Order support system, order support method, and order support program

Abstract

To provide an order support system, an order support method and an order support program that can improve work efficiency in a kitchen of facilities.SOLUTION: In an order support system 1, a control part 21 of an order support device 2 comprises: a reception processing part 212 which receives an order for food or drink from a user of facilities providing food and drink; a calculation processing part 214 which adds a set number, set based upon a first order number of first food or drink, to the first order number to calculate a total order number when the reception processing part 212 receives an order for the first order; and an output processing part 215 which outputs order information on the total order number calculated by the calculation processing part 214 as to the first food or drink that the reception part 212 receives from the user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an order support system, an order support method, and an order support program for receiving orders for food and beverages that can be provided at a facility.

Background Art

[0002] At facilities such as restaurants, for example, when a customer service staff receives an order from a user, the order details are transmitted to the kitchen, the kitchen staff performs cooking according to the order, and the customer service staff serves the cooked dishes to the user. Conventionally, a technique has been proposed to support kitchen staff by displaying the ordered dishes as images in the kitchen of a restaurant (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Here, from the perspective of the work efficiency of cooking operations in the kitchen at a facility, when multiple users order the same menu, it is desirable for the kitchen staff to cook the menu together. However, since it is difficult for the kitchen staff to determine whether the same menu has been ordered multiple times, currently, for example, when the same menu is ordered multiple times at the same table, or when multiple orders for the same menu are transmitted to the kitchen almost simultaneously, the kitchen staff makes a decision to cook the menu together. Thus, since the cooking work is often left to the discretion of the kitchen staff, it is difficult to improve the work efficiency of the cooking work.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an order support system, an order support method, and an order support program capable of improving the working efficiency of a kitchen in a facility.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The order support system according to the present invention includes a reception processing unit that receives an order for a first food or drink of a user of a facility that provides food and drink, and an output processing unit that outputs order information having an order number greater than the order number of the first food or drink received by the reception processing unit.

[0007] The order support method according to the present invention is a method in which a reception step of receiving an order for a first food or drink of a user of a facility that provides food and drink, and an output step of outputting order information having an order number greater than the order number of the first food or drink received in the reception step are executed by one or more processors.

[0008] The order support program according to the present invention is a program for causing one or more processors to execute a reception step of receiving an order for a first food or drink of a user of a facility that provides food and drink, and an output step of outputting order information having an order number greater than the order number of the first food or drink received in the reception step.

Effects of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, there are provided an order support system, an order support method, and an order support program capable of improving the working efficiency of a kitchen in a facility.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings to facilitate understanding of the present invention. Note that the following embodiments are merely examples of embodying the present invention and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0012] [Order Support System 1] As shown in FIG. 1, the order support system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an order support device 2, an order terminal 3, and a kitchen terminal 4. The order support device 2, the order terminal 3, and the kitchen terminal 4 can communicate with each other via a communication network N1 such as the Internet, a LAN, a WAN, or a public telephone line. Note that a plurality of order support devices 2, order terminals 3, and kitchen terminals 4 may be provided respectively.

[0013] The order terminal 3 is installed, for example, on each table (seat, room) of a facility that can provide food and drink, such as a restaurant or a karaoke parlor. The order terminal 3 is an operation terminal (such as a self-order terminal or a tabletop terminal) that can be operated by a user of the facility to place an order for desired food and drink. Note that the order terminal 3 may be an operation terminal (facility terminal) operated by the customer service staff of the facility, and may be an operation terminal (such as a handy terminal) for inputting an order received from a user by the customer service staff. Further, the order terminal 3 may be a user terminal (such as a smartphone) owned by the user, and may be an operation terminal for the user to access the facility's website and input an order for desired food and drink. That is, the order terminal 3 includes various operation terminals capable of receiving an order for food and drink from the user.

[0014] The order support device 2 receives an order from the order terminal 3 and outputs order information to the kitchen terminal 4. The order support device 2 may be installed in the facility, or may be installed outside the facility and perform data communication with the order terminal 3 and the kitchen terminal 4 via the communication network N1.

[0015] Similar to the order terminal 3, the kitchen terminal 4 is installed, for example, in a facility that can provide food and drink, such as a restaurant or a karaoke parlor. The kitchen terminal 4 acquires order information from the order support device 2 and outputs (prints or displays) an order slip on which the order information is displayed.

[0016] In this embodiment, the order support device 2 alone corresponds to the order support system according to the present invention. However, the order support system according to the present invention may include one or more of the components of the order support device 2, the order terminal 3, and the kitchen terminal 4. For example, when a plurality of components among the order support device 2, the order terminal 3, and the kitchen terminal 4 cooperate to share and execute various order support processes (see FIG. 11) described later, a system including the plurality of components that execute the processes can be regarded as the order support system according to the present invention. For example, the order support system according to the present invention may be composed of the order support device 2 and the kitchen terminal 4.

[0017] Hereinafter, an example will be described in which the order terminal 3 is installed on each table in a food and beverage store that provides food and beverages, one or more users who use each table input an order to the order terminal 3, and the order support device 2 acquires the order from the order terminal 3 and causes the kitchen terminal 4 to output order information. The food and beverage store is an example of the facility of the present invention.

