Updated
Write one approved change list
List the old item name, intended new name, price to be confirmed by the owner, effective date and first shift using the change. Separate new dishes from renamed dishes and unavailable dishes. A handwritten instruction such as ‘change meals’ leaves too much room for interpretation when the menu has several meal options.
Compare the change list with printed menus, counter boards and any customer-facing material you maintain. Give one person responsibility for the approved version. Do not leave staff choosing between a message in a group chat and a different paper list.
Check how existing orders are handled
Before changing live items, ask to demonstrate what happens to a running table containing the affected dish. Establish which price should apply and who resolves a guest query. Do not assume an edit will change, or preserve, every existing order in the same way.
Use the supported setup procedure and check the result from the actual captain handset and billing counter. If an item is meant to be unavailable, demonstrate the intended procedure for preventing new orders. The kitchen team also needs the final wording, especially where two dishes differ by just one ingredient or portion size.
Verify the first example from entry to bill
Prepare one sample order for each changed item. Read the item name and quantity on the kitchen output, then check the intended amount on the bill. Review long names for confusing wrapping. Resolve discrepancies before the shift begins rather than asking staff to remember a temporary verbal correction.
After the first service, collect confusing names and missed customer-facing updates in one list. A weekend special in a Chennai cafe and an evening tiffin addition need the same discipline: a clear effective time and a complete check of the resulting order.
PUT IT INTO PRACTICE
Your checklist
- One owner-approved version of the change list
- Running-order behaviour demonstrated
- Counter, captain and kitchen read the same dish
- Printed and displayed menus reviewed
