How to use order-ahead and curbside pickup via app to increase throughput during peak hours?

Move Orders to the App, Make Room for More Sales

Order ahead and curbside pickup let you move transactions out of the line and into the app. Customers place and pay before they arrive. Your team sees the queue in real time and preps on schedule. During peak hours, this shift opens capacity, cuts wait times, and lifts the number of tickets you can serve.

Order ahead speeds the counter by removing payment and decision time from the register. Guests walk in, spot their name on the pickup shelf, and go. Your staff focuses on making drinks, not ringing them up.

• Show accurate prep times that adjust with load

• Lock in payment at checkout to prevent bottlenecks

• Send a ready for pickup alert the second the order hits the shelf

• Label drinks and bags clearly so handoff is instant

Curbside pickup clears the crowd from the front door. Customers park, tap I am here, and your runner hands off the order. This keeps the lobby open for dine in guests while you move even more volume in the same time window.

• Add simple car make and color fields to the app

• Use numbered parking spots and clear signs

• Route curbside orders to a separate handoff queue

• Give curbside priority during the morning rush

Smart prep and staging make the whole system click. A dedicated make line for mobile orders, a well lit pickup area, and clean ticket routing reduce errors and keep the flow steady.

• Split printers or screens for in store and mobile

• Stage hot and cold items in separate zones

• Place the pickup shelf near the door but away from the register

• Assign one person as expediter during peaks

Offer design shapes demand. Use the app to guide customers toward items that are fast to produce and easy to stage. Limited time bundles help lift ticket size without slowing the line.

• Feature quick prep favorites in the mobile menu

• Promote combos like latte plus pastry at a set price

• Hide slow or high touch items during peak windows

• Use time slots to spread orders across the hour

Clear communication builds trust and repeat use. Set honest time estimates, send timely updates, and make fixes painless when something goes wrong.

• Show live status: received, in progress, ready

• Offer one tap contact if the guest is waiting

• Add an apology credit flow for rare misses

• Follow up with a short survey to spot friction