Overview
This article explains how to safely update ezCater menus after launch without disrupting future-dated orders. It outlines required visibility and POS configuration rules for new, updated, and removed items, and provides guidance on pricing, coupons, and go-live transitions. It also includes a high-level breakdown of the ezCater order flow and recommended settings to ensure orders are properly ingested and sent to the POS.
ezCater Menu Update Requests
Menu changes submitted to ezCater can take up to five business days to process. To request an update, submit the request via form and schedule the change. Review the guidelines below to avoid issues with future orders that have not yet been sent to the POS.
Menu Updates After the Initial Launch
These instructions help prevent order failures when future-date orders are already in the queue:
Adding new items, modifiers, or optional modifier groups
Add the new items and hide them from the POS until the launch date. Set visibility to Dine In and ezCater in Lunchbox during this period.
Adding new required modifier groups or converting an existing group to required
Create a new item instead of modifying the existing one. If the original item is changed, any pre-existing future orders will fail to send to the POS.
Removing items, modifiers, or required or optional modifier groups
Hide them from the POS and set visibility to Dine In and EZCater only. Keep this configuration until the last outstanding order containing the item has been sent to the POS. If some items are unavailable, contact the guest and issue a new quote with updated selections.
Pricing updates
There are two approaches:
Option A: Update the existing items. A write-off tender ID must be set up, and ezCater has a five-day SLA for price changes. Decide how price mismatches in Toast will be handled during the transition window.
Option B: Create new items with updated prices. Build new items ahead of time, hide them from the POS, and set visibility to Dine In and ezCater until the go-live date.
Coupon updates
Only required if the ezCater menu is shared with the native menu and the discounts rely on category or item validation.
At go-live: Expose the new items to the POS. Hide the old items and set their visibility to Dine In and EZCater only in Lunchbox.
Order Flow breakdown
In the following section, we'll explain how the order flow differs depending on whether the customer makes changes to the order. Through our integration with ezCater, Lunchbox can receive new and updated orders using an authentication token (ezCater ID).
Standard Order Flow with Order Delay Seconds
IF A CUSTOMER DOESN'T EDIT THEIR ORDER |
|
|
EzCater |
| Lunchbox |
Customer places order | 1 |
|
Restaurant receives an email to accept the order | 2 |
|
Restaurant manually accepts order | 3 |
|
ezCater sends the order to LB | 4 |
|
| 5 | LB receives the order and holds it. The order is not visible in Admin dashboard* |
| 6 | LB sends the order to POS 5 minutes before due time for pickup or delivery |
Order Flow with order modification
IF A CUSTOMER EDITS THEIR ORDER |
|
|
EzCater |
| Lunchbox |
Customer places order | 1 |
|
Restaurant receives an email to accept the order | 2 |
|
Restaurant manually accepts order | 3 |
|
ezCater sends the order to LB | 4 |
|
| 5 | LB receives an event for the order and sends an entity id/UUID. *Only visible by ENG in the database in the queue system. Not visible on Lunchbox Admin.
When a value is placed in Order Submit Lead Delay Seconds. Lunchbox waits until this time to query EZCater causing EZCater Service to submit the order creating a Lunchbox Order ID.
When a value is not set in Order Submit Delay Seconds then the order nee |
Customer edits the order in EZ | 6 |
|
Restaurant recieves an email to accept the order modification | 7 |
|
Restaurant manually accepts the order modification | 8 |
|
ezCater sends another accepted order to LB | 9 |
|
| 10 | LB recieves updates |
| 11 | LB cancels the initial order |
| 12 | LB creates a new order |
| 13 | LB sends the neworder to POS 5 minutes before due time for pickup or delivery |
Recommended configuration
To hide ezCater orders in the Admin Dashboard until 5 minutes before they are sent to the POS, ensure the following settings:
Integrations tab or Global Order Provider: Set Order Submit Lead Delay Seconds to 300 (300 seconds = 5 minutes).
Adjustments to this timeframe can be accommodated. Note: This time should be based on the length of time before an order that a customer can make an update to the orders. Orders made after the time of Order Ingestion cannot be edited and will need to be voided/manually entered in the POS.
Service Type > Order Handling:
The only setting that should be checked on Lunchbox:
Autosend To POS
Additional configuration
This setup should only be adjusted prior to launch, if necessary.
Changes to this will not be retroactively applied.
If this setup is skipped, orders will appear in the Admin Dashboard as soon as they are accepted in the ezManage Dashboard.
As a result, steps 5 and 6 in the first example and steps 5 and 10 in the second example will not be accurate.
Enabling Auto-Send to POS immediately will prevent users from adjusting orders and will skip the Admin Held status.