Manage order surges without sacrificing quality.

Spikes in orders should never be a surprise. With the right data and proper preparation, they become manageable.

Anticipate: analyze your last 8 weeks. The peaks are almost identical from week to week (same day, same time, +/- 15 minutes).

Prepare the “mise en place delivery”: 30 minutes before the peak, prepare the most requested ingredients, take out the packaging, check stocks.

Intelligent throttling: when the kitchen is at 80% capacity, increase preparation times on the platforms. This slows down the influx without rejecting orders.

The team: during peak times, each person has a defined role. No versatility during the rush. A cook, a packer, a coordinator.

Post-mortem: After each peak, take 5 minutes to note what worked well and what can be improved. These notes are valuable for the next sprint.

Technology: a display screen kitchen (KDS) that automatically sorts orders by priority is an investment that pays for itself in a few weeks.