Delivery adds a second kind of customer to a takeaway in Sri Lanka: someone who is not standing at the counter. Orders come in by phone or message, someone has to write down an address, a rider has to be sent, and the kitchen still has to keep walk-in customers moving. Without a system, this is where orders get lost and food goes cold. This guide shows how to run walk-in and delivery orders from one place.
This guide covers orders your own team takes (counter, phone or message). If you also list on third-party delivery apps, ask your POS provider exactly how those orders reach your kitchen, rather than assuming.
The Delivery Order Flow
- Order taken. Staff enter the order and mark it as walk-in or delivery.
- Details captured. For delivery, the address and a contact number are recorded.
- Kitchen ticket printed. The order goes to the kitchen straight away, with special instructions.
- Order prepared and packed. The token or order number matches the ticket to the bag.
- Rider assigned. Someone is sent, and the order is marked out for delivery.
- Delivered and closed. Status updates to complete, and the sale is recorded.
1. One System for Walk-In and Delivery
If walk-in and delivery orders live in different notebooks, you cannot see your real sales or your real kitchen load. Look for a POS that handles both order modes in one screen, so the kitchen gets one queue and your reports cover everything.
2. Capture the Address at the Time of the Order
Log the delivery address as part of the order, not on a scrap of paper. Written addresses are less likely to be mixed up between orders, and a record helps if a customer calls back.
3. Use Tokens to Keep Orders Straight
A numbered token on every order, printed on the receipt and on the kitchen ticket, keeps walk-in customers and delivery bags from getting mixed up. Order queue management helps your counter staff see what is waiting and what is ready. See what is a KOT system for how kitchen tickets fit in.
4. Send Kitchen Tickets Instantly
Every order should print at the kitchen the moment it is placed, with the token, the items and any special notes, such as “no onions” or “extra spicy”. Order modification alerts matter too: if a customer changes an order after it is placed, the kitchen needs to know.
5. Assign and Track Riders
Record which rider took which order, and update the status as it moves from prepared to out for delivery to complete. At minimum you want to answer “where is my order?” without shouting across the shop.
6. Accept Different Payment Methods
Counter customers, phone customers and delivery customers may all pay differently. Ask how your POS records the different payment methods and how you will reconcile what riders bring back at the end of a shift.
7. Close the Shift With a Clear Summary
At shift end, you want total revenue, best-selling items and a payment method breakdown, ideally exportable to PDF or Excel. For delivery, that is how you see whether the extra effort is paying off.
Common Delivery Mistakes
- Taking addresses verbally and writing them later. Record them in the order.
- No order status. Customers call; staff guess.
- Delivery and walk-in in separate queues. The kitchen cannot prioritise.
- No handover process for riders. Orders leave without being checked against the ticket.
- Never reviewing delivery sales. You cannot tell if it is worth it.
A Simple Delivery Checklist for Each Order
| Check | Done? |
|---|---|
| Marked as delivery, address and phone recorded | |
| Kitchen ticket printed with token and notes | |
| Packed order matched to token | |
| Rider assigned | |
| Status updated to out for delivery, then complete |
How Invenova Helps
Invenova’s Takeaway POS offers fast counter ordering, an order token and queue system, kitchen order tickets, delivery order management with address logging, rider assignment and order status tracking, and shift reports with PDF and Excel export. The Cafe POS and Restaurant POS cover table service and counter orders from the same system. Plans and details are on the pricing page.
Want to see walk-in and delivery orders side by side? Book a free demo, or read Retail vs Restaurant POS to confirm which system fits you.