Order throttling

Order throttling means slowing down or limiting incoming orders when the kitchen is already full. In a real restaurant, this can happen during a Friday rush, a holiday, or a short-staffed shift. The goal is to keep the line moving without taking more orders than the kitchen can cook well.

For example, if your fryer is backed up and the grill is packed, you may want to pause new large orders for a short time or give longer ready times. A phone host can help by taking orders only when your team is ready, and by quoting realistic wait times based on what you tell it.

This matters for phone orders because too many commitments at once can cause late food, angry callers, and stressed staff. See Short-staffed shifts for related scenarios.