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How to connect a Telegram Mini App to your restaurant menu

Step-by-step: open your digital menu inside a Telegram Mini App — create a bot in BotFather, paste the token in Promenu, set the URL as Main App and Menu Button. 10–15 minutes.

Updated September 11, 2026 6 min read

A Telegram Mini App is the same digital menu, inside Telegram: the guest opens your bot and browses the catalogue without installing anything or leaving the chat. For venues whose guests already live in the messenger, it is another door into the same catalogue they would open by QR.

Below is the path from an empty bot to a working mini app in Promenu. Most people finish in 10–15 minutes if the venue already exists. No place yet? Build the digital menu first.

What you need

  • 10–15 minutes.
  • Access to the Promenu panel and a venue that already exists.
  • Telegram on a phone or on a computer.
  • A catalogue that is ready to show: a few dishes and Menu view — it is on from the start.

Where to go in the panel

  1. Places.
  2. Open the venue → Edit.
  3. In the place sections open Mini App.

The screen has two fields and a ready link: Bot token, Bot username (without @), and a URL that looks like https://tg.promenu.space/?rmode=… plus a Copy URL button. The hints "How to set up Mini App" and "How to create a bot in @BotFather" sit on the same screen — the walkthrough below is that path in plain language.

How to connect a Telegram Mini App: 4 steps

  1. Create a bot in Telegram

    Open @BotFather — Telegram’s official bot for creating bots. Tap Start, then Create a new bot or send /newbot. The bot name is what guests will see (for example, "Harbour Cafe"). The username is Latin letters and must end in bot, with no @ — you will paste it into Promenu later. A description and an avatar can wait. BotFather then sends a token, a long string like 123456:ABC-…. Copy it and do not forward it to anyone.

  2. Paste the bot details into Promenu

    Back in Places → your place → Mini App. Paste the BotFather token into Bot token — Show token helps you check there are no extra spaces. In Bot username type the username without @: if the bot is @biba_cafe_bot, write biba_cafe_bot. Save the place card. Promenu already shows the mini-app URL on this screen — press Copy URL.

  3. Set the URL in BotFather

    Open @BotFather again. Pick your bot from the list, or send /mybots. Then: Bot Settings → Mini Apps. Put the same Promenu URL in two places: Main App (the bot’s main mini app) and Menu Button (the button next to the message field, so a guest opens the menu in one tap).

  4. Check it inside Telegram

    Find the bot by username, tap Start, and open the Mini App from the menu button. You should see the name, cover, categories, and dishes — whatever is on in Modes. You can open https://tg.promenu.space/?rmode=… in a browser to glance at the catalogue, but the real Mini App only feels right inside Telegram.

What else to check nearby

These screens do not replace Mini App, but without them a guest can open an empty shell.

  • Link — a short public slug for the venue (Latin letters, digits, - and _, 3–64 characters). Leaving it empty is fine.
  • Modes: Menu view is already on. Turn on Delivery and Pickup if you want orders from Telegram — those need the Pro or Ultimate plan.
  • Active — while this is off the venue stays a draft and a guest will not see it.

Checklist before you go live

  • I opened the place → Mini App.
  • I created a bot in @BotFather.
  • I pasted the token into Promenu.
  • I pasted the username without @.
  • I copied the URL from Promenu.
  • I set that URL as Main App and Menu Button in BotFather.
  • I opened the bot in Telegram and the menu looks right.
  • The place is Active and there are dishes in the menu.

Where to click if you forgot something

Quick navigation: Promenu and BotFather
TaskWhere
Mini App settingsPlaces → place → Mini App
Create a botTelegram → @BotFather → /newbot
Set the URLBotFather → bot → Bot Settings → Mini Apps
Public venue linkPlace → Link
Delivery and pickupPlace → Modes
Card previewPlace profile → App preview

If BotFather complains about the username or the URL, the username is usually taken — or a space crept into the link. Copy the URL again with Copy URL and paste it unchanged.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to create a new bot?

The venue needs a bot in BotFather. You can reuse a bot you already own: paste its token and username into Promenu and set the Mini App URL in that bot’s settings.

Can one bot serve several venues?

A separate bot per venue or per brand is usually clearer for the guest. If you are unsure, start with one bot for one place.

Which matters more, the token or the username?

Promenu needs both. The token ties the panel to the bot; the username tells people and the system which bot you connected.

Why is Telegram empty, or showing the wrong menu?

Check in this order: Promenu has the right token and username saved; BotFather’s Main App and Menu Button use the URL of this place; the place is switched to Active; there are items in the menu; the right mode is on. Still stuck? Message us on Telegram at @EmilDevelop.

Is it safe to keep the token in the panel?

Only someone who can edit the place can see the token. Do not paste it into chats. If it leaked, revoke it in BotFather and update it in Promenu.

Do I need a separate domain whitelist?

The current Mini App screen in Promenu does not ask for a domain whitelist: putting the panel URL into BotFather’s Mini Apps is enough.

Ready to open your venue’s menu in Telegram?

Open the panel

Still have questions about this step? Message us on Telegram