Use this article to change how long your store needs to prepare individual menu items. You will open the DoorDash Merchant Portal, go to Menu Manager, open Menu Settings, enter a prep time in minutes for each item you want to change, and save those prep times so they apply to your menu. Accurate item prep times help Dashers arrive at the right time and give your kitchen staff enough time to complete orders.
Before You Begin
Before you adjust item prep times in the DoorDash Merchant Portal, confirm the following.
Your store is not integrated. Adjusting item prep times in the Merchant Portal applies to stores that are not connected through a point of sale (POS) integration. If your store sends menu and order data through an integration, contact DoorDash Support before changing prep times, because your integration may control them instead.
You can sign in to the Merchant Portal and open Menu > Menu manager.
Know which menu you want to change. Item prep times apply to one menu at a time. The Adjust item prep times page shows the menu you are editing in a dropdown, and you can switch menus there.
Tip: Set each item's prep time based on how long that item normally takes, regardless of time of day. Use busy mode instead when you need extra prep time during a particular rush.
How to Adjust Item Prep Times
Follow these six steps to change item prep times on your DoorDash menu in the Merchant Portal.
Navigate to your DoorDash Merchant Portal.
Click Menu in the left navigation, then open Menu manager.
On the Menu Manager page, confirm the correct menu is selected in the menu name dropdown, then click Menu Settings in the top right.
Click Adjust item prep times in the Menu Settings dropdown. It is the last of five options, listed below Edit Menu Hours, Rename Menu, Rearrange Categories, and View Linked Store(s).
In the Prep time column, enter the number of minutes each item needs. Enter the number only; the field labels the unit as min.
Click Save Changes in the top right.
Note: You can set prep times for more than one item before you save. Enter every prep time you want to change, then click Save Changes once.
Tip: The item table has a Search items box, and both the Total sold last month and Prep time columns can be sorted. Sorting by Total sold last month puts your highest-volume items first, which are the ones where an inaccurate prep time affects the most orders.
How Item Prep Times Affect an Order's Total Prep Time
An item's prep time does not apply on its own when a customer orders more than one thing. For orders with multiple items, the total order prep time is determined by the item with the longest prep time. So a 20-minute item ordered alongside a 5-minute item produces a 20-minute order, not 25. Raising one item's prep time raises the prep time of every order that includes it.
For more guidance, use the Tips for accurate prep times link at the top of the Adjust item prep times page.
What Happens After You Save Changes
After you click Save Changes, the DoorDash Merchant Portal stores the new prep times for the items you changed on the menu shown in the page's menu dropdown.
You can return to Menu > Menu manager > Menu Settings > Adjust item prep times at any time to change item prep times again.
Questions? If you need help with this process or have questions, reach out to DoorDash Support at oosupport@doordash.com.