Things to communicate specifically

1. Read ALL the instructions!

a. First, identify the category. For non-dish items, that’s all the information we collect
b. For dish items (which are generally food-based), we will ask for more specific
information on what the product is
i. TIP: Be as specific as possible. If the item is chicken wings, please make
sure to select CHICKEN WINGS, not just CHICKEN. Try reviewing the full
taxonomy FIRST to see what options there are
ii. Outside of the core item itself, we also care if the item is non-traditional or
branded
2. It is okay to err on the side of caution if you are unclear what the item is
a. Not English: If most of the information (especially item description) is in a different
language, please choose this option
b. Problematic: If there is a mismatch of information (eg. WINGS under the PIZZA
category) OR if there is not enough information to tell what the item is, please
choose this option
3. Please make sure to check ALL FIELDS for combo information
a. TIP: Not every combo will be called a combo. Sometimes they can be mentioned
in the item description (eg. burger served with fries)
b. TIP: Combos with condiments (eg. mozzarella sticks + marinara sauce) are NOT
included in this; these should be marked as the corresponding dish type
c. TIP: Combos with only 1 type of item (eg. sushi combo with ONLY SUSHI) are NOT
included in this; these should be marked as the corresponding dish type
4. Common tips / tricks
a. Review the taxonomy beforehand, so that you have a full sense of what’s
available. There may be tags that are exact matches, or tags that are close (eg.
chicken burger vs. chicken sandwich, arepas, etc)
b. If it appears to be multiple dishes in one, go back and choose Combos instead
(e.g., “Tostada & Enchilada”)
c. Make sure to base the decision primarily off the item name, description, and menu
category holistically, rather than over-relying on the picture
d. Leverage the “search” feature more on the taxonomy, since sometimes the item is
clearly in the taxonomy but they selected “Dish Classification not available” (e.g.,
Arepa)
 e. But also make sure to look at the search result matches in whole: if an item is just
one part of the taxonomy options, do not select it (e.g., “Biscuit” is not a match to
“Biscuit and Gravy”, and we have “Biscuit” available; “Bacon covered Fries” are a
type of Fries, not Bacon)
f. Breads refer to just breads; other items also exist for additional classification (e.g.,
Cheese Bread, Biscuits and Gravy, etc)
g. Sandwiches on other breads should still be considered sandwiches (e.g., “Egg and
Cheese Bagel” is still a type of “Egg Sandwich”)
h. Wraps are not burritos; they are sandwiches
i. Lettuce Wraps refer to a specific thing, not sandwiches or the word “wrap” with
lettuce as an ingredient; example of what they look like here:
https://www.perduefarms.com/en-US/pork-lettuce-wraps-recipe/NR10028.html?src
=digi

Overview
In this job, we will have you categorize items sold by restaurants on DoorDash based on product
information and the image of the product.

Steps
1. Examine the item name, item description, and menu category section to understand
what the item is.
2. Examine the item image and business name as additional support to clarify what the item
is.
3. Choose the primary item category for the item based on this available information.
4. If the item is a Dish, choose the correct classification for the item from the taxonomy, either
through the search bar or browsing.
5. Provide any remaining relevant labels for specific types of items being non-traditional or
branded.

Item Categories Description Examples

Dish Food-based items sold by a restaurant Pad Thai; Chicken Taco; Idli
Beverage Drink-based items sold by a restaurant Coke; Chocolate Milkshake;
Coffee

Condiment Items that are added to other items and Ketchup; Salt & Pepper;
do not stand alone; typically sauces, Cream Cheese
seasonings, etc.

Non-food Items which are not food, drink, or Tobacco; Utensils; T-shirt
condiments, but are carried or sold by
restaurants

Combo A combination of multiple Dishes, See Rules & Tips Below

Beverages, and/or Non-Foods

Problematic Any item which has a mismatch between See Rules & Tips Below
item name, item description, and item
image

Not English Any item with no or not enough English n/a

to categorize; do not use Google
Translate or the image to categorize.

Rules & Tips

General Rules:

● Use Google or other search engines whenever you are unsure about what a particular item
is.
● You can both browse the taxonomy or use the search bar with keywords to find the correct
classification. Take time to explore the taxonomy to see what available options are.
 ● The goal is to provide the most relevant classification for a Dish based on its form, in as
much detail as available in the taxonomy. You want to select the most specific available
taxonomy classification possible.
○ In some cases, you can be more specific for some items: "Noodles > Pad Thai",
"Noodles > Pasta > Spaghetti"; "Soup > Chowder > Corn Chowder"
○ In others, you may not be able to find the specific item. For cases like this, there are
two different scenarios:
■ You should navigate to the utilize the "other" categories under the item's most
relevant category
■ "Radh Nah", a Thai noodle dish, is not available in the taxonomy, but
it can be classified under "Noodles > Other Noodles".
■ Turkey is not available in the taxonomy, but Turkey items can be
classified under "Meat > Poultry > Other Poultry".
■ Otherwise, if there is no "other" category available, you should select the
most relevant broader category
■ "Wet Burrito" is not available in the taxonomy and we do not have an
"Other Burrito" category, but it can be classified under "Burrito".
● There are many variations which do not change what a particular Dish is. The following is a
non-exhaustive list of examples:
○ Size: variations in how big a portion is or who/what age the dish is for
■ mini-burgers are still Burger
■ a double cheeseburger is still a Hamburger
■ kid's size mac and cheese is still Macaroni
■ appetizer portions of a green salad are still a Green Salad
○ Ingredients: variations in what can be added to an item do not matter, such as
proteins or toppings
■ a chicken taco is still a type of Taco, and not a type of Chicken (see
Definitions below)
■ a protein-style/lettuce-wrapped patty is still a type of Burger
■ a bacon cheeseburger is still a type of Hamburger
■ a shrimp rice bowl is still a type of Rice Bowl
○ Cuisine/Fusion: if a dish is a fusion item, it still fits within a primary dish type even if
there is another potential option
■ a "butter chicken pizza" still a type of Pizza, and not a type of Curry
■ a Russian pelmeni is still a type of Dumpling, not "Dish classification not
available"
● "Dish classification not available" is intended for items which cannot be considered being a
part of any level of the available taxonomy options, and should be used sparingly

