This guide provides examples for the various setup scenarios you can configure with scheduled ordering. As Scheduled ordering lets customers pick a pickup or delivery time (or day) when they order online, and lets you set a lead time so orders come in with enough notice to prepare them. There's no single right way to set it up. It depends on how your business takes and prepares orders. Below are some real examples across different business types to help you find the setup that matches yours.
You'll find the scheduled ordering settings in Store preferences. See our scheduled ordering setup guide for how to turn the feature on.
If none of these examples quite fit your business, you can still add pickup and delivery messages at checkout to give customers extra instructions, or get in touch and we'll help you find an approach.
Restaurants with kitchen hours: pickup and delivery at set times
If your kitchen has set opening hours and you want customers to book a specific time slot, this is the most common setup.
- Turn on Pickup and Delivery using the tick boxes.
- Turn on the Date and Time selector and set your kitchen hours.
- Set your lead time to cover your longest prep time, plus a buffer. This restaurant's longest takeaway meal takes 20 minutes to prepare, so they've set a 20 minute lead time for pickup, and 25 minutes for delivery around Cambridge (the extra 5 minutes covers getting the order to the kitchen and managing customer expectations).
- Add a pickup message and a delivery message explaining how each works, so customers know what to expect.
Managing a rush: if you're worried about a flood of orders for one time slot or product, and this restaurant does high-end food takeaway, you can either increase your lead time to push new orders to a later slot, or manually mark a product as sold out on the product page.
Bakeries and other batch-prepared orders: Date Only ordering
If you prepare orders in batches rather than individually (bread, pastries, meat, and similar), you likely don't need individual time slots. Date Only ordering lets customers pick a day, not a time.
Example: Elspeth Bakery
Elspeth Bakery, a Mt Maunganui bakery, takes pre-orders for pickup and delivery on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Sourdough takes days to prepare, so they need a two-day lead time.
- Turn on Pickup and Delivery using the tick boxes.
- Turn on the Date Only selector. You don't need to set store hours for this option.
- Set the lead time for pickup and delivery to 2 days. Because Date Only ordering calculates the lead time from the final minute of the selected day, a customer wanting Thursday delivery needs to order before 11.59pm on Tuesday.
- Use the pickup message to tell customers when and where their order will be ready. Elspeth's message tells customers collection starts from midday at their address, with a reminder to keep a safe distance from other customers.
- Set stock levels a little above what you expect to sell in a single bake, since orders will be split across your order days.
Tip: if you prepare orders in batches, export your sales for the current period and use a spreadsheet (a pivot table works well) to build your production list.
Cafes with regular hours and customisable products
If you're open regular hours and taking orders for a specific time (much like the restaurant example), but also want customers to customise their order, you can combine Date and Time ordering with product variants.
Example: Absolute Coffee
Absolute Coffee, a Cambridge cafe open 7 days a week, uses the Date and Time selector the same way the restaurant example does. They also use variants on products like their omelette, so customers can choose their own fillings at checkout.
Takeaways with unpredictable demand
If demand for your food changes a lot through the day, it might not be practical to update your lead time every time things get busy. Instead, set a realistic average lead time and manage expectations through your messaging.
Example: Beach Roundabout Takeaways
This Whangamatā fish and chip shop sets a 20 minute pickup lead time and a 45 minute delivery lead time, but doesn't adjust these throughout the day. Instead, their delivery message tells customers: "Delivery times may vary but we aim to deliver ASAP within a 60 minute timeframe." This keeps expectations realistic without needing constant manual changes.
Butchers: batch preparation with food safety messaging
Butchers typically need lead time to prepare and deliver in batches, so the setup is similar to a bakery. Follow the same steps as the Elspeth Bakery example, setting your lead time to match your typical preparation time.
Because meat is perishable, make sure your pickup and delivery messages are clear about when the order will arrive and what steps you're taking to keep it safe (for example, chilled delivery or same-day collection only).
Florists: same-day preparation with Date Only ordering
If you receive fresh stock each morning and prepare orders that same day, Date Only ordering with a shorter lead time can work well.
Example: The Occasional Florist
- Turn on Pickup and Delivery using the tick boxes.
- Turn on the Date Only selector. You don't need to set store hours for this option.
- Set the lead time for pickup and delivery to 12 hours. Orders placed before 11.59am can be delivered the same day, since Date Only ordering calculates the lead time from the end of the day. Orders placed after 11.59am will show the next available day at checkout.
- Use your pickup and delivery messages to be clear about when orders are likely to be ready, since customers only choose a day, not a time.
- Because flowers can be mixed and matched and last a few days, you can allow most products to keep selling even if stock reaches zero. For items with a hard limit, like chocolate boxes, set a fixed stock level instead.
Because orders can vary a lot day to day, The Occasional Florist prefers to manage orders through printouts or the Dashboard rather than exporting to a spreadsheet.
Tips and things to watch out for
- Date and Time works best when customers need to book a specific slot (restaurants, cafes). Date Only works best for batch-prepared goods (bakeries, florists, butchers).
- With Date Only ordering, remember the lead time counts down from the last minute of the day, not from a specific time. Build this into how you explain pickup and delivery to customers.
- Even when the checkout doesn't show exact times, your pickup and delivery messages can fill the gap; use them to set clear expectations.
- If you're getting more orders than you can prepare, adjusting your lead time or marking products sold out are both quick ways to manage the rush without changing your whole setup.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between Date Only and Date and Time ordering?
Date and Time lets customers pick a specific time slot, ideal if you have set kitchen or store hours. Date Only lets customers pick a day only, which suits businesses that prepare orders in batches rather than individually.
How is my lead time calculated with Date Only ordering?
It's calculated from the last minute of the selected day, not from a specific time. For example, a 2 day lead time for Thursday means orders must be placed before 11.59pm on Tuesday.
Can I still take orders if I run out of stock?
Yes. You can allow a product to keep selling even at zero stock, or set a fixed stock level if you need a hard limit, such as for a perishable or limited item.
Do I need to update my lead time every time demand changes?
No. Many businesses set one realistic average lead time and use their pickup or delivery message to manage expectations, rather than adjusting the lead time throughout the day.
Can I add extra instructions for customers beyond the time or day they select?
Yes. Pickup and delivery messages can be added at checkout regardless of which scheduling option you use.
Need more help?
If you're not sure which setup matches your business, or you want to talk through your options, flick us a message at support@rocketspark.com. We're happy to help.
Note: Scheduled ordering is available on the Ecom Grow and Pro plans. You can change your plan in your Dashboard under My Account > Subscription.