Lennd can manage catering requests to ensure the correct number of meals are prepared with dietary restrictions in mind for your event participants.

Meals can also be checked in onsite via the Catering check-in app, which can look up groups/people by name or scan passes that are integrated into the system.

This video series walks through how to set up catering, collect requests for people and groups through forms and portals, how those meals are requested by your team and approved in Lennd, and how to use the check-in app at the event.

This video shows how to configure available meals, days, and dietary restrictions in Lennd. Meals can be added into item blocks, which are then usable in forms or portals.

This video shows how you can set up forms or portals to request meals on behalf of people and groups.

This video shows how to request meals via a group form and how to add people and assign meals to groups via portals.

This video reviews how to set team members to approve meals, how to manage meal orders, set an override code, and other tips and tricks before you start scanning meals onsite.

This video walks catering managers through the process of using the catering check-in app, such as checking in meals by group or person, or scanning passes. You can also use the manager overrride code to approve meals on the fly, check in Lennd to see if an order exists, undo meal scans, and search for meals previously scanned.

How do I access the catering app to scan meals?

You must be a team member on a Lennd event with permissions to access the catering app.

To access the app, log into your event and go to Catering - Check In. This will open the app in a separate page. You can bookmark the app for future use.

Can I check in meals by name or do I need to scan a RFID/barcode pass?

You do not need a barcode or RFID integration to check in meals, although this can speed up the process if it is available. Meals can be claimed by clicking the +Person button (top-right) and searching for a person by name.

Meals can also be claimed for a group by searching for a group name. Note that only one meal at a time can be claimed via the app. You may want to check in meals from the Catering module if you plan to issue only in bulk.

How does scanning a pass find meals for the person?

The person's pass must be associated with an order in Lennd that matches the same person. For example, Anna Smith can have an AA wristband and a catering order associated with her person record. When her wristband is scanned into Lennd (or synced via integration), that will attach it to her person record. Then, when the wristband is scanned, it will find the meals associated with her person and claim them.

Alternately, if Anna has no meals but belongs to the Volunteers group (which does have meals), the system will look for meals in the group that she is part of, and claim one of those if they exist.

How does it work if meals are assigned to a group instead of people?

You can look up meals in the app via the person's name or the group name.

If an individual order exists for that person and they have that meal, it will be deducted.

If no individual order exists for the person, the system will check to see if they belong to a group that has any meals approved in a group order. If yes, it will deduct that meal from the group order.

There is no way to set an individual limit on group orders - the meals are scanned first-come, first-serve.

How do I create orders in the app if the person is not found?

Currently orders must be created via form, portal, or in Lennd. If a wristband is not attached to an order, you can use the Manager Override Code to approve the meal and track it against the wristband ID. The code can be configured in Catering - Settings - Manager Override Code.

How do I approve catering orders?

You must be a team member with approver privileges to approve or deny pending catering orders. Go to Catering - Settings to check your approver status.

Can I create users who can only scan in meals?

Yes! We recommend creating one user per scan station. This helps track which users are scanning which meals. To add a user. Lennd admins can go to Team and invite them via email. You can assign or create a permission profile that includes catering.
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See Event Settings - Set Up Permission Profiles

What reports are available to track catering requests/approvals/scans?

Lennd shows catering information by day and meal-type in the Catering dashboard. The dashboard shows approved, rejected, unused, and used meals for each day.

You can also customize the Catering view (Manage - All Requests) and download a .csv or Excel file for a line-by-line summary of catering items and orders.

Finally, you can run catering reports that show approved meals by person/group/day. Please contact us before your event if you require more information about reporting.

Why are some orders set as pending and some auto-approved?

Admin in Lennd who have approver privileges will always have their orders auto-approved. Other users, or groups/people filling out forms or adding meals via the portal, will have their requests set as pending. Only approved meals can be scanned via the app and used in reporting.

Am I limited to breakfast/lunch/dinner or can I create my own meals?

You can configure several meals for any of your event days (including load-in and load-out). Other meals can include Snack Bar, Smoothie Station, Boxed Meal, Grand and Go, etc.

Also, specific meals can be available on any days you would like. This is configured in Catering - Settings.

How do dietary restrictions work?

In Catering - Settings, you can edit a field that collect dietary restriction information for people involved with your event. This is a person field that can be edited in Lennd or via the portal.

You can use the preset restrictions or set your own - for practical purposes, we recommend 4-10 options and collecting allergies as a separate field via a form or for people on your group on the portal.

Note that you will need to match your people with restrictions to the meals that they have been approved for. If you are collecting meals on behalf of a group, it's preferable to create a form and add questions like "Other Dietary Restrictions", "Any known allergies?" or "How many vegetarians [vegans, etc.] are in your group?"

My groups have 50+ people in them. How do I process orders for hundreds of people/meals?

We recommend uploading those meals vs. inputting them individually. Please contact us if you need help importing meals into Lennd.