Ask for special instructions when a guest needs to clarify a preparation detail the kitchen can reasonably act on and the menu does not already cover. Put the field next to the relevant item, make it optional, and tell guests what belongs there. Use structured choices for routine options; save free text for the exceptions.
The field is not a promise to fulfill every request. A workable ordering flow also tells guests where to raise allergy concerns, directs delivery handoff details away from the kitchen, and gives staff a way to resolve unclear or impossible notes before preparation.
Define what the kitchen can act on
Start with the decisions your team already makes during preparation. A request to leave sauce off a sandwich may be useful if that sauce is normally added during assembly. A request to change a recipe that is prepared in advance may not be actionable. The difference depends on how your kitchen works, not just on what fits in a text box.
Ask the kitchen lead which ingredients can be removed, which dishes are prepared ahead, and which changes slow the line. Ask the person managing online orders what information is often missing. Then check the menu: if guests regularly choose between the same two sauces, a labeled choice is usually easier to read and count than dozens of different notes.
Separate three kinds of input:
- Standard choices: Options the restaurant offers consistently, such as a sauce selection. Put these in the item's normal choices when the ordering system supports them.
- Preparation notes: Occasional details the kitchen may be able to accommodate, such as leaving a garnish off one dish.
- Handoff details: Information for getting an order to the guest, such as an entrance instruction. Keep these out of kitchen-facing notes and use a separate delivery field if the ordering flow offers one.
Do not use the field as a substitute for a missing menu option, an extra-charge item, or a request to change the delivery destination. Decide who can approve exceptions and what happens if that person is busy. If nobody has time to read and act on a note before the dish is made, collecting it creates a poor expectation.
Set boundaries and give allergy concerns a clear path
Use a short label and an example that matches what staff can actually do. Avoid a broad prompt such as “Tell us anything.” Guests may reasonably interpret it as permission to request free extras, substitutions, or special handling that the restaurant cannot provide.
Suggested field: “Preparation note for this item (optional)”
Suggested help text: “For small preparation requests, such as no garnish. We may not be able to accommodate every request. For allergies or ingredient concerns, contact the restaurant before ordering.”
Adapt the example to your menu. If garnishes cannot be removed because a dish arrives preassembled, choose a different example. Add the restaurant's actual phone number or other staffed contact method alongside the instruction in your ordering flow. Make sure someone knows how to answer questions about ingredients and preparation, including possible cross-contact.
Do not treat an allergy note as an ordinary preference or promise that removing an ingredient makes a dish safe. Staff should follow the restaurant's established procedure, check the relevant preparation information, and avoid guessing. If the team cannot clarify a concern or determine whether it can accommodate the request, it should not assume the dish is suitable. Explain the next step to the guest before proceeding.
Also say where other requests belong. A guest who wants an extra portion should use a priced menu option if one is available. A guest who wants a substitute that is not offered should contact the restaurant rather than assume the note changes the order or its price. The trade-off is deliberate: a narrower field may feel less flexible, but it gives staff a better chance of handling the requests it receives.
Place the note where staff can use it
Put item-specific notes with the item, before the guest adds it to the order. A note on one bowl is less ambiguous than a note at checkout saying “no onions” when the cart contains several dishes. Review the final order display as well: guests should be able to see which item carries the note before they submit it.
Use an order-level field only for information that genuinely applies to the whole order. Do not rely on it to explain which of several meals needs a change. If the system offers only one note field, ask the provider how item references appear to staff and consider prompting guests to name the relevant dish. Also ask whether notes are visible on every screen or ticket your team uses; do not assume the kitchen will see the same layout as the guest.
Consider this hypothetical example: a guest orders two rice bowls, one with a removable garnish and one without. The guest selects the first bowl and writes “no cilantro” in its preparation note. The kitchen receives a note associated with that bowl, checks that cilantro is added during assembly, and leaves it off. If the same words appear only at the bottom of the full order, staff must determine which bowl the guest meant before making it.
This example assumes the garnish is removable and the system associates the note with the item. It does not establish that a particular product handles notes that way. Ask each provider to show the guest view, the submitted order, and the staff view using your own menu layout.
Before a live service pilot, run a simulation with sample orders and a staff-only review. Check a clear note, an ambiguous note, an unavailable substitution, and an allergy concern. Confirm that the simulation cannot take a real payment, send a message to a guest, or dispatch a courier. Then decide whether a separate live pilot is appropriate under your normal operating procedures; a simulation alone cannot show how the process holds up during a rush.
Give staff a repeatable review checklist
A note is useful only if someone sees it in time. Assign an order-review owner for each shift and agree on a backup. The review should happen before the affected item is prepared, with a clear route to the kitchen and a way to flag unresolved requests.
The table below turns common note types into actions. It is a training aid, not a guarantee that every request can be fulfilled; use your own menu and preparation rules when deciding.
| Guest note | Staff check | Action before preparation |
|---|---|---|
| “No garnish” on one item | Is the garnish added during assembly? | Follow the request if feasible and pass it to the preparer. |
| “No onions” on a multi-item order | Is the affected dish clear? | Contact the guest if needed; do not guess which item to change. |
| “Extra protein, no charge” | Is there a priced option or approved exception? | Explain the available choice and any price change before proceeding. |
| “Severe allergy” | What does the restaurant's allergy procedure require? | Use the designated contact and review procedure; do not assume removal resolves the concern. |
For each order, the reviewer should identify the affected item, decide whether the request is clear and feasible, and communicate the decision to the person preparing it. If a request needs clarification, use the restaurant's normal contact process and record the resolution where the team can see it. Set a rule for what to do when the guest cannot be reached; staff should not improvise a risky substitute or silently ignore a material concern.
During busy periods, check whether notes remain visible when orders move between stations. A note that appears at intake but disappears from the kitchen's working view needs a process fix before the field becomes a routine part of service.
Turn recurring notes into better menu choices
Review notes with the kitchen lead at a regular meeting. Group requests by item and type: removable ingredient, paid extra, unclear instruction, allergy concern, or delivery handoff. Look for patterns without collecting more guest information than the team needs for the review.
If many guests ask for sauce on the side and the kitchen can consistently provide it, consider making that a standard choice. Before adding it, check whether it changes packaging, preparation time, or price. If guests repeatedly request a substitution the kitchen cannot offer, improve the item description or help text instead. A recurring request is evidence of a menu question, not proof that the restaurant should grant it.
After a change, ask staff whether fewer notes require clarification and whether the new choice appears correctly on the kitchen's working view. Remove or revise choices that create confusion. Your restaurant website should also make contact details easy to find for guests who need to discuss ingredients before ordering.
Use the online ordering buying guide to frame broader vendor questions, then take the field text and staff checklist above to your next demo. Ask Fleksa about its restaurant online ordering, including how notes appear to staff and whether the setup is available for your US location.
Frequently asked questions
Should special instructions be required?
Usually not. Most orders need no extra preparation note, and a required box can encourage guests to enter filler text. Use required choices only for decisions the restaurant needs on every applicable item.
Can a note replace an allergy conversation?
No. Provide a clear way to contact the restaurant before ordering and follow your allergy procedure. Staff should not assume that deleting an ingredient resolves every concern.
What if the kitchen cannot fulfill a request?
Follow a defined escalation process before preparing the affected item. Contact the guest when clarification or an agreed change is needed, and make sure staff know what to do if the guest cannot be reached.