[0018] [Order Support Device 2] As shown in FIG. 1, the order support device 2 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, an operation display unit 23, a communication I / F 24, and the like. The order support device 2 may be an information processing device such as a tablet terminal or a personal computer. Further, various processes executed by the order support device 2 may be distributed and executed by one or more processors.

[0019] The communication I / F 24 is a communication interface for connecting the order support device 2 to the communication network N1 by wire or wirelessly and performing data communication according to a predetermined communication protocol with external devices such as the order terminal 3 and the kitchen terminal 4 via the communication network N1.

[0020] The operation display unit 23 is a user interface including a display unit such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display for displaying various information, and an operation unit such as a mouse, a keyboard, or a touch panel for receiving operations.

[0021] The storage unit 22 is a non-volatile storage unit such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive) that stores various types of information. Specifically, the storage unit 22 includes product information D1, order reception information D2, and setting information D3. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the product information D1, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the order reception information D2, and FIGS. 4 to 6 are diagrams showing an example of the setting information D3.

[0022] The product information D1 is information (menu information) regarding products (food and beverages) that can be provided in a restaurant. As shown in FIG. 2, the product information D1 includes information such as a product ID, product name, price, and image. The product ID is identification information for the food and beverage. The product name is the name of the food and beverage. The image is a photograph or illustration representing the food and beverage. In this embodiment, for convenience, the image is represented by an image name.

[0023] Also, in the product information D1, information on a plurality of products is registered for each menu category (genre). For example, the food and beverage with the product ID "A..." is a product included in the "set meal menu" category, the product with the product ID "B..." is a product included in the "a la carte menu" category, the product with the product ID "C..." is a product included in the "dessert menu" category, and the product with the product ID "D..." is a product included in the "drink menu" category. Each category includes a specific plurality of food and beverages. For example, the "set meal menu" includes "daily set meal", "sashimi set meal", "simmered fish set meal", etc.

[0024] The product information D1 is pre-registered by the manager of the restaurant and updated as appropriate as needed. For example, the manager of the restaurant can access the menu registration page managed by the order support device 2 to register, edit, etc. the product information D1.

[0025] The order reception information D2 is information regarding an order received from a user via the order terminal 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the order reception information D2 includes information such as a table number, the number of users, an order number, ordered items, and the quantity ordered. The table number is identification information for identifying the table at which the order was received. The number of users is the number of users using the table. The information on the number of users is included in the information obtained from the order terminal 3. Note that the information on the number of users may also be included in the information obtained from a facility terminal (not shown) operated by a staff member of the restaurant, a management terminal (not shown) that manages reservations, and the like. For example, when a customer service staff member asks a user for the number of users when guiding the user who has come to the restaurant to a table, the table number and the number of users are input into the facility terminal. When the control unit 21 obtains the information on the table number and the number of users from the facility terminal, it registers the table number and the number of users in the order reception information D2 in association with each other. Also, when the number of users is registered when a user makes a reservation at the restaurant, the facility terminal obtains user information (user name, number of users, etc.) from the management terminal and associates the user information with the table number of the table assigned to the user. When the control unit 21 obtains the information on the table number and the number of users from the facility terminal, it registers the table number and the number of users in the order reception information D2 in association with each other.

[0026] The order number is identification information for identifying the user's order. The control unit 21 registers a number (order number) in the order reception information D2, for example, in the order in which the order is received from the user, that is, in the order in which the order is received from the order terminal 3. The ordered item is information indicating the order content. In the ordered item, the item name of the item (food or drink) selected by the user from the item names included in the item information D1 is registered. Each ordered item is associated with the order number.

[0027] The order quantity is information indicating the order quantity for each food and beverage item. For example, when the control unit 21 receives an order for 3 servings of "Daily Special Set Meal" at the table with table number "1", it registers "3" in the order quantity corresponding to the "Daily Special Set Meal". Subsequently, when the control unit 21 receives one order each for "Sashimi Set Meal", "Daily Special Set Meal", "Beer", and "Oolong Tea" at the table with table number "2", it registers "1" in the order quantity for each ordered item. When multiple orders for the same item are received at the same table, the total order quantity is registered in the order quantity for the ordered item.

[0028] Each time the control unit 21 receives an order from the order terminal 3, it registers order reception information D2. The order reception information D2 registers information at the current time, and this information is updated in real time. Note that the order reception information D2 may be used for accounting processing related to the user's usage fee. Also, the order reception information D2 may be deleted when the accounting processing is completed or the like.

[0029] The setting information D3 is information on the number (set number) to be added to the order quantity of the food and beverage items corresponding to the orders received from the user. That is, the control unit 21 outputs order information of the total order quantity obtained by adding the set number to the order quantity of the food and beverage items corresponding to the orders received from the user to the kitchen terminal 4. The set number is set according to a predetermined condition. For example, the set number is set according to the first condition, the second condition, or the third condition shown below.

