Before beginning this article make sure you have read:

Starting a Dine-In Check

Starting a To-Go or Pickup Order

Entering an Order With Toast

Once you have started an order you will see a screen with a ticket pad on the left and menu items on the right. If you are using a handheld and then the ticket pad will be on the top and the menu items will be on the bottom. 

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Menu items are grouped under their menu category.  This menu mirrors the paper menu in the sense that there is a “starters” and “specialty pizza” section just like there is on the print menu.   

Under the main category buttons, there are two small bars that indicate that there are more categories available to view. Swipe left or right between the screens to reveal more options.

Entering an Item

You can add an item to the order by selecting the appropriate menu category and then selecting the item the guest has ordered.

Sizes

       Depending on the item that you select you may be prompted for a size.  The Size allows us to make the order flow conversational.  For Example:  If the guest initially orders a small Caesar but changes their mind mid order you can quickly change the size to a large without the need to delete the original item and start over.

      Required Modifiers

      Depending on the item you select you will be prompted for required modifiers.  The system will not allow you to move forward without first selecting one or more of the required modifiers.  Required modifiers are designed to ensure that all the appropriate questions are answered so that the kitchen can produce the order.  For Example:  A Salad requires a dressing selection even if the selection is “No Dressing”. 

Default Toppings

Each item has default toppings or ingredients.  These will be automatically selected for you when you order an item, the items will also sort to the front of the list of available toppings rather than remain in alphabetical order. 

Below is an example of a Casesar Salad toppings.

      Removing a default topping, substituting a topping, adding a topping, or adding double or triple of a topping.

      No’s and Extra toppings are handled as part of the item button itself.  You will notice that once an item is selected it becomes highlighted and includes a ‘-‘ in the upper left of the button and a ‘+’ in the upper right of the button.  You may remove the item by clicking the ‘-‘ half of the button and you may double or triple the item by hitting the ‘+’ half of the button.

Pre and Post Modifiers

You may also want to communicate information about a particular topping that is included on item.  In this case you will use “pre” and “post” modifiers, such as “on the side” or “lite”.  To use a “pre” or “post” modifier first select the “pre” or “post” modifier (The availability of “pre” and “post” modifiers is dependent on the item selected) and then select the modifier that you would like to use for the “pre” or “post” modifier. 

For Example:  The guest would like to order a small hand tossed pepperoni with lite sauce.  You would ring in the pizza but before you selected pepperoni you would first select the “lite” pre-modifier and then select pepperoni.  This would result in the following.

      Optional Modifers

      In addition to required modifiers there are also optional modifiers.  Optional modifiers will not prompt you, but they will be available to you after you fulfill all of the required modifiers. For Example:  A Just-A-Beginner has optional modifiers called “Salad Toppings” that would allow the guest to add an egg or other topping for an additional charge.

      Special Prep

      In addition to optional modifiers that include toppings there are also option message buttons that you can use to communicate additional information about an order to the kitchen.  In one case these messages are about the item such as “With Make” or “With Sand”.  These buttons indicate to the kitchen that an item is to be served outside of its traditional order. For example, and order of fried mushrooms is “with make” when it is to be served with a pizza rather than before the pizza as an appetizer.

Changing an Item Before it has been sent to the kitchen

Should the guest or you need to adjust an item after you have entered it but before it has been sent to the kitchen you simply highlight the item on the ticket pad and you will be able to adjust anything other than the main item itself.  For example: if you ring in a small Caesar but then the guest wants to change the Caesar to a large, you would select the small Caesar from the ticket pad and then you will see the sizes screen again.  You would then select the new size and the item would adjust including any additional modifier pricing.

Should you need to change the main item for example, the guest would like a In-Betweener rather than a Caesar you would delete the Caesar and start the In-Betweener as a new item.

* To remove an item after it has been sent to the kitchen see: How to void an item in Toast

Sending an Order To the Kitchen

Once you are ready for the food to be prepared.  You have a couple of options.  At the bottom of the ticket pad you will see several buttons: “Cancel”, “Hold”, “Stay”, and “Send”.

· Cancel:  will cancel any changes or items rang in during that round (food entered will not be sent to the kitchen).

· Stay:  will send the order to the kitchen and allow you to stay in the check to continue adding items.  This is useful when a large party orders appetizers, salads, and pizzas all at once and you want the kitchen to get started on the appetizers or bar drinks while you enter in the rest of the order.

· Send: will send the order to the kitchen and then log you out.  This is typically what you would want to use.