Hope menu contents ready to serve customers (4)
I believe the answer is:
open
'serve customers' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I don't understand how they can define each other.
'hope menu contents ready' is the wordplay.
'hope menu' becomes 'pe' (I can't explain this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'contents' indicates putting letters inside.
'ready' becomes 'on' (if a device is on it is ready for use).
'pe' inserted inside 'on' is 'OPEN'.
'to' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for open that I've seen before include "Public" , "Contest that includes all comers" , "'Frank, not secret (4)'" , "Affording access" , "Liberal" .)