[0030] As a first condition, the set number is set based on the number of orders for food and drink. FIG. 4 shows an example of the setting information D3. The setting information D3 shown in FIG. 4 includes information such as the number of orders and the set number. The number of orders is the number of orders for food and drink received by the order terminal 3 from the user. The set number is registered in association with the number of orders. For example, the set number "Xa1" (for example, "1 piece") is set for the number of orders "a1" (for example, 1 to 4 pieces), and the set number "Xa2" (for example, "2 pieces") is set for the number of orders "a2" (for example, 5 to 7 pieces), and the set number "Xa3" (for example, "3 pieces") is set for the number of orders "a3" (for example, 8 or more pieces). That is, the set number is set to a larger number as the number of orders increases. For example, when 5 identical food and drinks are received from a plurality of users, the control unit 21 acquires "2 pieces" as the set number and outputs the total number of orders "7 pieces" of the food and drink to the kitchen terminal 4.

[0031] As a second condition, the set number is set based on the content or type of food and drink. For example, when the food and drink is a set meal menu, the set number is set to a first set number, and when the food and drink is a menu different from the set meal menu (such as a single-item menu, a drink menu, a dessert menu, etc.), the set number is set to a second set number smaller than the first set number. FIG. 5 shows an example of setting information D3 including the set number set based on the content of the food and drink. The setting information D3 shown in FIG. 5 includes information such as a product ID, a product name, and a set number. The product ID and the product name correspond to the product ID and the product name of the product information D1 (see FIG. 2). The set number is set to a number corresponding to the content of the food and drink for each product ID (food and drink). For example, for the "daily-changing set meal" that is expected to have the highest order frequency, the largest set number Xb1 (for example, "3 pieces") is set, and for other set meal menus that are expected to have the next highest order frequency after the "daily-changing set meal", a set number Xb2 smaller than Xb1 (for example, "2 pieces") is set. For a single-item menu that does not take much time for cooking and preparation, a set number Xb3 smaller than Xb2 (for example, "1 piece") is set. Also, for a dessert menu that does not take much time for cooking and preparation and has a high order frequency, a set number Xb4 (for example, "1 piece") equal to or equivalent to Xb3 is set, and the set number is not set for a dessert menu with a low order frequency. Also, the set number is not set for a drink menu that can be provided immediately after receiving an order. Also, the set number may be set based on the cooking time and the preparation time. For example, the set number of a food and drink with a high order frequency and a long cooking time is set to a larger number than the set number of a food and drink with a high order frequency and a short cooking time. In this way, the set number is set based on the content, type, cooking time, preparation time, etc. of the food and drink. Note that the cooking time and the preparation time may be calculated based on history information. For example, when the control unit 21 receives 3 "daily-changing set meals" from a plurality of users, the control unit 21 acquires "2 pieces" as the set number and outputs the total order number "5 pieces" of the "daily-changing set meal" to the kitchen terminal 4.

[0032] As a third condition, the set number is set based on the time zone. For example, the set number is set based on time zones obtained by dividing the business hours of a restaurant at predetermined intervals (e.g., every 1 hour). FIG. 6 shows an example of setting information D3 including the set time set based on the time zone. The setting information D3 shown in FIG. 6 includes information such as the time zone and the set number. The time zone is classified, for example, into time zones according to the busy situation. The busy situation is obtained, for example, based on history information. For example, for the time zone of "12:00~13:00", which is the busiest during the lunch time of "11:00~14:00" in a restaurant, the largest set number Xc2 (e.g., "3 pieces") is set. Next, for the time zone of "13:00~14:00", which is the next busiest, a set number Xc3 (e.g., "2 pieces") smaller than the set number Xc2 is set. For the time zone of "11:00~12:00", which is a slack state, a set number Xc1 (e.g., "1 piece") smaller than the set number Xc3 is set. For example, when the same food and drink items are received from multiple users during the time zone of "12:00~13:00", the control unit 21 obtains "2 pieces" as the set number and outputs the total order number of the food and drink items, "4 pieces", to the kitchen terminal 4.

[0033] The control unit 21 sets the set time based on the first condition, the second condition, or the third condition. Further, the control unit 21 may set the set time by combining at least two of the first condition, the second condition, and the third condition. For example, the control unit 21 may combine the first condition and the second condition to set the set number based on the order content and the order number. Further, the control unit 21 may combine the second condition and the third condition to set the set number based on the order content and the time zone when the order is received.

[0034] In addition, as another embodiment, part or all of the information such as product information D1, order reception information D2, and setting information D3 may be stored in a server accessible from the order terminal 3 or the order support device 2. In this case, the control unit 21 of the order support device 2 may acquire the information from the order terminal 3 or the server and execute each process such as the order support process (see FIG. 11) described later.

[0035] Also, the storage unit 22 stores data such as the top screen (see FIG. 7), menu screen (see FIG. 8), order screen (see FIG. 9), and payment screen (not shown) displayed on the order terminal 3.

[0036] Furthermore, the storage unit 22 stores control programs such as an order support program for causing the control unit 21 to execute the order support process (see FIG. 11) described later. For example, the order support program is non-temporarily recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a USB, CD, or DVD, and is read by a reading device (not shown) such as a USB drive, CD drive, or DVD drive electrically connected to the order support device 2 and stored in the storage unit 22. Also, the order support program may be downloaded from a server accessible from the order support device 2 and stored in the storage unit 22.

