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Have you noticed the surging popularity of Click&Collect in the restaurant world? Customers are getting used to placing an order online, then swinging by to pick it up—no fuss, no lines, no waiting for a table. It sounds almost too good to be true, but the appeal is obvious: diners want convenience, and many restaurants want a more flexible sales channel that doesn’t require extra delivery fees or an entire fleet of drivers. Still, you may wonder if you can offer Click&Collect without pulling a seasoned server from the dining area or recruiting an additional staff member just to handle to-go orders.
The short answer: yes, it can be done. But getting there requires the right blend of technology tools, organizational strategies, and a well-trained team that’s prepared to handle orders efficiently. If you’re a busy restaurant owner or manager, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s unwrap the secrets to running a profitable Click&Collect system without expanding your payroll.
Click&Collect, often known stateside simply as “online order pickup,” is a concept that lets your customers place their orders remotely—through your website or an app—and then pick up their meals at a specified time. Think of it as providing the best features of takeout with the added convenience of digital ordering. It embraces:
For you, as a restaurant operator, Click&Collect can help diversify revenue streams and offer a hedge against fluctuations in in-house dining traffic. That’s especially relevant if you’re in a location where takeout has proven resilient over the past few years. But the question on everyone’s lips is: “How much staffing do I need?” Running Click&Collect without a dedicated staff member is completely possible—but you’ll need a well-designed workflow to make it happen.
Picture your busiest shift: your servers are zipping from one table to the next, your kitchen is firing up entrées, and the phone is ringing off the hook. You might assume that you have to add another employee—someone solely devoted to packaging, handing off orders, updating the online ordering system, and answering pickup-related questions. While that might be a standard approach, it isn’t the only way.
A dedicated staff member can be a luxury. If you have a small restaurant or a well-organized operation, it’s possible to fold Click&Collect tasks into your existing team’s routine. However, that requires two things:
So ask yourself: “Is my operation set up to handle these tasks smoothly?” If the technology and workflow are in place, you won’t necessarily need an extra hand on deck.
Saving on labor costs is probably the most obvious advantage of running Click&Collect without a dedicated team member. But it’s not just about money. You’ll also experience:
Running a lean Click&Collect service hinges on getting the right technology in place. Implementing digital tools that automate routine tasks—like inputting orders into the POS system or accepting payments—prevents staff from getting bogged down. Here are a few must-haves:
Investing in technology may feel daunting initially, but the long-term advantages—especially if you’re trying to avoid hiring extra staff—are tremendous.
Running a successful pickup operation without a dedicated employee means mapping out responsibilities, clarifying tasks, and ensuring smooth communication among your existing staff. Here’s a playbook you can modify to fit your specific needs:
You might still be undecided about whether to add a dedicated staff member. Check out this quick table that compares the two approaches:
| Minimal Staff Approach | Dedicated Staff Approach | |
|---|---|---|
| Staff Allocation | All team members handle some Click&Collect tasks; roles overlap | One person manages nearly every Click&Collect function |
| Pros |
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| Cons |
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In the restaurant industry, training is as essential as a well-seasoned sauce. If you’re running Click&Collect without a dedicated staff member, your employees need to be agile, able to switch from serving tables to packaging to-go orders at a moment’s notice. To achieve this:
It might sound like extra work, but your staff will thank you for the clarity. Any time you introduce a new feature—like a fresh menu item or a new technology—integrate it into the existing training plan, so no one is left guessing.
Picture a hectic Saturday dinner rush, with your dining room full, the phone buzzing, and a wave of online orders popping up. Staying organized can feel like trying to keep pots from boiling over. Here are a few pointers:
If a staff member is swamped packaging orders for a few minutes, that’s normal. But as soon as they’re done, they can slide back into regular duties. Everyone else remains focused on the dining room, the bar, or any other station that needs attention.
Efficient Click&Collect isn’t just about behind-the-scenes organization. Customer-facing communication is the front line of success. The best way to avoid confusion and keep your staff from being in triage mode is to guide customers clearly from start to finish:
The better your customers are informed, the less your staff will have to double-check details or play phone tag.
One of the biggest time sinks in any restaurant is the payment process—especially for in-store pickup. If you rely on a card reader at your front register or an older payment terminal that’s slow, your staff might find themselves with a line of impatient Click&Collect customers.
A smarter way is implementing a QR code payment solution, such as sunday. If your customers didn’t pay online at the time of ordering—which is often the case if you accept both offline and online payments—then greeting them with a simple sign at the pickup station that says “Scan to Pay Here” can do wonders.
Here’s how it helps:
That’s a recipe for a frictionless experience—for both you and your guests.
Let’s imagine a fictional mid-size diner—Hometown Griddle—operated by a family of restaurateurs. With seating for about 50 and a small staff, they considered adding a separate hourly employee to handle pickup orders. Instead, they decided to integrate online ordering with their POS, set up a labeled pickup counter right by the entrance, and train their current staff to manage these orders.
