As you approach a busy holiday or weekend, we recommend preparing specialty menu offerings, changes to your operating schedule, or limited-time-only discounts ahead of time. Use the following resources to ensure your restaurant is prepared to support your guests!
Menu Offering or Online Ordering Updates
Looking to offer new items or a specialty menu for your guests this holiday season? Never fear! Updating your menu and online ordering offerings is as easy as pie. Use the following resources for guidance on making these updates in your restaurant.
Feature | Description | Link to Training |
Menu Availability | Use this feature to set up menu specials for a specific time frame in your restaurant. | Create a new "Specials" menu and adjust its available hours. Learn more here. |
Menu Visibility | Use this feature to change which menus or items appear in your restaurant, on your online ordering page, or on your kiosk. | Use the Show/Hide column in Advanced properties to adjust these settings in bulk, or visit the Properties section of the item detail page to adjust individual items. Learn more here. |
Limited Item Counts | Set a count on limited offerings so specialty items are automatically marked out of stock when sold. | Enter the number of items available on the Advanced Properties page or in the Properties section of the item detail page. Learn more here. |
Building & Updating Existing Menus | Build new menus or copy existing ones to offer new holiday items for guests. | |
Building & Updating Modifier Groups & Options | Build new modifiers or update existing ones to offer additional customizations for guests. | Navigate to the item or existing modifier group in Advanced Properties to add or edit an existing modifier. Learn more here. |
Spotlight | Add a banner to the top of your online ordering page with information on specials or discounts. | Navigate to the Takeout & delivery section of Toast Web and select Online ordering to enter a banner headline and message. Learn more here. |
Note: If you are creating new menus before an upcoming holiday, ensure that your prep stations and printer routing are set accordingly before service. For a refresher on printers and prep stations, check out Prep Stations Basics and Ticket Routing by Dining Option.
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Schedule Changes
Occasionally, an approaching holiday may mean adjusting your operating hours in-store or online. Use the following resources to make temporary or permanent changes to your operating hours.
Feature | Description | Link to Training |
Schedule Override | Use this feature to set temporary blackout dates, add limited service hours, or extended hours to accommodate holidays, staff meetings, private parties, and more. | Navigate to the Takeout & delivery section of Toast Web and select Online ordering schedule. Then, select + Add Override. Learn more here. |
Online Ordering Schedule | Use this feature to set permanent updates to the hours you accept online orders from guests. | Navigate to the Takeout & delivery section of Toast Web and select Online ordering schedule. Learn more here: Get Started With Online Ordering. |
Restaurant Hours | Use this feature to set permanent updates to the hours you accept in-person or call-in orders from guests. | Navigate to the Reports section of Toast Web and select Settings. Then, select Hours/services. Learn more here. |
Limited-Time-Only Promotions
Offering guests a special discount or incentive to come in this holiday? Consider using one of the following resources to set up limited order deals activated online or in-store. Then, feel free to share those deals with guests on social media or via Email Marketing.
Feature | Description | Link to Training |
Promo Codes | Use this feature to set up a discount code for online orders that can be entered at check out. | Navigate to the Payments section in Toast Web and select Discounts and promo codes. Learn more here. |
Discount Availability | Use this feature to set up certain times a discount will be available in-store or online. | Navigate to the Payments section in Toast Web and select Discounts and promo codes. Create a new discount or select an existing one to change its availability. Learn more here. |
Online Ordering Supported Discounts | If you offer online ordering in addition to call-in and in-store orders, check out which types of discounts are supported for guests online. |
Optimize Your Toast System for High Volume
As your restaurant approaches a high-volume weekend or holiday, we recommend checking out the following resources to troubleshoot any potential hardware, networking, or order management issues that can arise.
Feature | Description | Link to Training |
Card Reader Solutions | Access the device with the card reader issue and identify which reader type it is. |
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Networking Optimization | Ensure your restaurant is connected to the Toast Network and adjust your payment processing settings in the event that a device enters Offline Mode. |
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Order Management | Adjust prep times for online and in-store orders based on order size or current kitchen capacity. You can also customize your online ordering page to allow for pre-orders or catering to accommodate the higher volume of orders. |
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We strongly recommend communicating these practices to staff ahead of busy shifts to ensure they are prepared to manage high volumes of checks and guest orders. In addition, if you plan to use extra hardware that you don't typically use on a day-to-day basis, ensure it is fully charged, connected to the Toast network, and updated with the latest version of Toast before beginning service.
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