[0037] The control unit 21 includes control devices such as a CPU, ROM, and RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various arithmetic processes. The ROM is a non-volatile storage unit in which control programs such as BIOS and OS for causing the CPU to execute various arithmetic processes are pre-stored. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage unit that stores various information and is used as a temporary storage memory (working area) for various processes executed by the CPU. Then, the control unit 21 controls the order support device 2 by causing the CPU to execute various control programs pre-stored in the ROM or the storage unit 22.

[0038] Incidentally, in a restaurant, from the perspective of the work efficiency of cooking operations in the kitchen, when multiple customers order the same menu, it is desirable for the kitchen staff to cook the menu items together. However, since it is difficult for the kitchen staff to determine whether the same menu has been ordered multiple times, currently, for example, when the same menu is ordered multiple times at the same table, or when multiple orders for the same menu are transmitted to the kitchen almost simultaneously, the kitchen staff makes a judgment to cook the menu items together. Thus, since the cooking operations are often left to the discretion of the kitchen staff, it is difficult to improve the work efficiency of the cooking operations. On the other hand, the order support device 2 according to the present embodiment can improve the work efficiency of the kitchen in a restaurant.

[0039] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 21 includes various processing units such as an acquisition processing unit 211, a reception processing unit 212, a specification processing unit 213, a calculation processing unit 214, an output processing unit 215, and a setting processing unit 216. The control unit 21 functions as the acquisition processing unit 211, the reception processing unit 212, the specification processing unit 213, the calculation processing unit 214, the output processing unit 215, and the setting processing unit 216 by executing various processes according to the order support program using the CPU. Also, some or all of the processing units included in the control unit 21 may be configured by electronic circuits. Note that the order support program may be a program for causing a plurality of processors to function as the various processing units.

[0040] The setting processing unit 216 sets the set number according to a predetermined condition. Specifically, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set number according to at least any one of the first condition, the second condition, and the third condition. The setting processing unit 216 registers the set set number in the setting information D3 (see FIGS. 4 to 6). The setting processing unit 216 is an example of the setting processing unit of the present invention.

[0041] Here, for example, when the number of orders for food and drinks received is large, it is expected that the food and drinks will have a high order frequency and will also be ordered by other users. Therefore, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set number to a larger number as the number of orders increases so that they can be cooked together in the kitchen. Specifically, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set number according to the number of orders for food and drinks. For example, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set number "Xa1" (for example, "1 piece") for the order number "a1" (for example, 1 to 4 pieces), sets the set number "Ta2" (for example, "2 pieces") for the order number "a2" (for example, 5 to 7 pieces), and sets the set number "Ta3" (for example, "3 pieces") for the order number "a3" (for example, 8 or more pieces). That is, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set number to a larger number as the order number increases. The setting processing unit 216 registers the order number and the set number in the setting information D3 (see FIG. 4). Further, the setting processing unit 216 may store the setting information D3 for each food and drink provided in the restaurant.

[0042] Note that the setting processing unit 216 may set the set number according to the order frequency. For example, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set number to a larger number as the order frequency increases. Note that the order frequency is, for example, the time interval between orders.

[0043] In addition, the setting processing unit 216 may set the set number according to the number of orders immediately before. Specifically, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set number corresponding to the food and drink in the next order received by the reception processing unit 212 based on the time when the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information for the food and drink and the number of orders included in the order information. For example, when the number of orders for the food and drink received immediately before is large, since it takes time to cook the order number, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set number corresponding to the next food and drink to be received to a smaller number than the previous set number.

[0044] In addition, the setting processing unit 216 may set the set number corresponding to the first food and drink item in the order to be received next by the reception processing unit 212 based on the total number of orders included in the order information of the first food and drink item output by the output processing unit 215. For example, if the number of orders for the food and drink item "daily set meal" received immediately before is large, since it takes time to cook etc. the number of such orders, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set number corresponding to the "daily set meal" to be received next to a number smaller than the previous set number.

[0045] Also, for example, in the case where the food and drink items of the received order are frequently ordered menus (such as daily set meals etc.), by cooking and preparing a number larger than the actually received number of orders, it is possible to quickly respond to the orders received later, and it is considered that the work efficiency of the kitchen is improved. Therefore, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set number according to the content of the order.

[0046] For example, the setting processing unit 216 sets the largest set number Xb1 (for example, "3 pieces") for the "daily set meal" with the highest order frequency, and for other set meal menus with a lower order frequency than the "daily set meal", it sets a set number Xb2 (for example, "2 pieces") smaller than the set number Xb1. For single-item menus that do not take much time for cooking and preparation, it sets a set number Xb3 (for example, "1 piece") smaller than the set number Xb2. Also, the setting processing unit 216 sets a set number Xb4 (for example, "1 piece") the same as or equivalent to the set number Xb3 for the high-order-frequency menus among the dessert menus that do not take much time for cooking and preparation, and does not set the set number for the low-order-frequency dessert menus. Also, the setting processing unit 216 does not set the set number for the drink menus that can be provided immediately after receiving an order. Note that the setting processing unit 216 may set the set number for the drinks among the drink menus that take time for cooking and preparation and have a high order frequency. In this way, the set number is set based on the content, type, cooking time, preparation time, etc. of the food and drink items. The setting processing unit 216 registers the set number for each product (food and drink item) in the setting information D3 (see FIG. 5).

