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Before you start (five minutes of prep)
Have a printed menu or PDF, your pickup hours, and one person who knows modifier quirks ("combo includes soup OR salad"). You will not need a developer.
Pick a quiet ten-minute window—not mid-service—to run the first test call so you can hear the agent clearly.
Scan the menu, fix the top sellers
ROAL extracts items, prices, and categories from your menu scan. Spend most of your time on the twenty dishes that drive phone volume and any required modifier groups.
You do not need perfection on day one; you need accuracy on what callers actually order. Refine the long tail after the first week of test calls.
Place a test call, watch the pass
Call your test line, order like a guest (with one modifier change mid-call), and confirm name and phone. The ticket should appear on your kitchen display while you are still on the line.
If something is wrong, fix the menu item—not the guest experience. Re-test until the read-back matches what expo expects.
Forward traffic when the ticket is boring
Go live when test calls feel routine: right items, honest 86 behavior, and a handoff path your shift lead knows. Start with one service period if you want a soft launch—Friday pickup only, for example.
Keep success-based pilot terms in writing so you know what counts as a billable order before the first live guest ring.