5 tips to avoid food delivery chaos in your restaurant

Managing any restaurant business is a challenging task, especially when big global events increase the number of orders, and even more so when you’re running a delivery operation on the side.

You have to juggle multiple tablets from multiple third-party food delivery platforms and keep an overview of an assortment of packaging materials (think take-out containers, cups, boxes, bags, bowls, cutlery, napkins, and so on). All the while order tickets are flooding your cash register or counter.

When business is going great, how do you keep your restaurant delivery operation clutter-free? Here are 5 quick tips to avoid chaos in your delivery kitchen or restaurant.  

1. Get rid of the "wall of tablets"

By getting on board with Deliverect, you’ll only need one device to manage all your online orders. Even though most online food delivery services require you to keep your tablet online to keep your restaurant open on their platform, you won’t actively need these tablets anymore. Put all the different tablets in a cupboard - together with the jungle of chargers to go with them - and use a single device to manage your deliveries.

2. Get yourself a multifunctional stand for your mobile POS

Purchase a multifunctional stand such as the BOXaPOS, an easy-to-rotate tablet stand that uses a Star POS receipt printer as its base. This mPOS (mobile point of sale) stand also has a customer-facing display at the rear. It’s an all-in-one solution to keep your counter neat.

3. Find a clever way to keep your order flow organized

• Set up your delivery station before the rush comes: assign someone to fill condiment containers, fold to-go boxes, put napkins in takeout bags, etc. so you don’t have to do this anymore as orders are coming in.

• Use a docket or rail system to visibly hang accepted order receipts. If you can, match them with the accompanying bag from the delivery channel the order came from.

• When an order is ready, keep it in a food warmer display cabinet until the courier picks it up - nobody likes their food lukewarm.

• If possible, reserve a separate area for takeout/pickup so couriers and riders don’t have to wait around your in-house restaurant diners. This way, your customers don’t feel crowded, which can happen especially if your restaurant isn't very spacious.

4. Keep your delivery packaging clean

Your delivery bags and other food packaging items represent your brand as much as your food, so you have to make sure they stay clean. This means you have to store stock in a way it’s not exposed to dust and/or moisture - ideally in a room near the kitchen, so you can get to it fast when needed.

5. Decide how you’ll manage excess food

Determine what to do with excess items, leftovers, and delivery orders that haven’t been picked up. Although it should only occur occasionally, it can always happen that riders don’t show up to pick up a meal. But how do you deal with it and what can you do to fight food waste and keep your business sustainable?

To sell your surplus, you can easily create a special offer or discount price using the Deliverect menu builder.