How do I hold tickets?

[sushi]

New to Square and have many questions.

The first question I have is: how do you hold tickets?

During the pandemic, most orders received are online orders and many of them are scheduled orders.  For phone-in orders especially during the peak hours, I need to hold the ticket and not fire right away.  Many tickets are on queue and I do not want to place the phone-in order ahead of the scheduled orders.  Some customers want to pick up their food at later time as well.

With Square for Restaurant Free, I could not find the way to hold tickets (or items).

With Square for Restaurant Plus, I found the way that I can use Coursing feature to hold tickets (or items). Not ideal, but functional.

If I use the Coursing, I believe the menu items will printed with coursing info such as (C1). 

Also, there is no indicator showing that the tickets were put on hold, so I have to remember which one to release when.

Is there a better way to handle this problem?

I wish that I can hold (pause) the order (the whole ticket) and only place the order into the order manager so when the time comes it could be sent to kitchen (manually or automatically if possible based on holding time set up)

[Donnie-M · Accepted solution]

@sushi We use open tickets.  This allows you to put the order in and save it.  When the customer comes in to pay it is right there.  Our cashiers note the pickup time and we flag it as a call in order for ticket type.

If you have prep time set up, when scheduled online orders come in they will go to upcoming and wait to print based on the scheduled pick up time less the prep time.  I.e. 15 minute prep..order set for 2:15...will print at 2:00.  

This pretty much works in the pos app or restaurants app.

[sushi]

Thanks for the comment.

Open tickets - I think it is only available on Square POS.

But I believe the Restaurant App is using open tickets as default.

Based on the description, however, with open tickets the order will be sent to kitchen printer when the ticket was saved.   What I want is to delay this printing. (when to fire) It looks like open tickets is for to delay the payment.

For walk-in or phone-in order, some customer wants to pick up at later time.  

I do not want this order to be ASAP but want to schedule it for later. (or at least hold for later).

[tstahlbaum]

I am also having this problem.  How can I delay the printing of held items?

[JustinC]

Hey @tstahlbaum are you subscribed to Square for Restaurants Plus?