Catering Capacity Management
In‑Store Order Ingestion & Unified Throttling
PAR Ordering is introducing a new capability that brings in‑store orders from PAR POS into the same system that manages your online orders. This creates a single, accurate picture of everything happening in your kitchen, no matter where the order comes from.
This upgrade helps brands better manage kitchen load, improve order promise times, and prevent overwhelming staff during busy periods.
What This Capability Does
- Captures in‑store orders at the moment they’re sent to the kitchen.
- Combines in‑store and online orders into one unified view.
- Improves throttling accuracy, so promise times reflect real kitchen capacity.
- Gives brands full control over when and where this feature is enabled.
- Ensures reliability, even during peak hours.
How Brands Control the Feature
Before in‑store order ingestion or unified throttling can be used, Capacity Management must be included in your Statement of Work (SOW).
Once it is part of your agreement:
- The PAR Ordering team will enable it for your brand.
- Turning this on allows the brand to use unified throttling and in‑store order ingestion features.
Brand-Level On/Off Switch
Each brand can choose when to turn on in‑store order ingestion.
When turned on:
- PAR Ordering begins receiving in‑store orders from PAR POS.
- These orders are included in capacity and throttling decisions.
When turned off:
- No in‑store orders are ingested.
- Online ordering continues as usual.
This makes rollout safe, gradual, and fully reversible.
How Orders Flow Through the System
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PAR POS Sends the Order
When an in‑store order is sent to the kitchen, PAR POS notifies PAR Ordering.
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Only Relevant Orders Are Accepted
The system only accepts true in‑store kitchen‑sent orders. Everything else is ignored automatically.
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Orders Are Safely Stored and Processed
Each order is placed into a reliable queue so it can be processed even during high traffic.
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Orders Are Checked and Recorded
The system verifies the order, checks brand/store settings, and stores the order for use in reporting and throttling.
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Orders Become Part of Throttling
Once processed, in‑store orders count toward your kitchen’s total load—just like online orders.
Why Unified Throttling Matters
Today, throttling is based mostly on online orders. But kitchens often get overwhelmed because in‑store orders aren’t included in those calculations.
With this enhancement, brands can:
- See total kitchen demand in real time.
- Set more accurate promise times for guests.
- Avoid overload caused by separate order streams.
- Improve consistency across channels.
In‑store orders become “first‑class citizens” in the system, ensuring throttling reflects what’s actually happening in the kitchen.
Reliability, Visibility, and Safety
Built-In Reliability
If something goes wrong with an order, the system automatically retries. If it still can’t be processed, it’s safely set aside for review without affecting other orders.
Clear Logging and Monitoring
The system tracks:
- Which orders were received
- Which stores they came from
- Whether they were processed successfully
This gives brands and support teams clear visibility into what’s happening.
No Impact on Existing Online Ordering
Online ordering continues to work exactly as it does today. This feature only adds new visibility and accuracy, it doesn’t change how online orders are handled.
Summary
This enhancement brings in‑store PAR POS orders into PAR Ordering so brands can manage kitchen capacity more accurately and consistently. It provides:
- A unified view of all orders
- Better throttling and promise times
- Safe, controlled rollout
- Strong reliability and visibility
It’s a major step toward giving brands a complete, real‑time understanding of kitchen demand across every channel.