[0047] Also, for example, during the busy hours within the business hours of a restaurant, many orders can be received. Therefore, by cooking and preparing a number greater than the actual number of orders received during the busy hours, it is possible to quickly respond to the orders received later, and it is considered that the work efficiency of the kitchen can be improved. Thus, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set number according to the time zone.

[0048] For example, the setting processing unit 216 sets the largest set number Xc2 (for example, "3 pieces") for the time zone of "12:00 to 13:00", which is the busiest within the lunch time of "11:00 to 14:00" of the restaurant. Next, for the time zone of "13:00 to 14:00", which is also in a busy state, a set number Xc3 (for example, "2 pieces") smaller than the set number Xc2 is set. For the time zone of "11:00 to 12:00", which is in a slack state, a set number Xc1 (for example, "1 piece") smaller than the set number Xc3 is set. In this way, the set number is set based on the busy situation and work situation of the restaurant (for example, the kitchen). The setting processing unit 216 registers the set number for each time zone in the setting information D3 (see FIG. 6).

[0049] Note that the setting processing unit 216 may set a common set number regardless of the first condition, the second condition, and the third condition. For example, when the manager of the restaurant registers the set number, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set number.

[0050] The acquisition processing unit 211 acquires information on the number of users (number of users) using the restaurant and information on the table number of the table used by the user. For example, when a customer service staff asks the number of users from a user when guiding a user who has come to the restaurant to a predetermined table, the table number and the number of users are input to the facility terminal. The acquisition processing unit 211 acquires each piece of information on the table number and the number of users from the facility terminal. Also, when a user registers the number of users when making a reservation at the restaurant, the facility terminal acquires user information (user name, number of users, etc.) from the management terminal, and associates the user information with the table number of the table assigned to the user and registers them in the reservation management ledger. The acquisition processing unit 211 acquires each piece of information on the table number and the number of users from the reservation management ledger. When the acquisition processing unit 211 acquires each piece of information on the table number and the number of users, it registers the table number and the number of users in the order reception information D2 (see FIG. 3) in association with each other.

[0051] When each piece of information on the table number and the number of users corresponding to the table is registered in the order reception information D2, the control unit 21 permits the reception of an order from the user of the table. For example, the control unit 21 causes the top screen shown in FIG. 7 to be displayed on the order terminal 3. The control unit 21 can generate a top page corresponding to the top screen (see FIG. 7), a menu page corresponding to the menu screen (see FIG. 8), an order page corresponding to the order screen (see FIG. 9), an accounting page corresponding to the accounting screen (not shown), etc., and transmit the information of these pages to the order terminal 3, thereby enabling each page to be displayed on the order terminal 3.

[0052] On the top screen shown in FIG. 7, menu buttons M1 for each category ("set meals", "single items (à la carte)", "desserts", "drinks") are displayed. On the menu screen shown in FIG. 8, information on specific food and drinks included in the categories of the top screen shown in FIG. 7 is displayed. For example, on the menu screen of the "set meal menu" (see FIG. 8), information such as "daily-changing set meal", "sashimi set meal", "simmered fish set meal", "..." is displayed. On the said menu screen, when a plurality of food and drinks do not fit on one page, they are displayed over multiple pages. For example, when the user selects "Next" on the said menu screen, the menu screen of the next page is displayed.

[0053] Also, on the menu screen shown in FIG. 8, the menu button M1 of the top screen shown in FIG. 7 and a plurality of food and drink information (image M3, product name M4, price, etc.) displayed in the menu bar M2 are displayed. The image M3 represents an image of the food and drink and has a function as a selection button for the user to select the food and drink. Also, on the said menu screen, there are included a favorite page button M5 for moving to the favorite page, an order page button M6 for moving to the order screen (see FIG. 9), and an accounting button M7 for moving to the accounting screen.

[0054] Also, on the order screen shown in FIG. 9, a list of the food and drinks selected by the user on the menu screen is displayed. The said order screen includes an order confirmation button M8 for confirming the order of the food and drinks displayed in the list. The user performs operations such as confirming the order of the selected food and drinks by pressing the order confirmation button M8 on the said order screen, changing the quantity of the selected food and drinks, and deleting them.

[0055] In this way, when the user orders food and drinks using the order terminal 3, the user selects the desired food and drinks on the said menu screen and performs an operation to confirm the order of the selected food and drinks on the said order screen.

[0056] The reception processing unit 212 receives operations from the user on various screens displayed on the order terminal 3. For example, the reception processing unit 212 receives the user's selection operation (such as a touch operation) on each of the screens shown in FIGS. 7 to 9. The reception processing unit 212 may receive the user's order of food and beverages from a mobile terminal (such as a smartphone) owned by the user, or may receive the user's order of food and beverages from a mobile terminal (such as a handy terminal) held by the facility staff, or may receive the user's order of food and beverages from a self-order terminal (tabletop terminal) installed on the facility's table. The reception processing unit 212 is an example of the reception processing unit of the present invention.

