Prep delay and lead times
Updated July 4, 2026
Nothing burns a customer like a promised time you can't hit. Three settings in the Operations area keep the times your website offers honest:
- Order Prep Delay — the minimum minutes between an order landing and it being ready. If you need 25 minutes on a normal night, set 25 and the earliest pickup slot moves accordingly; ASAP stops meaning "instantly".
- Same-day lead hours (default 4) — the same-day notice you need for a normal-size order. This shifts the earliest slot customers can pick, so it affects everyday pickup and delivery orders, not just catering.
- Large-order lead hours (default 48) — the notice required for genuinely big orders. Checkout enforces it, so a ten-tray order physically can't be scheduled for tonight.
Note: Raise the prep delay before a rush you can see coming (game day, a holiday weekend) and drop it back after — it's the quickest pressure valve you have.