Order Throttling

Order throttling enables restaurants to control the number of orders they can fulfill within a specified time frame. If incoming orders exceed this limit, they are automatically pushed to the next available time slot. This ensures a smooth operation and enhances the customer experience.

By limiting the number of orders a store can accept within a 15-minute window, order throttling helps manage order flow, prevent kitchen overload, and set realistic customer expectations.

How Order Throttling Works

PAR Ordering supports the Make Time Per Time Slot throttling strategy, which regulates orders based on the total preparation time required. Stores must set a maximum make time that their kitchen staff can handle within a 15-minute window.

It can be defined in two ways:

• Static Preparation Time: A fixed preparation time that applies to every order.
• Dynamic Preparation Time: A variable preparation time based on custom rules, which estimate order preparation time based on the total order value.
  
  

Applicability of Order Throttling

Order Throttling Configuration

To configure order throttling for your store:

1. Navigate to Store > Capacity > Order Throttling
2. Enable the Order Throttling switch
   
   
3. Set the 'Maximum Make time per time window', which applies to all 15-minute time slots during your store’s operating hours.
   
   

Example

If your store has a static order preparation time of 5 minutes, setting the 'Maximum make time per time window' to 50 minutes means that after receiving 10 orders in a particular 15-minute time slot, that slot will become fully booked. Customers will no longer see it as an option when placing their orders. However, they will be automatically offered the next available pickup time slot.

Rush Hours Configuration

The Rush Hours section allows for flexible configuration of different 'Maximum make time per time window' values for various times of the day or specific days of the week. This feature is particularly useful if:

• Your kitchen capacity varies throughout the day due to staffing levels.
• You want to limit online orders (including third-party platforms like Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub via PAR LINK) during peak in-store dining periods.

How to Set Rush Hours

1. Click the 'Add rush hours' button.
2. The 'Add rush hours' modal will appear.
   
3. Select the days of the week the rule will apply to.
4. Set the 'From' and 'To' time to define the rush hour period.
5. Adjust the 'Maximum make time per time window' for this timeframe.

Managing Rush Hours List

• Once a rush hour rule is created, it will appear in the Rush Hours List.
• Rush hour rules cannot be edited. If changes are needed, you must delete and recreate the rule.
• You do not need to cover your store's full working hours with rush hour rules. Any hours not covered by a rule will default to the standard 'Maximum make time per time window'.
• You can add multiple rules for the same day, but their 'From' and 'To' times cannot overlap.

Example

If you expect a high volume of in-store orders during lunch (e.g., Monday to Friday, 12 PM – 2 PM), you can reduce online order capacity by setting a lower 'Maximum make time per time window'.

For instance, if your default limit is 50 minutes, setting it to 25 minutes during lunch will cut online order capacity by half—allowing only 5 orders per 15-minute time slot instead of 10.

Holiday Hours Configuration

The Holiday Hours section allows stores to configure different order throttling rules for holidays or special dates. Rules added for a specific date will override any existing rush hours rules for that day.

How to Set Holiday Hours

1. Click the 'Add holiday hours' button.
2. The 'Add holiday hours' modal will appear.
   
3. Set the date(s) for the special event or holiday.
4. Select the 'From' and 'To' times when the rule should be applied.
5. Adjust the 'Maximum make time per time window' to reflect the expected order volume and kitchen capacity.

Example 1 - Increased Capacity for Breakfast
On March 15th, the breakfast on that store is served from 7 AM - 12 PM. To handle the expected increase in orders:

• You double your kitchen staff.
• You set a Holiday Hours rule for March 15th, from 7 AM – 12 PM.
• You increase the 'Maximum make time per time window' to allow for higher order volume.
• Once you save the rule, it will appear in the Holiday Hours list and override any existing rush hour settings for that date.

Example 2 - Reduced Capacity for a Holiday

On July 4th, half of your staff is on leave, reducing your kitchen’s capacity. To manage order flow:

• You set a Holiday Hours rule for July 4th, from 7 AM – 11 PM (full operating hours).
• You reduce the 'Maximum make time per time window' to 25 minutes to reflect lower kitchen capacity.
• Once configured, the new rule will take effect, ensuring that order volume aligns with your store’s available resources during the holiday.

How to Determine the Maximum Make Time Per Time Window

To make an informed decision on setting the total make time per time slot values for your store’s default maximum make time per time window, as well as values for rush hours and holiday hours rules, you can use the 'Total make time per time slot' report in Data Exports.

How to Access the Report

1. Go to Data Exports (available to Brand Managers only).

2. In the 'Export data for' section, select the store for which you are configuring the OT strategy.

3. Navigate to the Orders section and choose the Total Make Time Per Time Slot report.

This report provides historical data on the total make time per slot for each day within a selected timeframe.

Tracking how your OT strategy performs

To monitor how your OT strategy is performing and check current slot occupancy - Go to Store > Capacity > Slot Occupancy.

Click 'Refresh list' to update data and use the 'Occupancy' filter to view fully booked time slots only.

Note: Empty pickup time slots will not appear on this page. If a time slot is missing, it means it is currently unoccupied.