[0057] For example, when the user selects "set meal menu" on the top screen shown in FIG. 7, the reception processing unit 212 receives a category selection operation. In this case, the control unit 21 causes the order terminal 3 to display the menu screen shown in FIG. 8 according to the category selection operation. Also, for example, when the user selects "daily set meal" on the menu screen shown in FIG. 8, the reception processing unit 212 receives a product selection operation. Further, for example, when the user performs an operation to confirm the order (operation of pressing the order confirmation button M8) on the order screen shown in FIG. 9, the reception processing unit 212 receives an order confirmation operation. Here, when the reception processing unit 212 receives the user's order confirmation operation, it accepts the order of the user. For example, for a table of a user group including a plurality of users, when each user of the user group selects food and beverages and then performs an order confirmation operation, the reception processing unit 212 accepts the order of the user group. When each user of the user group individually performs a product selection operation and an order confirmation operation, the reception processing unit 212 accepts the order for each user. That is, one order received by the reception processing unit 212 may include one food or beverage of one user, or may include a plurality of foods and beverages of one or a plurality of users.

[0058] In addition, when the reception processing unit 212 receives an order from a user, it registers the order number and information on the ordered products in the order reception information D2 (see FIG. 3) in association with the table number of the table used by the user. Note that a table number is associated in advance with each order terminal 3, and the order received by the reception processing unit 212 from the order terminal 3 includes information on the table number. Therefore, the reception processing unit 212 can grasp the table number corresponding to each order.

[0059] The specific processing unit 213 specifies the set number corresponding to the order received by the reception processing unit 212. As described above, the set number is set according to at least any one of the first condition, the second condition, and the third condition.

[0060] Specifically, the specific processing unit 213 refers to the setting information D3 (see FIG. 4) corresponding to the first condition and specifies the set number corresponding to the number of orders for food and beverages in the order received by the reception processing unit 212. For example, when the reception processing unit 212 receives an order, the specific processing unit 213 refers to the setting information D3 shown in FIG. 4 and specifies the set number corresponding to the number of orders for food and beverages included in the order. For example, when the number of orders in the order received by the reception processing unit 212 is "a1" (for example, 2), the specific processing unit 213 specifies the set number as "Xa1" (for example, "1"). Also, for example, when the number of orders in the order received by the reception processing unit 212 is "a2" (for example, 5), the specific processing unit 213 specifies the set number as "Xa2" (for example, "2").

[0061] Further, the specific processing unit 213 refers to the setting information D3 (see FIG. 5) corresponding to the second condition to specify the set number corresponding to the food and drink ordered by the reception processing unit 212. For example, when the reception processing unit 212 receives an order, the specific processing unit 213 refers to the setting information D3 shown in FIG. 5 to specify the set number corresponding to the food and drink included in the order. For example, when the food and drink of the order received by the reception processing unit 212 is "daily set meal", the specific processing unit 213 specifies the set number as "Xb1" (for example, "3 pieces"). Also, for example, when the food and drink of the order received by the reception processing unit 212 is "sashimi set meal", the specific processing unit 213 specifies the set number as "Xb2" (for example, "2 pieces").

[0062] Further, the specific processing unit 213 refers to the setting information D3 (see FIG. 6) corresponding to the third condition to specify the set number corresponding to the time zone when the reception processing unit 212 receives an order. For example, when the reception processing unit 212 receives an order, the specific processing unit 213 refers to the setting information D3 shown in FIG. 6 to specify the set number corresponding to the time zone when the order is received. For example, when the time zone when the reception processing unit 212 receives an order is "11:00~12:00", the specific processing unit 213 specifies the set number as "Xc1" (for example, "1 piece"). Also, for example, when the time zone when the reception processing unit 212 receives an order is "12:00~13:00", the specific processing unit 213 specifies the set number as "Xc2" (for example, "3 pieces").

[0063] The calculation processing unit 214 calculates the total order quantity by adding the set quantity set according to a predetermined condition to the order quantity of food and drink received by the reception processing unit 212. Specifically, the calculation processing unit 214 calculates the total order quantity by adding the set quantity specified by the specific processing unit 213 to the order quantity of food and drink received by the reception processing unit 212. Further, when the food and drink received by the reception processing unit 212 are pre-set food and drink, the calculation processing unit 214 calculates the total order quantity by adding the set quantity to the order quantity of the food and drink. Further, when the time zone in which the reception processing unit 212 receives an order for food and drink is a pre-set time zone, the calculation processing unit 214 calculates the total order quantity by adding the set quantity to the order quantity of the food and drink. The calculation processing unit 214 is an example of the calculation processing unit of the present invention.

[0064] For example, when the reception processing unit 212 receives 5 pieces of the same food and drink from a plurality of users, and the specific processing unit 213 refers to the setting information D3 (see FIG. 4) and specifies "2 pieces" as the set quantity, the calculation processing unit 214 calculates "7 pieces" as the total order quantity of the food and drink. Also, for example, when the reception processing unit 212 receives 3 pieces of "daily set meal" from a plurality of users, and the specific processing unit 213 refers to the setting information D3 (see FIG. 5) and specifies "2 pieces" as the set quantity, the calculation processing unit 214 calculates "5 pieces" as the total order quantity of the food and drink. Also, for example, when the reception processing unit 212 receives 2 pieces of the same food and drink from a plurality of users in the time zone of "12:00 to 13:00", and the specific processing unit 213 refers to the setting information D3 (see FIG. 6) and specifies "2 pieces" as the set quantity, the calculation processing unit 214 calculates "4 pieces" as the total order quantity of the food and drink.

