Welcome to PrepStation
PrepStation is your catering storefront. Customers browse your menus, pick delivery or pickup, and either pay or request a quote. You confirm the order in the back office.
Recipes, ingredients, and costs are still here when you want them. You don't need them to take the first online order.
What you need before customers can order
All four of these have to be true. The Webstore settings page shows a green ring on each one as you finish it.
| Step | Where | What "done" looks like |
|---|---|---|
| A priced menu | Operations → Menu Management → All Menus | The menu is Active, and Webstore says Published |
| The store is on | Sales & Finance → Sales Configuration → Webstore | Publish storefront is on, and you can open the live link |
| Hours customers can book | Webstore → Scheduling | Offer delivery or Offer pickup is on, and those hours are saved |
| How they pay | Webstore → Checkout | Quote-only is enough. Cards need Stripe under Payments |
Important
Turning on Offer delivery or Offer pickup is not enough by itself. Until that schedule is saved, customers can't pick a time, so the store can't take that kind of order.
How an order moves
Published menu → customer cart → quote or card → Sales Orders → you confirm
- Email me this quote creates a quote request. The customer gets a link to review it. Nothing is waiting on you to confirm yet.
- Pay & place order (only when cards are on) places the order and holds or charges the card. It shows up under Sales Orders as awaiting confirmation.
You can turn Publish storefront back off at any time. Customers can't open the store until you turn it on again. Your menus stay in your account.
Where to go next
| If you want to… | Start here |
|---|---|
| Take your first online order | Quick Start |
| Publish the store and copy the link | Publishing Your Store |
| Set delivery, pickup, and lead time | Hours and Limits |
| Choose quote-only or cards | Checkout |
| See the order after a customer checks out | Your First Order |
The storefront is included with the Catering plan. If Webstore is locked in the menu, open Billing from your avatar and check your plan.
Also in PrepStation
Use these when you're ready to cost dishes or run the kitchen. They are not required to go live.
- A Menu for Your Storefront — prices and the Webstore toggle
- What Customers See — photos and descriptions on each dish
- Creating Recipes — ingredients, instructions, and food cost
- Managing Ingredients — the ingredient list recipes use
- Accepting Cards — connect Stripe
Common Questions
Q: Do I have to build recipes before I can sell online?
A: No. A menu item with a name and a Base price can be published. Link a recipe later when you want food cost.
Q: What do customers see if the store isn't published?
A: They can't open it. Turn on Publish storefront when you're ready, and use the live link on that same page.
Q: Can I take orders without a credit card processor?
A: Yes. Leave Accept card payments off. Customers use Email me this quote, and you follow up from Sales Orders.
Last updated: October 09, 2026