How Meal Program differs from Marketplace
Both channels deliver catering orders to your location, but they behave differently on a few key dimensions:
| Marketplace | Meal Program |
Order timing | Ad hoc, customer-driven | Recurring, scheduled in advance |
When you see the order | At time of customer order | When the meal is “finalized” (typically ~90 min before event time) |
Menu | Your full ezCater menu | A subset of items you tag as Meal Program–eligible |
Order composition | Large-format catering items | Individual meals, individually packaged and labeled, up to 30 per order |
Order flow into Olo | Standard Orders API | Standard Orders API, but firing closer to event time |
Customer | Single workplace ordering ad hoc | Workplaces with recurring meal needs |
Meal Program orders use the same Orders API path as Marketplace orders, so the operational mechanics inside Olo are familiar, and integrated Meal Program orders carry the same per-order integration fee as other integrated orders (see Operational Practices).
All fulfillment continues through Partner Portal, which remains the source of truth for reviewing and reporting on your ezCater orders. The biggest practical difference is when the order arrives at your POS.
The Finalized cutoff
Meal Program orders are not transmitted to Olo until the meal is “finalized” — typically about 90 minutes before the customer’s requested event time. Until then, the order is still being shaped (workplaces can add or change items up to that cutoff).
For your operations, that means:
You won’t see the full order in Olo or the POS until close to event time.
If your prep time exceeds 90 minutes, you may need to use ezCater-specific menu items with a longer lead time so Olo doesn’t reject the order.
The exact cutoff depends on your brand’s "Meal Program Finalized" setting, the customer’s distance from your location, and whether Dispatch pickup is involved.
If your kitchen needs more than 90 minutes to prepare a Meal Program order, work with your ezCater contact to extend the lead time on Meal Program items before going live. Orders that arrive inside your prep window will fail to transmit.
What you need to do before going live
Confirm the locations that will offer Meal Program. Each location’s menu is configured independently.
Decide which items belong on Meal Program. You can share items with Marketplace, or designate items as Meal Program–only.
Tag the menu following the rules in Meal Program Menu Set Up. The most important tag is
RelishChannel, which marks an item as eligible for the channel.Validate your lead times in Olo so Meal Program orders can transmit successfully even when they fire close to event time.
Email [email protected] when your tagging is complete so the ezCater team can sync your menu.