What is a food 'drop' and how does it work?
Short answer
A food drop is a limited-time menu you sell on pre-order up to a cutoff, usually with a batch cap. Customers order and pay in advance; when the window closes, you cook exactly what sold and hand off by pickup or delivery. Drops create urgency ("orders close Wednesday, X left"), guarantee payment before you cook, and let you cook to demand instead of guessing — ideal for meal-preppers, pop-ups, and home cooks.
The three ingredients of a drop
A drop = an order window (open → cutoff), a fulfilment date/time, and an optional batch cap. The window sets urgency, the cutoff gives you a clean count, and the cap protects your kitchen.
The weekly cycle
Many sellers run a recurring weekly drop: open Monday, cutoff Wednesday, cook and hand off Saturday. Repeat with a new menu. It turns an irregular side-hustle into a predictable routine.
Drop vs standing menu
A standing menu is always on and forces you to estimate demand. A drop sells to a deadline so you cook to a known number. You can run both in PlateTicket — drops for batches, on-demand for a standing menu.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'drop' mean for food?
A food drop is a limited-time, pre-order menu sold up to a cutoff, often with a batch cap. Customers order and pay in advance, and the seller cooks exactly what sold, fulfilling by pickup or delivery. It's popular with meal-preppers, home cooks, pop-ups, and plate-sale sellers.
How is a food drop different from normal ordering?
Normal (on-demand) ordering runs a standing menu with no deadline, so you estimate how much to make. A drop closes at a cutoff, giving you an exact count to cook to. Drops trade always-on convenience for predictability and zero speculative waste.
How do I run a weekly food drop?
Set a recurring window — for example open Monday, cutoff Wednesday, pickup Saturday — take paid orders, cook to the cutoff count, and hand off. Then reopen a fresh drop with next week's menu. See how to run a food drop for the full playbook.
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