Capacity limits
What it is
Capacity limits let you control how many ezCater orders you take in a day so you never take on more than your kitchen and staff can handle
Why it helps reliability
Prevents overbooking on peak days
Reduces last‑minute rejections and cancellations
Helps you plan labor and production more confidently
Best practices
Set a realistic daily order limit based on your busiest days and staffing
Review and adjust limits regularly for
Holidays and catering “season”
Days with known big events or large orders
If you routinely hit your limit early in the day, either
Raise capacity only if you can truly support more orders reliably
Or leave it as‑is and know you’re protecting reliability
Where to manage it
In the Partner Portal, go to Settings → Store Settings
Look for Daily capacity limit and update your limit
Temporary closures
What they are
Temporary closures let you pause new orders for specific dates or times without removing your store from ezCater entirely
Examples
Kitchen maintenance
Private events that use your full capacity
Short‑term staffing shortages or unexpected emergencies
Why they help reliability
Prevent day‑of rejections and cancellations when you already know you cannot take more orders
Protect your staff from last‑minute overload
Best practices
Use temporary closures as soon as you know
A date or time is fully committed
You cannot support additional catering that day
Close only the time window you cannot support rather than the full day when possible
Where to manage it
In the Partner Portal, go to Settings → Store Settings
Use the Temporary Closures section to block specific dates and times
Holiday closures
What they are
Holiday closures block orders on recurring holidays, so you don’t receive orders when your store is closed
Why they help reliability
Prevent orders from slipping in on days when you are not open or staffed for catering
Reduce holiday‑time rejections and last‑minute calls to cancel
Best practices
At least once a year, review your
Major holidays
Brand‑specific closures such as annual shutdowns
Set holiday closures well before the season so customers never see availability on days you are closed
Where to manage it
In the Partner Portal, go to Settings → Store Settings
Use the Holiday Closures section to add recurring closures like
New Year’s Day
Thanksgiving
Other brand‑defined holidays
Auto‑accept
What it is
Auto‑accept is a setting that allows certain orders to be accepted automatically when they meet criteria you define, such as lead time or order size
Why it helps reliability
Reduces the chance that a new order waits too long for manual acceptance
Keeps your on‑time acceptance rate strong
Gives customers faster confirmation that their event is covered
Best practices
Use auto‑accept only when
Your hours, lead times, and capacity are already set conservatively
Your team has reliable processes for production and delivery
Start with auto‑accept for
Smaller, simpler orders
Times of day you know you can handle easily
Continue to monitor Operational Metrics and adjust if you see acceptance‑related issues
Where to manage it
In the Partner Portal, go to Settings → Store Settings
Go to Daily Capacity Limit and you'll see the auto-accept setting at the top of the page
Click to toggle on and then choose your auto-accept limit
Requesting Dispatch
What it is
Dispatch is ezCater’s delivery solution that connects you with professional catering drivers when you do not have enough in‑house delivery capacity
Why it helps reliability
Lets you say yes to orders even when you are short on drivers
Reduces late deliveries caused by last‑minute driver problems
Keeps your on‑time delivery and food‑ready performance stronger
Best practices
Use Dispatch when
You do not have enough in‑house drivers for a busy day
A delivery is outside your typical radius or especially complex
Have food ready at the pickup time on the order printout so Dispatch drivers can leave on time
Combine Dispatch with
Realistic lead times
Appropriate capacity limits
Clear pickup instructions in the Partner Portal
Where to request it
From an individual order in the Partner Portal
Open the order
In the delivery section, choose Request Dispatch
You can also configure how and when Dispatch is available in the Delivery tab under Dispatch
Contacting Customer Service and Partner Success
Sometimes the most important reliability tool is asking for help early
Customer Service
Use Customer Service when
There is a live order with an urgent issue
You need help coordinating with the customer on timing, changes, or access
You need support for an issue that might otherwise lead to a rejection or cancellation
Customer Service can often help you
Adjust delivery windows
Coordinate with the customer on substitutions
Problem‑solve to avoid canceling an order
Contact
Phone (24/7): 1‑800‑488‑1803
Email: [email protected]
Partner Success
Use Partner Success when you need help with
Settings such as lead times, capacity, closures, delivery options
Understanding Operational Metrics or Reliability Rockstar progress
Longer‑term reliability improvements across locations
Contact
Email: [email protected]
Reaching out early can often prevent small issues from becoming order issues, pauses, or long‑term performance problems
Putting it all together: best practices for staying reliable
To make the most of these tools
Align your settings with reality
Set realistic lead times
Turn on capacity limits
Use holiday and temporary closures proactively
Use Dispatch as a safety net
Request Dispatch when in‑house drivers are tight or routes are complex
Automate carefully
Consider auto‑accept only when your operational settings and staffing are stable
Watch your metrics and reviews
Use Operational Metrics and Reviews tabs to spot early warning signs
Ask for help early
Call Customer Service for live order issues
Work with Partner Success to fine‑tune settings for long‑term reliability
When you combine these reliability tools with strong day‑to‑day habits, you give your team the best chance to deliver orders on time, in full, and exactly as expected on every ezCater order