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How to Manage Orders During Peak Delivery Hours (Pausing Orders & More)

Tap a step to follow along in order.

  1. Predict peak hours in advance

    Check order volume data by time of day and day of week in your merchant portal to identify your busiest periods ahead of time.

  2. Organize your kitchen workflow ahead of time

    Prepping ingredients for your most-ordered dishes before the rush starts helps cut down on cooking time once orders pick up.

  3. Use the temporary pause feature when needed

    When orders are backing up and the kitchen can't keep up, temporarily pausing new orders through the merchant portal or app prevents cooking delays from spiraling.

  4. Adjust your estimated prep and delivery time

    During unusually busy periods, extend your estimated prep time so customers know upfront to expect a longer wait, rather than being surprised by delays.

  5. Check reviews and payouts after the rush

    Once the busy period passes, go back through any reviews and order records that piled up to make sure nothing slipped through the cracks.

  6. Why this matters

    Accepting every order during a rush without limits can delay cooking and delivery and hurt your ratings β€” using tools like the temporary pause to only take what you can handle is key to managing peak periods well.

Accepting every order isn't always the right call

Pushing to accept every order during a rush often delays both cooking and delivery, which can hurt your ratings more than turning away a few orders would. Taking only what you can realistically handle and letting the rest wait for the next slower window tends to serve the business better long-term.

Managing rush-hour crowding has parallels offline too

The skills involved in managing peak-time backlogs and customer wait expectations carry over to in-person restaurant operations as well β€” anywhere a business has to manage a surge of demand against limited capacity, the same basic principles apply.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does pausing orders temporarily hurt my visibility?

It can vary by platform and how the pause is configured, so it's generally best to use it sparingly, only for as long as you actually need it.

In what increments can I set a temporary pause?

Available time increments vary by platform, so check the order management section of your merchant portal for the exact options.