What 86'd items mean for phone orders

In restaurant talk, 86’d means “we’re out” or “we can’t sell that item right now.” It can apply to a single topping, a special, a drink, or a whole dish. For phone orders, this matters because the caller cannot see your line item changes the way a walk-in customer can.

A simple example: say you are out of chicken parm during the dinner rush. You do not want the phone host to keep taking chicken parm orders, then force the kitchen to call back and cancel them. The cleaner move is to mark it out of stock as soon as it runs out and steer callers to something else.

Use plain words with your team:

• “86 chicken parm.”
• “Keep buffalo wings off the menu for now.”
• “Swap regular fries for onion rings only if the caller asks.”

A useful rule: if the kitchen cannot make it in the next service window, treat it like an 86 item. That keeps the phone, the line, and the ticket all aligned.

Your phone script should say what is unavailable and what is still available, without making the caller guess. The best scripts are short. They save time and reduce back-and-forth.

Try a line like: “We’re out of the meatball hero right now, but I can do the chicken cutlet hero or a turkey sub.” That is better than saying “No, sorry” and waiting for the caller to ask three more questions.

Here is a practical phone flow for an 86’d item:

1. Confirm the item is unavailable.
2. Offer 1-2 nearby substitutes.
3. Ask whether the caller wants to change the order.
4. Repeat the full order back.
5. Send the ticket only for items you can make.

If you use ROAL, you can keep unavailable items off the live menu so the host does not offer them in the first place. That matters on busy shifts, because the phone host works from the menu you give it and can help reduce awkward callbacks. The same idea works for staff too: keep a short “out of stock” note near the register or prep area so everyone says the same thing.

The main job is menu control. If an item is sold out, the phone menu should reflect that right away. That is true whether you answer the phone yourself, use a staff member, or use pickup order taking help.

A simple checklist for the shift lead:

• Update the menu as soon as the item runs out.
• Tell the phone answerer what to stop selling.
• Tell the kitchen what substitutions are allowed.
• Check that the item does not appear in callbacks or order notes.
• Re-enable it only when prep is back.

If you are handling orders manually, one small notebook on the counter can help. Write the item, the time it ran out, and the replacement options. Example: “3:10 p.m. – pastrami 86 – offer roast beef or turkey.” That way the person answering the phone does not have to guess.

ROAL can read your menu, hours, and prices from public pages or an uploaded menu, then build the phone host quickly. If you edit the menu later, the host can use the updated live menu. The important point is simple: the phone should only sell what the kitchen can actually make.

Some callers will still want the sold-out item. That is normal. Your job is to stay calm and offer a close replacement.

Use a script like this: “Sorry, we’re out of the Italian sub right now. I can do turkey, roast beef, or a chicken cutlet instead. Which would you like?”

If the caller keeps pressing, do not argue. Give them one more clear option:

• “I can hold the rest of the order and swap that one item.”
• “I can also take your number and have staff call you if anything changes.”

A helpful way to think about it: every 86’d item has three choices—replace it, remove it, or escalate it. Escalation should be rare, but it matters for allergy-sensitive calls, catering, or complaints. ROAL hands those calls to staff with a summary, which is useful when the caller needs a person and not a menu choice.

Example with numbers: say your average order is $28 and a caller wanted a $9 item that is out. If you offer a $10 substitute instead, you keep the ticket moving and protect the rest of the order. Plug in your own menu numbers, but the idea stays the same: keep the sale alive without promising something the kitchen cannot make.

Once a caller places an order, the kitchen screen needs to show only items that can be made. If the host takes an out-of-stock item, the ticket becomes a problem before the first prep step starts.

A clean process looks like this:

1. The item is marked out of stock.
2. The phone host stops offering it.
3. The caller gets a substitute choice.
4. The final ticket goes to the kitchen screen.
5. The kitchen sees the same order the caller heard back.

That matters most during lunch rush and dinner rush, when small mistakes pile up. A clean ticket should show the item, size, modifiers, and notes, but it should not show something that was already 86’d.

Here is a quick owner checklist for the line and the phone together:

• Are sold-out items hidden or clearly marked?
• Does the kitchen know which swaps are allowed?
• Does the person answering the phone use the same terms as the line?
• Does the ticket match the confirmed order?

If you want to review what happened after the rush, call transcripts and ticket history can help you spot repeat problems. That makes it easier to fix one out-of-stock issue before it turns into ten.

Busy shifts are when 86’d items create the most friction. A caller wants an answer now, the kitchen is moving, and the front counter may already be tied up. That is where call forwarding can help.

On many landlines and some carriers, 72 followed by the forwarding number forwards all calls, and 73 turns it off. On GSM mobile carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile, *21number# forwards all calls and ##21# turns it off; *61number# forwards unanswered calls and *67number# forwards busy calls. Verizon Wireless uses 72 / 73, and *71 for busy/no-answer forwarding. Business VoIP systems usually set forwarding in the web portal. Codes vary by carrier and plan, so confirm with your carrier and test with a call.

A practical setup for a small shop is:

• Forward all calls during a rush, or
• Forward only busy/unanswered calls, so your line stays live first.

If you use ROAL, each location gets its own phone line automatically when you claim the host, and you can forward your existing number to it. That lets the phone keep working while the kitchen keeps moving. Forwarding can be turned off any time, which is helpful when you want the phone back on the front counter after service.

You cannot stop every sellout, but you can spot patterns. The goal is to make 86’d items a menu and prep issue, not a phone panic.

Track these three things each week:

• Which items sell out first.
• Which items cause the most caller questions.
• Which substitutions the kitchen accepts without slowing tickets.

A simple owner review can look like this:

That table is small, but it helps. It tells you what to prep more of, what to remove sooner, and what to keep as a backup on the phone menu.

If you want a simple next step, build a free test host from your website or menu and listen to how it handles your current menu before you ever go live. For owners who want to compare pricing styles, pricing is also worth a look.