Allowing your Guests to Pick Up their Own Food & Beverage Order with Order Up by Venue Valet

Allowing your Guests to Pick Up their Own Food & Beverage Order with Order Up by Venue Valet

Flexible Self-Pickup Food Service with CallConnect™

Are you considering an alternative service model where guests can place food and beverage orders during the movie, then conveniently pick them up in the lobby instead of having them delivered directly to their seats?

As guests gradually return to the dine-in cinema experience, many theatres are exploring flexible service options that reduce direct interaction while still providing exceptional hospitality. Self-pickup ordering can be an ideal solution for customers who prefer limited contact, and it may also be an effective operational model for select showtimes such as early matinees or lower-volume daytime presentations.

Whether an order is taken by a server inside the auditorium or at a concession stand or lobby bar area, theatres need a simple and reliable way to notify guests when their order is ready for pickup.

CallConnect™ provides a streamlined solution by sending automated text message notifications directly to the guest’s mobile phone when their order is ready.

Easy Integration with Existing CallConnect™ Systems

If your theatre already has a Venue Valet Call Button system installed, this feature can typically be implemented with little or no additional hardware investment by utilizing your existing CallConnect™ touchscreen monitors.

For theatres without an existing setup, a dedicated touchscreen can also be installed at a centralized pickup location, such as:

  • Lobby concession counters
  • Bar areas
  • Pickup stations
  • Dedicated order tables

How the Self-Pickup Process Works

If an order is taken by a food server for self-pickup service:

  1. The server enters the order into the point-of-sale system as normal and designates it as a self-pickup order.
  2. The guest’s phone number and seat location are collected.
  3. The order number generated by the point-of-sale system is entered into the CallConnect™ “Order Up” dashboard.
  4. CallConnect™ then manages communication with the guest through automated text messaging updates.

This process helps theatres maintain operational efficiency while giving guests greater flexibility and comfort during their cinema experience.

Once the order and guest contact information have been entered into the CallConnect™ system, the guest immediately receives a confirmation text message verifying that their order has been successfully placed. The message also informs the guest that they will receive an additional notification as soon as their order is ready for pickup.

On the CallConnect™ Dashboard, a continuously updated list of active orders is displayed on the “Order Up” screen, organized by order number for quick and efficient tracking. This allows staff to easily monitor order status, manage preparation flow, and ensure guests are notified promptly when their orders are ready for pickup.

When an order is ready for guest pickup, a member of your food service staff simply taps the order number on the CallConnect™ Dashboard. This immediately opens the option to send a pickup notification text message directly to the guest.

The guest then receives an automated text alert informing them that their order is ready and available for pickup, creating a smooth, efficient, and contact-friendly service experience.

Once the guest has picked up their order, a cinema employee simply updates the status within the CallConnect™ Order Up system to mark the order as completed and remove it from the active order queue.

If an order has not been picked up within a reasonable amount of time after the initial notification is sent, staff can quickly resend a reminder text message directly from the CallConnect™ Dashboard. If needed, a team member may also discreetly notify the guest in person inside the auditorium to ensure the order is received while minimizing disruption to the movie experience.

Providing guests with the option to pick up their own food and beverage orders can be a simple and effective service enhancement — especially when your staff has a reliable way to notify guests the moment their order is ready.

The CallConnect™ Order Up feature streamlines this process by combining order tracking, automated guest notifications, and efficient staff communication within a single easy-to-use dashboard. The result is a flexible service model that helps theatres improve guest convenience while maintaining operational efficiency.

Order Up is just one of many CallConnect™ solutions Venue Valet offers to help cinema operators:

  • Increase guest satisfaction
  • Improve operational performance
  • Enhance staff efficiency
  • Create additional revenue opportunities

For more information about the CallConnect™ Order Up feature and other Venue Valet cinema solutions, please contact us: (512) 270-9198 or email contact@venue-valet.com