How do I know how much food to make?
Short answer
Take pre-orders to a cutoff, then cook the exact count. Instead of guessing a batch size and hoping, open an order window, let customers order and pay up front, and close orders at a cutoff before you cook. The confirmed orders total into a production count — the precise amount to make. That's the whole trick: you stop forecasting demand and start cooking to it, so you never over- or under-produce.
Why guessing fails
Forecasting from "last week" or gut feel means you either over-produce (waste and lost margin) or under-produce (turn away customers and lose goodwill). Neither is necessary once orders come in before you cook.
Cook to confirmed orders
Open a drop with a cutoff. Customers pay when they order, so the count you see is real demand, not maybes. At the cutoff, a production sheet totals every item and modifier — that's your prep list.
Add a cap for safety
If there's an upper limit to what you can cook, set a batch cap so orders auto-close when you're full. Now you have both a floor (real orders) and a ceiling (your capacity).
Frequently asked questions
How do I know how much food to prepare?
Take paid pre-orders up to a cutoff, then cook the exact count of what sold. A production sheet aggregates every order by item and modifier, giving you a precise prep list. This replaces guessing with cooking to confirmed, paid demand, so you never over- or under-produce.
How do restaurants and home cooks avoid over-preparing?
The reliable method is cook-to-demand: sell on pre-order to a cutoff and produce only what's ordered. Standing menus estimate and often waste; pre-order sellers cook to an exact count. See how to stop wasting food for the full approach.
Does PlateTicket tell me how much to cook?
Yes. When your order window hits its cutoff, PlateTicket locks a production sheet that totals every paid order by item and modifier — the exact amount to prepare. Refunds adjust the count automatically, so the number always matches real, paid demand.
What if I get more demand than I can cook?
Set a batch cap. When paid orders reach your capacity, the drop marks sold out and stops taking orders, and buyers see a live 'X left' count as you fill up — so you capture demand without ever committing to more than you can make.
Orders in. Plates out.
Open your first drop in minutes, get paid up front, and cook exactly what sold.
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