[0065] The output processing unit 215 outputs the order information (order information F1) received by the reception processing unit 212 to the kitchen terminal 4. Specifically, the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information F1 including the order details of the food and drinks ordered by the user, the table number of the table used by the user, and the order number to the kitchen terminal 4. The order information F1 may include the order date and time (reception date and time). That is, the output processing unit 215 may display the order information F1 and the reception time when the reception processing unit 212 received the order on the order slip. In addition, the output processing unit 215 causes the kitchen terminal 4 to output (print or display) an order slip including the order details, the table number, and the order number.

[0066] In addition, the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information F1 of the total number of orders corresponding to the food and drinks calculated by the calculation processing unit 214. The output processing unit 215 is an example of the output processing unit of the present invention.

[0067] For example, when the reception processing unit 212 receives an order for 3 "daily set meals" at the table with table number "1" and the specifying processing unit 213 specifies "1 piece" ( "Xa1" in FIG. 4) as the set number, the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information F1 of the total number of orders "4 pieces" of "daily set meals" calculated by the calculation processing unit 214 to the kitchen terminal 4. Also, for example, when the reception processing unit 212 receives an order for 1 "sashimi set meal" at the table with table number "2" and the specifying processing unit 213 specifies "2 pieces" ( "Xb2" in FIG. 5) as the set number, the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information F1 of the total number of orders "3 pieces" of "sashimi set meals" calculated by the calculation processing unit 214 to the kitchen terminal 4. Also, for example, when the reception processing unit 212 receives an order for 1 "daily set meal" in the time period of "12:00 to 13:00" at the table with table number "3" and the specifying processing unit 213 specifies "3 pieces" ( "Xc2" in FIG. 6) as the set number, the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information F1 of the total number of orders "4 pieces" of "daily set meals" calculated by the calculation processing unit 214 to the kitchen terminal 4.

[0068] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the order form T1. Here, an example is shown in the case where the set number is set according to the first condition (the number of orders for food and drink). For example, when the reception processing unit 212 receives an order for 3 "daily-changing set meals" at the table with the table number "1" and the specifying processing unit 213 specifies "1 piece" ( "Xa1" in FIG. 4) as the set number, the output processing unit 215 outputs order information F1 for "daily-changing set meals" with a total order number of "4 pieces" to the kitchen terminal 4. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, the output processing unit 215 causes the kitchen terminal 4 to output 3 order forms T1 including the order information F1 for "daily-changing set meals" corresponding to the table number "1". Note that the output processing unit 215 may output 1 order form T1 including the order information F1 for 3 "daily-changing set meals" corresponding to the table number "1". The table number is displayed on the order form T1. In addition, the output processing unit 215 causes the kitchen terminal 4 to output 1 order form T1 including the order information F1 for "daily-changing set meals" that does not include the table number. Also, the output processing unit 215 causes the kitchen terminal 4 to output 1 order form T1 including the order information F1 for "daily-changing set meals" that does not include the table number. That is, the output processing unit 215 outputs an order form T1 including the table number for the orders received by the reception processing unit 212, and outputs an order form T1 that does not include the table number for the orders corresponding to the set number specified by the specifying processing unit 213.

[0069] The output processing unit 215 may output the order form T1 (an example of the first order form of the present invention) corresponding to the order received by the reception processing unit 212 and the order form T1 (an example of the second order form of the present invention) corresponding to the set number specified by the specifying processing unit 213 in an identifiable manner. For example, for the order form T1 corresponding to the set number, the output processing unit 215 outputs it with a different display mode (displayed in white) of the characters "new order" and with the table number blank. Thereby, the kitchen staff and the customer service staff can determine whether it is what the user ordered.

[0070] The kitchen staff checks the four printed order tickets T1 and cooks, for example, four servings of the "Daily Special Set Meal". When the cooking of four servings of the "Daily Special Set Meal" is completed, for example, the customer service staff serves three servings of the "Daily Special Set Meal" to table number "1". Also, the customer service staff serves the remaining one serving of the "Daily Special Set Meal" to another user who ordered the "Daily Special Set Meal". Note that the customer service staff can fill in the table number of the other user in the blank of the order ticket T1.

[0071] Here, when another user places an order for the "Daily Special Set Meal" after an order for the "Daily Special Set Meal" corresponding to the set number has been received at table number "1", the spare "Daily Special Set Meal" corresponding to the set number can be provided to the other user. In this case, the control unit 21 assigns the spare "Daily Special Set Meal" to the other user and performs a process of omitting the output of the order information F1 for the "Daily Special Set Meal" corresponding to the other user. For example, when the control unit 21 receives an order for one serving of the "Daily Special Set Meal" at table number "2" after receiving an order at table number "1", it registers the identification information "※" indicating that the spare "Daily Special Set Meal" has been assigned in the order quantity column of the order reception information D2 (see FIG. 3). The output processing unit 215 omits the output of the order information F1 corresponding to the order with the attached identification information. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the kitchen staff from cooking duplicates. Also, the customer service staff can grasp that the spare "Daily Special Set Meal" has been assigned to the user of table number "2" by, for example, checking the order reception information D2. Note that when the control unit 21 outputs the order information F1 corresponding to the set number, if the table to which the food and beverages corresponding to the set number are assigned has been determined, the control unit 21 may output the order information F1 including the table number of the table.

