HQ.	Configure and share guest surveys locally at each venue.

For a glossary of HQ terms, see the guide HQ glossary

Add products to managed venues in dependency order

Products that are included in or discounted by others must be added to managed venues first. This ensures inclusions and discounted membership items link correctly.

Stock and gift cards: add to managed venues first, since packages, party packages or memberships can reference them. (Note that packages can't currently include gift cards.)
HQ price rules: create price rules in HQ before building HQ session or standard pass products. This allows you to add them during session/standard pass setup and set variation-level pricing per tier. When HQ session and standard passes are added to managed venues, any linked HQ price rule comes with it.
Session and standard passes: add to managed venues next, before any HQ products that include or discount them.
Packages and party packages: add to managed venues after included items have been added to their product list.
Memberships: add last, since they can include discounted stock, passes, packages and party packages.

During setup, if a dependent product is added later, it won’t automatically link to packages, party packages or memberships already added to managed venues.

Before going live at each managed venue

Every managed venue must complete these items locally before going live for compliance and operations:

Waiver & booking agreement — add legal documents for the region.
Operating hours — set venue hours so schedules run correctly.
Resources — link venue-specific spaces (eg rooms, arenas) for session passes and party packages.
Booking reminder emails & taxes — configure per product per region.
Add-ons & forms — upsells and guest information the venue wants to collect from purchasing guests.
“Sold at venue” setting — controls whether a ticket/variation appears in POS or online. Venues can update if permissions allow; HQ can override via Bulk edit.

Remember: Every managed venue needs to add their own waiver, operating hours, resources and local taxes before going live.

Updating after setup

HQ products — become a local copy in venues. Use Bulk edit to push HQ updates.
HQ POS templates — auto-sync instantly when edited and saved in HQ. No publish required.
HQ checkouts — must be published in HQ for changes to sync. Once published, updates apply to all venues using the checkout automatically.

Venue permissions tips

Use venue permissions to control what managed venues can and can’t do. This helps you keep consistency while giving venues flexibility where it’s safe.

For example:

Task	How to control in HQ venue permissions
Allow venues to create templates (POS, SSK, checkouts)	Enable Can create templates
Restrict template creation (POS, SSK, checkouts)	Disable Can create templates
Allow editing of stock variations	Enable Can edit stock variations
Prevent assigning local roles	Disable Can assign custom roles

Setup tips

Before you roll out to all venues, follow these practices to avoid duplicated work and make sure HQ changes reach everywhere they should:

Pilot first — test setup with one linked venue before setting up all.
Use venue tags smartly — group venues by brand, region, or franchise type and tags.
Use checklists — track local setup tasks (waivers, reminders, taxes).
Look for HQ markers — HQ labels and lock icons show what’s centrally managed.
Check venue and staff permissions first — confirm venue and staff member permissions before troubleshooting.

Troubleshooting

Product or setting not working as expected? If something doesn’t look right in a managed venue, check these quick fixes.

Issue	How to fix it
Product missing in POS or checkout	Confirm the product has been added to the managed venue and the variations marked as Sold at venue
Discount code not syncing	Check for duplicate local discounts with the same code. Ensure the product being discounted is sold in the managed venue account(s).
Can't edit a field?	Review venue permissions to confirm the setting is allowed
HQ changes not appearing	Use Bulk edit to push updates to linked venues (not the base product's settings)
HQ schedule not working	Confirm the venue’s operating hours are set first

Example: Party package setup

This shows the complete workflow when a new party package needs to reach all venues. Notice the order of operations and where HQ and venues each take action.

Start by creating stock items in HQ (pizza, soda).
Then create the party package in HQ and add inclusions, price, tags, schedule.
Venue pulls down stock items, adds local variations (eg stock variations if permitted).
Venue pulls down the party package, completes local setup (resources, waiver, tax override).
Later HQ adds a new upsell item (eg birthday cake). Managed venues add it to their stock list; HQ uses Bulk edit to add it to the party package product currently being used by managed venues.

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