Once an online order arrives, the system automatically alerts the kitchen. A server finishing up a table sees the order pop up, prints the labels, and preps the bag. Another team member checks off each item, ensuring accuracy. When the customer arrives, they can pay online (if not already paid) by scanning a simple QR code posted at the pickup counter. The same server returns to dining room duties a moment later.
Within a few weeks, Hometown Griddle realized they could handle 20 to 30 pickup orders during lunch or dinner rush without significant slowdowns—and without adding another staff member. Their existing team appreciated the cross-training, and customers raved about the speed of pickup.
Before you jump in with both feet, consider common pitfalls that can derail your no-extra-staff plan and how to navigate them:
A restaurant’s bottom line is determined by calculating revenues and subtracting the many overhead costs that accumulate—from food to labor to utilities. One major risk with new services—like Click&Collect—is that you might add more costs than revenues if you’re not careful. That’s why operating Click&Collect without additional labor is so beneficial:
According to the National Restaurant Association, online ordering and off-premises dining trends will keep growing in the coming years. That spells even more opportunity for revenue—provided your workflow is set up to handle it.
Let’s not forget that loyal customers form the backbone of any successful restaurant. When your guests feel that your Click&Collect service is seamless and pleasant, they’re more likely to come back. You can go a step further:
Keeping customers satisfied means they’ll spread the word—expanding your Click&Collect base while freeing you from needing a dedicated staffer to manage it.
All that said, do you have to commit entirely to not having a dedicated employee for your pickup service? Of course not. Maybe you want to start small, letting your team handle fewer online orders while you get comfortable with the system. If you see that demand is booming—and that your staff is spread too thin—there’s no harm in designating someone part-time to lighten the load.
The point is: you have options. Technology and well-organized workflows truly can let you offer Click&Collect without a massive labor cost or complicated overhead. For smaller restaurants especially, that’s the difference between staying afloat and thriving in a hyper-competitive market.
You’ve probably gathered that adding a Click&Collect channel, even without a specific staff member to run it, isn’t just a shortcut or a trend—it’s a strategic move. With restaurant technology evolving rapidly, many of the tasks that previously swallowed staff time—like updating orders or processing payments—are now straightforward. The big question is: “Will it fit in with your unique restaurant concept, menu, and team dynamic?”
If you’re ready to give it a go, start with a small pilot. Choose a couple of slower shifts to test the waters. Make sure your staff is aligned, the process is documented, and your pickup station is set. You might be pleasantly surprised at just how quickly your customers adopt the service.
Not necessarily. You can operate a simple Click&Collect service with just a reliable POS system, a printer for receipts or labels, and an internet connection. That said, many restaurants find investing in a kitchen display system or label printer speeds up their workflow and reduces errors.
Tech failures can happen. The key is to have a backup plan—such as manual order-taking and a short script for phone orders. It might feel old-school, but it keeps your restaurant running in a pinch. The moment your system is back up, you can revert to your standard workflow.
Accuracy comes down to labeling each order correctly, double-checking items, and verifying names or order numbers at pickup. Some restaurants use a second person to “verify and hand off” the order while the first person packages it. Even if you’re short-staffed, a quick name check can prevent mix-ups.
Absolutely. Rewarding customers for ordering via Click&Collect is a great way to foster loyalty. Since they’re acting as their own delivery driver, you could reward them with a small discount or points toward their next order. This small incentive often pays off in repeat visits.
QR code payments cut down on wait times and reduce the need for a staff member to process the transaction. Customers scan a code, pay via their smartphones, and even tip. It’s fast and self-service, so your staff can focus on packing orders or assisting dine-in customers.
In many cases, yes. sunday is known for seamless integrations that streamline the payment process. Before committing, confirm compatibility with your specific POS system or platform. If everything connects properly, your staff won’t need to spend extra time updating records or verifying payments.
It might help if certain dishes don’t travel well or are tough to keep warm. A simplified takeout menu can maintain quality control, reduce prep times, and keep packaging costs in check. Many restaurants limit their online offerings to their best-performing or most transport-friendly items.
Gentle reminders and accurate pickup times help, but early arrivals can happen. A well-defined pickup station and visible signage instructing them to wait or check in quickly solves most confusion. Staff members should have a quick way to see the order status—ideally via your POS or kitchen display—and let the customer know how long they’ll need to wait.
For large or catering-size pickup orders, encourage customers to order in advance. Setting a specific pickup time, plus an automated confirmation, ensures your kitchen can pace itself. Packaging all items in clearly labeled containers prevents last-minute rummaging and keeps the pickup station tidy.
Most indicators suggest it’s here for the long haul. According to a 2022 study by Deloitte, many consumers continue to rely on digital ordering channels and contactless payment methods even as in-house dining rebounds. Incorporating Click&Collect into your operation can future-proof your business.
