A preorder page needs a clear handoff between taking requests and handing over items. Set up one batch for one physical production run or pickup date. That keeps its stock and order list easy to reconcile.
Set pickup choices customers can follow
The Saturday bakery batch starts with two choices: Saturday 9–11am and Saturday 11am–1pm. On Orders, write one choice per line and save by leaving the field. Use language that matches the sign on your door. Customers pick from that list when ordering, and staff can filter the order list by the same choice.
Pickup choices do not each receive a separate quantity limit. Both choices draw from the batch's product stock. If a morning counter needs 12 pies and afternoon gets 12 different pies, create two batches, each with 12 pies. For a seasonal run, the holiday batch provides another starting point.
Open and close admissions deliberately
Set opening hours or a one-off window in Settings. Review the customer page after editing products and pickup text. A closed window stops new requests; already accepted orders stay in the owner dashboard and on their private status pages. Product stock can also stop an order independently of hours.
On Starter or Pro, turn on approval if staff must review requests. Pending requests reserve stock and are visibly not confirmed. On Free, new orders confirm immediately and show a private status link on screen without sending a confirmation email. The owner can still resolve orders that were pending before a downgrade.
Work from the Orders view
Before the pickup window, filter by pickup choice and check item totals. Move confirmed orders to Preparing, then Ready, then Collected. An internal note can capture a substitution conversation without appearing on the customer status page. Staff can add an order with the same custom questions as the public page; email is optional. Export CSV if the kitchen needs a printed list.
When the batch is over, duplicate it for the next date. The copy is a draft with fresh stock and no old customer orders. Update pickup text, product quantities, and opening window before publishing. Do not reuse an old open page for a new batch without reviewing those values.
Account allowances and the shared operational grace period govern whether new orders are covered; they do not change the pickup choices or reset physical stock.