Run a weekly menu
Take one week of meal prep orders from updating your menu to handing off every bag.
Quick Answer
How do I run a weekly meal prep menu in Neartail?
Each week: update your menu by hiding last week's products and adding new ones, share the same link, and close the form at your deadline. Then use Sales by product to see what to cook and Pick & pack to fill each bag, and move orders across the board as you hand them off. Reopen the form when the next menu is ready.
This is the cycle Neartail was built for. Here's one week at Willow Kitchen, where orders close Wednesday at 6 PM for Friday pickup.
Monday: update the menu
Change what's on offer
Turn off Show product on last week's specials, turn on or add this week's, and update any prices.
Update the description
Say what's new and state your deadline: Order by Wednesday 6 PM for Friday pickup or delivery.
Reopen the form
If you closed it last week, turn off Close this form.
Place a test order, then trash it
Check the total on the live form, then move your test to Trash so it doesn't end up in your production numbers.
Tell your customers
Send the same link through email or WhatsApp. Regulars keep the link they already have.
Same form or a new copy each week?
| Same form | New copy each week | |
|---|---|---|
| Customer link | Never changes | Changes every week |
| Reports | Filter by date | Each week is separate |
| Sheets and collaborators | Stay connected | Check them each time |
| Best for | Most businesses | Menus that are completely different each time |
We recommend keeping the same form, so your customers' saved link and any printed QR codes keep working.
Wednesday: close orders
Neartail doesn't close forms on a schedule, so set yourself a reminder for your deadline.
Open form settings, go to Advanced, turn on Close this form, and write a message: This week's orders are closed. Our next menu opens Monday. Check the live link afterward.
Thursday: plan the cooking
Clean up the orders
On the board, trash duplicates and tests, and check any changes that were requested.
Open Sales by product
Set the date range to this ordering period, and check it covers everything.
Print the list for the kitchen
Use Download as PDF in the report's ⋮ menu.
Friday: pack and hand off
Pack from the Pick & pack report
Each product lists who ordered it and how many.
Move orders as you go
Use stages like Preparing and Ready for pickup, then Completed at handoff.
Check payment at handoff
If customers pay on collection, record it your usual way.
If an order changes after you've printed, reprint the affected list and mark the old one so nobody follows it by mistake.
Keep each week's numbers apart
If you keep one form, the date range keeps the weeks separate. An order placed just before your window opens or just after it closes can land in the wrong week, so check the range before you cook.
Next steps
- Collect payments up front.
- Send confirmations with pickup instructions.
- Give your kitchen access.