Direct Ordering provides a complete set of tools for handling catering orders, covering both customer self-service and administrator-assisted ordering. This article explains how catering works in Direct Ordering and links to the detailed guides for each catering task.
How Catering Works
Direct Ordering supports two ways to place a catering order:
- Self-service ordering: Customers place their own orders from a predefined catering menu. A dedicated catering menu shows only the items available for catering, which keeps orders accurate and reduces confusion.
- Administrator-assisted ordering: An administrator places the order from the Direct Ordering Admin Panel on behalf of the customer. This approach suits personalized, complex, or deposit-based bookings, and gives the administrator access to customer details such as preferred payment method and order history.
Both workflows support the features catering operations rely on: quotes for reviewing pricing before an order is finalized, restaurant approval for orders that require sign-off, deposits, house accounts for billing regular customers later, professional invoicing for single or multiple orders, order modifications before fulfillment, and blocked order times that keep large catering orders from clashing with regular service.
Catering Tasks
The following guides cover each step of working with catering orders in the Admin Panel:
- Adding a catering order creates a new catering order in the Admin Panel.
- Confirming and managing catering orders covers confirming, editing, approving, and printing catering orders on the Order Management page.
- Viewing upcoming catering orders shows how to track scheduled catering orders by date or store.
- Converting a quote to a catering order covers creating, sending, and finalizing quotes.
- Setting up catering order approval explains how to require restaurant approval before catering orders are accepted.
- Selecting a delivery method for catering orders explains how to choose how catering orders are delivered.
- How catering deposits work explains how deposits are collected and applied on catering orders.
Quotes
A quote is a detailed, itemized estimate that a customer can review before a catering order is finalized. An administrator generates a quote from an order as a PDF and sends it to the customer, then converts it to a confirmed order once the customer approves. Saved quotes appear under the Held Orders tab and can be edited and resent until the order is finalized. Guests do not need an account to receive a quote.
For the full process of creating, sending, and converting quotes, see Converting a quote to a catering order.
Frequently Asked Questions
| Tab | Purpose | Available Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Order Management | Manage open and upcoming orders at the store level. | View, modify, and manage orders currently in progress or scheduled. |
| Upcoming Orders | Shows upcoming catering orders by date or store. | Track, review, and prepare for scheduled orders. |
| Pending Orders | Orders submitted by customers but not yet approved. | Approve, edit, or cancel before finalizing. |
| Held Orders | Saved but unsubmitted orders, including drafts and quotes. | Edit, update, or finalize saved orders. |
| Uncharged Orders | Orders with failed or incomplete payment. | Retry payment or resolve billing issues. |
Quotes are saved under the Held Orders tab. Open the quote, edit or resend it, then finalize and submit the order.
Approved orders appear in the Upcoming Orders tab, grouped by date or store.
They appear in the Pending Orders tab for review, approval, or edits.
- Go to the Order Management tab.
- Select the store that placed the order.
- Click Print next to the order.
The Default Catering Revenue Center controls where orders go when no specific store or revenue center is assigned. It helps route orders to the correct location, supports centralized approval workflows, and keeps orders visible for fulfillment.
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