Taxonomy Classification Definitions: Some items may seem like they have multiple potential
taxonomy classifications. There are definitions at a high-level to help decide between these.

● Meat (and everything below it, such as Seafood, Chicken, etc): refers to when the dish is
primarily the meat itself being prepared into a dish, and not just when it is added to
something else
○ Yes, are under Meat: Chicken Wings; Brisket; Orange Chicken;
 ○ No, are not under Meat: Tacos al Pastor = Taco, not Pork; Chicken Curry = Curry,
not Chicken
○ Exception: Burgers should be grouped by their meat, such as Chicken Burger,
Turkey Burger, Hamburger (Beef/Pork), etc.
○ Fried Chicken
■ Typical Fried Chicken that you would find at restaurants such as KFC and
Popeyes should be classified under American Fried Chicken.
■ "Fried chicken wings" should be classified under the appropriate Fried
Chicken category, and NOT under Chicken Wings.
● Sandwiches: includes all sandwiches, such as on toast, open face (such as Avocado Toast),
wraps, and subs
○ Burgers are also available as a more specific option under Sandwiches, and refer to
when a sandwich is made with a patty or is specifically called a "burger" in the item
name
○ ONLY select Chicken Burger if either the Menu Category, Item Name, or Item
Description says "Chicken Burger". Otherwise, select Chicken Sandwich. Fried
chicken in between two buns is still a Chicken Sandwich.
● Bread: refers to items that are just bread, and not wraps, sandwiches, or pizzas made with
those breads
○ Flatbread: for pizzas using flatbread, select Pizza
○ Tortilla: for wraps or burritos made using a tortilla, select Sandwich or Burrito
○ Pita: for sandwiches made using a pita, select Sandwich
● Pastry/Pie: refers to both sweet and savory pastries
● Vegetables: refers to any dish that is primarily made up of vegetables, such as broccoli,
potatoes, carrots, or even mixtures of vegetables
● Fruit: refers to unprepared, ready-to-eat fruit, such as bananas, apples, oranges, etc, that are
not turned into a dish such as a Fruit Salad
● Salad: refers to both green salads, bound salads, and fruit salad, and never when they are a
part of something else (e.g., "Caesar Salad Wrap" is a type of Sandwich, not Salad)
○ Green salads: are non-creamy salads, including those that do not have a leafy
greens like lettuce
○ Bound salads: "creamy/mayo" salads such as Potato Salad, Egg Salad, etc

Non-traditional: check if the classification is available in the taxonomy, but it varies in some way
from the norm of that classification

● "Pizza Bowl" has all the parts of a Pizza, but it is very different from a typical pizza and is
therefore non-traditional
● Exceptions to this are anything related to Sushi: Sushi Burrito, Sushi Taco, Sushi Nachos,
etc. are all a type of Sushi

Branded: check if the item is a name of a dish from a specific restaurant, typically a fast food chain

● "Big Mac" and "Whopper" are a type of Burger and only sold by McDonald's and Burger
King because it is their branded item
 ● "Crunchwrap Supreme" is not similar to anything in the taxonomy and is a "Dish
classification not available", but it is also only sold by Taco Bell because it is their branded
item

Combos:

● Some items sold by a restaurant are a combination of different dishes, beverages, and/or
non-foods. Mark these as Combo.
○ Common words and phrases that can (but don't always) indicate this are, with
examples:
■ Combo or Meal or Special: Pizza Slice and Salad combo; Big Mac Meal
■ Family: "Family Meal: 10 Chicken Wings and 2 family-style sides"
■ Side or Served with...: "Cheeseburger with a side of Fries"; "Salad served
with Bread"
■ Choice of... or Choose 2/3/etc out of ...: "Choose ½ Sandwich, Salad, or
Soup - Pick 2";
■ Platter/Plate: Seafood Platter; Appetizer Plate; Grand Slam (from Denny's)
■ Bento Boxes
■ Bowl: some bowls are a mix-and-match of multiple sorts of items: some
meat, some vegetables, some grains. Unless it is clearly something like a
Rice Bowl or Smoothie Bowl, or a non-traditional items such as a Sushi Bowl,
these should also be combos.
● Do not mark the following cases as Combo:
○ Dish is multiple of the same dish: 10 Chicken Wings; 4 slices of Pizza; 2
half-sandwiches; mix-and-match salad plate
○ When it's just a Dish and a Condiment: Chicken Wings with choice of sauce; Fries
with ketchup; Chips and Salsa

Problematic:

● There are some items that have conflicting information in item name, item description, and
item image, which makes it difficult to truly categorize them. For example:

○
○ Here, the item name and item image match, but the item description is clearly wrong.
Mark these as Problematic and do not try to guess which is the correct part.