Signing a restaurant is not onboarding. A signed vendor with no photos, no prep times and no one answering the tablet is a support ticket waiting to happen. The gap between signature and first order is where most marketplace supply problems are created.
This checklist is designed for a 30-day onboarding window. Adapt the timings to your market; the sequence matters more than the exact days.
| Phase | What must be true | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Day 0 — Contract | Commission, payout cycle, delivery model, termination | Supply lead |
| Day 1–3 — Menu | Items, prices, modifiers, availability, prep time | Vendor + onboarding |
| Day 3–7 — Content | Photos, descriptions, allergens, opening hours | Marketing |
| Day 7–10 — Training | Tablet, order states, rejects, refunds, support contact | Operations |
| Day 10–14 — Test | Full order cycle, payment, rider pickup, receipt | QA |
| Day 14–21 — Soft launch | Limited zone, monitored peak, daily review | Operations |
| Day 21–30 — Review | Rejects, prep time, cancellations, menu changes | Supply + data |
Contract terms that prevent disputes
Put commission, payout cycle, refund responsibility, delivery model, menu price parity and termination in writing. If the restaurant self-delivers, define who pays for a failed delivery. If the platform delivers, define the packaging standard and the handover process.
Do not promise order volume. Promise a clear process and a named contact. Vendors who join for a volume promise leave when the promise does not materialise.
Menu data is operational data
A menu item needs more than a name and price. It needs a category, description, photo, allergen information, modifiers, tax treatment, prep time and availability window. Missing prep times cause rider waits; missing modifiers cause wrong orders; missing allergen data creates legal risk.
Enter the menu with the vendor, not for them. The person who owns the kitchen should confirm every item and price. A menu uploaded by an intern will be wrong by Friday.
Train the tablet, not the brochure
Training should cover the order lifecycle: accept, reject, mark preparing, mark ready, hand over, handle a refund, pause an item and close early. Use a real test order. Watch the vendor do it; do not just send a PDF.
Give them one support channel and a response expectation. A WhatsApp group with five platform staff is not a support process.
Soft launch before full launch
Run the first week in a limited zone with a limited menu. Monitor every order manually. Look for prep-time accuracy, rejection rate, missing items and packaging failures. Fix those before spending on customer acquisition.
A vendor who has not handled a Friday peak will struggle on their first one. The soft launch is how you find out without disappointing the whole city.
30-day review questions
- What percentage of orders were rejected after acceptance?
- How accurate was the promised prep time?
- Which items caused refunds or missing-item complaints?
- Is the vendor responding to the tablet within the agreed time?
- Are photos and prices still current?
- What support did they need most?
See vendor management software, the settlement guide, or menu engineering.
Where onboarding fails
- The menu is uploaded without prep times, so riders wait every peak.
- Training is a PDF, not a live test order.
- No one owns the vendor after launch, so issues pile up in support.
Assign one onboarding owner per vendor and do not mark them live until they can complete a refund and a reject without calling you.