Managing preparation times when the kitchen is full

The preparation time is the time your kitchen needs until an order is ready. You enter it in the panel under Logistik → Vorbereitungszeiten, separately for pickup and delivery; the default value is 20 minutes. This figure produces the estimated time the guest sees when ordering – for payment on site it is a guideline value at first and only becomes binding when you accept the order. If the rush becomes too much, you pause acceptance with one switch instead of promising times the kitchen cannot keep under pressure.

Where you enter the preparation time

Panel → Logistik → Vorbereitungszeiten: one field Vorbereitungszeit für Abholung, one field for Lieferung.
The default value is 20 minutes. If it fits your kitchen, leave it unchanged.
A value that is not sensible – including an old value such as 60 or 120 minutes – is automatically reset to 20 minutes. After saving, check that the field really shows the number you entered.
Depending on the Service-Art, only the relevant field can be edited: with Nur Abholung the delivery field stays locked, with Nur Lieferung the pickup field.

Delivery: kitchen time is not delivery time

For delivery, the preparation time counts the kitchen time only. The travel time is added separately and follows from the distance. In addition, an ETA buffer is added to the pure travel time under Logistik → Lieferung nach Entfernung – 30 minutes by default – so that the estimated arrival time shown stays realistic. How distance, fee and time fit together is described under Lieferpreise nach Entfernung and on Delivery costs by distance or postcode. The arrival time shown is an estimate for orientation, not live tracking of the vehicle.

The guideline value becomes a commitment

For orders with payment on site, the displayed time is a guideline value at first. It becomes binding the moment you press Annehmen & Zeit bestätigen on the ticket. That way you decide per order whether the number from the settings really fits this job – the value under Vorbereitungszeiten is the default, not the last word. Prepaid online orders, by contrast, are binding from checkout and are never cancelled automatically.

When it gets too much: pause acceptance

The switch Bestellungen über die Website zulassen under Einstellungen → Online-Bestellungen is on by default; the control centre then shows Annahme AN. If you turn it off, the menu stays visible, but cart and checkout are locked, the display switches to PAUSIERT, and guests are pointed to your contact channels. Dishes can still be added to the cart – it is the checkout that is locked. What the guest sees is shown on Pausing order acceptance.

Maintenance mode with a fixed return time

If the pause is not enough, Zugang zu Menü & Suche sperren (Wartung) also locks the menu and the search; this switch is off by default. Guests then see a maintenance notice referring to WhatsApp and telephone, while the home page, the imprint and the phone and email links remain reachable. While maintenance is on, a field appears for the date and time at which the lock ends automatically; without an entry it stays until you lift it yourself, and a point in the past is flagged as a warning. Step by step: Activate online ordering & maintenance mode.

Taking the pressure out beforehand

Much of this can be settled before the rush. Under Logistik → Abholzeiten and Lieferzeiten you enter your times for each weekday. Two time windows per day are possible, for example midday and evening, with the second having to start after the first; if a window runs past midnight, it is counted as +1 Tag. On days off you leave the day empty – guests then see Geschlossen. Details under Opening and pickup times.

What the order centre takes on under pressure

The open tickets refresh about every 4 seconds and sit in two lanes: Lieferungen and Abholung.
The detail window of an order shows the dishes, notes from the guest, the customer data and a countdown.
The path has three stages: neu → in Bearbeitung → erledigt.
If a confirmed order is left unaccepted, the signal becomes more noticeable after 5 minutes.
After the guest has confirmed, you have up to 45 minutes for payment on site to accept – otherwise the order is cancelled automatically.

An overview of this screen is given on Order Centre.

Who is this worth it for?

For every kitchen with a clear rush hour: the takeaway and the pizzeria on a Friday evening, the lunch trade with two time windows, businesses with only one driver. Anyone offering pickup only maintains a single field and is done. Anyone delivering needs the separation of kitchen time, travel time and buffer, so that the time on the ticket and the time at the guest tell the same story. And anyone who regularly reaches the limit reaches for the pause and the maintenance mode early rather than an hour too late.

Frequently asked questions

How do I set the preparation time for my restaurant?

You enter the preparation time in the panel under Logistik → Vorbereitungszeiten, separately for pickup and delivery. It feeds into the estimated time the guest sees when ordering.

What is the preparation time preset to?

The default value of the preparation time is 20 minutes. A value that is not sensible, or an old one such as 60 or 120 minutes, is automatically reset to 20 minutes – so check after saving which number is in the field.

Is the time shown binding for the guest?

For payment on site, the time shown is a guideline value at first and becomes binding as soon as you accept the order with Annehmen & Zeit bestätigen. Prepaid online orders are binding from checkout.

Does the travel time count towards the preparation time for delivery?

No. For delivery, the preparation time covers the kitchen time only. The travel time follows from the distance and is added separately, together with the ETA buffer of 30 minutes by default.

How do I stop online orders when the kitchen is overloaded?

Under Einstellungen → Online-Bestellungen, turn off the switch Bestellungen über die Website zulassen. The menu stays visible, cart and checkout are locked, and the display switches to PAUSIERT.

How much time do I have to accept an order?

For payment on site you have up to 45 minutes after the guest has confirmed to accept the order; after that it is cancelled automatically. The signal in the order centre already becomes more noticeable after 5 minutes.

Can I set different preparation times for pickup and delivery?

Yes, there are two separate fields for pickup and delivery. Depending on the Service-Art only the relevant field can be edited: with Nur Abholung the delivery field stays locked.

More on this: Order Centre · Delivery & Pickup · Pausing order acceptance