Adding a Catering Order

Administrators can create catering orders directly in the Direct Ordering Admin Panel on behalf of a customer. Administrator-assisted creation suits large, personalized, or deposit-based bookings, along with any situation where a customer places a catering request by phone, email, or in person rather than ordering online.

When to Add a Catering Order in the Admin Panel

Direct Ordering supports both customer self-service ordering and administrator-assisted ordering. Adding a catering order in the Admin Panel is the administrator-assisted path. It applies when an order needs a personal touch or cannot be completed through self-service, for example:

• A customer places a large or complex catering request by phone or email.
• An order requires a quote for review before it is finalized.
• An order requires a deposit or is billed to a house account.
• A customer needs help selecting items or applying special requests.

Before Starting

Confirm the following are in place for the store or revenue center that fulfills the order:

• A catering menu is configured so catering items are available to add to the order.
• A delivery method is set for catering orders. See Selecting a delivery method for catering orders.
• If the store requires sign-off before accepting catering orders, approval is configured. See Setting up catering order approval.
• If a deposit applies to the order, deposit settings are configured. See How catering deposits work.

Adding a Catering Order

The walkthrough below covers each step of creating a catering order in the Admin Panel, from starting a new order through adding catering items, entering customer and fulfillment details, and submitting the order.

After the Order Is Created

A new catering order appears in the catering order views, where it can be reviewed, confirmed, edited, or approved before fulfillment. For working with orders after creation, see Confirming and managing catering orders and Viewing upcoming catering orders.