When online ordering is unavailable, show guests a short message where they would normally start an order. Say what is unavailable, offer only an alternative your restaurant can handle right now, and give a time for the next update. If you do not know when ordering will return, say so rather than guessing.
The message should help a hungry guest decide what to do next. It should also prevent someone from assuming an order went through when it did not. A phone number is useful only if someone can answer it; a delivery link is useful only if that channel is actually accepting orders.
Decide whether to call it a pause or an outage
A planned pause is a decision your restaurant makes: perhaps the kitchen needs time to catch up, or you are closing early. An outage is an interruption you did not choose, such as an ordering page that will not load or a checkout that cannot accept orders. Both can stop guests from ordering, but they call for different wording.
For a planned pause, say that ordering is paused and identify the affected service. If you have a firm reopening time, include it. For an outage, say that online ordering is temporarily unavailable. Avoid naming a cause until the person managing the system has confirmed it. A guest does not need an unverified explanation about payment providers or internet connections.
Before posting, get four inputs from the people closest to the situation:
- Scope: Ask the shift manager which locations, ordering channels, and fulfillment options are affected. Pickup may be down while dine-in remains available, for example.
- Capacity: Ask the kitchen and front counter whether they can take additional phone or walk-in orders without creating an unmanageable wait.
- Timing: Ask the person investigating when they can provide a reliable update. That is not necessarily a restoration time.
- Publishing: Identify who can place, change, and remove the notice on the site and any other ordering entry points you control.
If the scope is unclear, use a broader message such as “Online ordering is temporarily unavailable” while you check. Do not say the restaurant is closed unless it is. If only one location is affected, name it so guests at other locations are not turned away unnecessarily.
Offer only alternatives you can serve
Give guests one or two realistic choices, not a long list of channels that may lead to another dead end. The best option depends on both the technical problem and the restaurant's capacity at that moment.
The table below pairs common situations with a message direction. Each alternative still needs a quick check with the people handling it before the notice goes live.
| Situation | Guest-facing direction | Check before offering it |
|---|---|---|
| Online ordering is down; phone staff have capacity | Call to place a pickup order | The number is correct, someone can answer, and the kitchen can take the order |
| Ordering is paused because the kitchen is full | Wait for the next update | A manager can reassess capacity at the stated time |
| One location cannot take online orders | Name the affected location; suggest another only if practical | The other location is open, accepting orders, and suitable for the guest |
| Delivery is unavailable but pickup works | Order for pickup through the working channel | Pickup ordering and the handoff process are both operating |
Phone orders can help guests complete a meal plan, but they also pull staff away from the counter. Tell the team before directing traffic to the phone. If the line becomes overloaded, change the notice rather than leaving guests to call repeatedly. If walk-ins are an option, make clear whether they can order takeout or only dine in, and avoid promising a wait time the team cannot support.
Similarly, do not direct guests to a third-party ordering channel just because the restaurant normally appears there. Confirm that it is accepting orders for the affected location and that the kitchen can fulfill them. The menu, fees, and fulfillment choices may differ. Let guests see those details in that channel rather than promising identical terms.
If no alternative is available, a direct statement is better than a broken link: “We cannot accept orders right now. Please check back for an update.” For an order a guest believes they already placed, provide a contact method only if staff can check order status. Do not tell guests to submit a second order without first confirming what happened to the first.
Use templates with a specific update time
The examples below are hypothetical. The times, location, and contact details are placeholders for a restaurant to replace with its own verified information. An update time is a promise to post new information, not a promise that the system will be fixed by then.
Planned pause: the kitchen needs breathing room
Online pickup ordering is paused at our Oak Street location while our kitchen catches up. We will post an update here by 6:30 p.m. Thanks for your patience.
Use this when the manager has deliberately stopped online pickup orders and cannot responsibly offer another ordering route. If the restaurant can still serve walk-in guests, add that only after the team agrees it has capacity. If the location stays busy at 6:30, update the notice with the next check time rather than quietly leaving the old time in place.
Outage: a phone alternative is working
Online ordering is temporarily unavailable at our Oak Street location. For pickup, call us at 555-0100. We will update this message by 7:15 p.m.
Use this when the ordering problem is unplanned and staff have confirmed they can accept pickup orders by phone. Replace the example number with the restaurant's real number. If phone capacity changes, remove that option promptly. If only delivery is affected, name delivery instead of implying that all online ordering is down.
Uncertain cause: no alternative is ready
We cannot accept online orders right now. We are checking the issue and will update this page by 8:00 p.m. Please check back here for the latest information.
Use this while the team establishes the scope or when other channels cannot take more orders. It does not blame a provider or predict a fix. If the restaurant is still open for dine-in, you can add that fact once the floor team confirms it.
Place the notice above the order button or at the first point where a guest tries to order. If a broken checkout prevents guests from reaching that page, put the message earlier in their path too. Use plain text that is easy to read on a phone, and make sure the notice identifies the affected location where needed.
Give one person ownership of the next update and agree on who provides the operational status. At the stated time, that owner should post either a restoration notice or a new status and update time. If your site has several entry points, check that the messages do not conflict. A guest should not see “ordering available” on one page and an outage notice on another.
Verify the guest path before removing the notice
Do not remove a warning just because an error message disappears. Confirm that the affected service is usable and that the team can fulfill the orders it receives. The exact check depends on what failed: a page loading again does not by itself establish that checkout, pickup, or delivery is working.
- Confirm the reported fix. Ask the person managing the issue what changed and which locations and order types are ready to check.
- Inspect the guest path. Open the relevant ordering entry point on a phone and a desktop if available. Check the location, menu, fulfillment choice, and displayed notice.
- Run a safe simulation. Where a sandbox or other non-live test is available, use it to check the affected steps. Stop short of any action that could create a real payment, guest message, or courier dispatch. A simulation cannot prove every live transaction will succeed.
- Confirm operational readiness. Ask the shift manager whether the kitchen and handoff team are ready to accept the restored order type. A technical recovery does not automatically mean staff have capacity.
- Update every notice. Remove or replace the outage message at each entry point you control. Check the visible pages again so an old warning does not continue to turn guests away.
If a safe simulation is not available, ask the ordering provider how to verify recovery without creating a real transaction or dispatch. Keep the notice accurate while that check is underway. If a live service pilot is later appropriate, plan it separately with the provider and staff; do not treat a practice click as permission to charge a card, contact a guest, or summon a courier.
For a short period after reopening, designate someone to watch for reports that guests cannot order and to coordinate a response. A restored page is useful, but the guest's goal is an order the restaurant can receive and prepare. If the problem returns, repost the appropriate notice and set a fresh update time.
Use these checks to review your current restaurant website and ordering setup. The online ordering buying guide can help frame wider provider questions. Then ask Fleksa about restaurant online ordering, including verified US availability and how your team would publish and update an outage notice.
Frequently asked questions
Should an outage message say when ordering will be back?
Only if you have a reliable reopening time. Otherwise, give the time of the next update and make clear that it is an update, not a repair deadline.
Should I direct guests to call the restaurant?
Yes, if the number is correct, someone can answer, and the team can accept and fulfill those orders. Remove the option if phone or kitchen capacity changes.
What if a guest thinks an order already went through?
Offer a working way to contact staff who can check its status. Do not ask the guest to place it again until the first order has been checked.