[0072] In this way, the control unit 21 outputs order information F1 of the total number of orders obtained by adding the set number set according to a predetermined condition to the number of orders of food and drinks received from the user. The set number is set according to the first condition, the second condition, and the third condition considering the working efficiency of the kitchen. Thereby, it becomes possible to improve the working efficiency of the kitchen.

[0073] [Order terminal 3] As shown in FIG. 1, the order terminal 3 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, an operation display unit 33, a communication I / F 34, and the like. The order terminal 3 is, for example, a self-ordering terminal installed at each table in a restaurant.

[0074] The communication I / F 34 is a communication interface for connecting the order terminal 3 to the communication network N1 by wire or wirelessly and performing data communication according to a predetermined communication protocol with external devices such as the order support device 2 and the kitchen terminal 4 via the communication network N1.

[0075] The operation display unit 33 is a user interface including a display unit such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display for displaying various kinds of information, and an operation unit such as a mouse, a keyboard, or a touch panel for receiving operations. The operation display unit 33 displays a top screen (see FIG. 7), a menu screen (see FIG. 8), and an order screen (see FIG. 9) for receiving an order operation of food and drinks from the user, an accounting screen (not shown) for receiving an accounting operation from the user, and the like. The operation display unit 33 is composed of, for example, a touch panel and receives a touch operation of the user.

[0076] The storage unit 32 is a non-volatile storage unit such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or flash memory that stores various types of information. For example, control programs such as a browser program are stored in the storage unit 32. Specifically, the browser program is a control program for causing the control unit 31 to execute communication processing with an external device such as the order support device 2 according to a communication protocol such as HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol).

[0077] The control unit 31 includes control devices such as a CPU, ROM, and RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various arithmetic processes. The ROM is a non-volatile storage unit in which control programs such as BIOS and OS for causing the CPU to execute various processes are pre-stored. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage unit that stores various types of information and is used as a temporary storage memory (working area) for various processes executed by the CPU. Then, the control unit 31 controls the order terminal 3 by causing the CPU to execute various control programs pre-stored in the ROM or the storage unit 32.

[0078] Specifically, the control unit 31 functions as a browser processing unit 311 by executing various processes according to the browser program stored in the storage unit 32. The browser processing unit 311 can execute browser processing for displaying various types of information (top screen, menu screen, order screen, accounting screen, etc.) provided from the order support device 2 via the communication network N1 on the operation display unit 33 and inputting operations on the operation display unit 33 to the order support device 2. Note that some or all of the processing units included in the control unit 31 may be configured by electronic circuits.

[0079] [Kitchen Terminal 4] As shown in FIG. 1, the kitchen terminal 4 includes a control unit 41, a storage unit 42, an operation display unit 43, a communication I / F 44, and the like. The kitchen terminal 4 is an information processing device such as a printer device, a tablet terminal, or a personal computer. Note that the kitchen terminal 4 may further have the same functions as the order support device 2 or may be an information processing device integrated with the order support device 2. Here, it is assumed that the kitchen terminal 4 is a printer device installed in the kitchen of a restaurant.

[0080] The communication I / F 44 is a communication interface for connecting the kitchen terminal 4 to the communication network N1 by wire or wirelessly and performing data communication according to a predetermined communication protocol with external devices such as the order support device 2 and the order terminal 3 via the communication network N1.

[0081] The operation display unit 43 is a user interface including a display unit such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display for displaying information such as various web pages, and an operation unit such as a mouse, a keyboard, or a touch panel for receiving operations.

[0082] The storage unit 42 is a non-volatile storage unit such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a flash memory for storing various information. For example, the storage unit 42 stores a control program for transmitting and receiving various information between the order support device 2 and the order terminal 3. For example, the control program is non-temporarily recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD or a DVD, and is read by a reading device (not shown) such as a CD drive or a DVD drive electrically connected to the kitchen terminal 4 and stored in the storage unit 42. Also, a control program such as an order support program for causing the control unit 41 to execute an order support process (see FIG. 11) described later may be stored in the storage unit 42.

[0083] The control unit 41 has control devices such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various arithmetic processes. The ROM is a non-volatile storage unit in which control programs such as BIOS and OS for causing the CPU to execute various arithmetic processes are stored in advance. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage unit that stores various information and is used as a temporary storage memory (working area) for various processes executed by the CPU. Then, the control unit 41 controls the kitchen terminal 4 by causing the CPU to execute various control programs stored in advance in the ROM or the storage unit 42.

[0084] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 41 includes various processing units such as an acquisition processing unit 411 and an output processing unit 412. Note that the control unit 41 functions as the various processing units by causing the CPU to execute various processes according to the control program. Also, some or all of the processing units may be configured by electronic circuits. Note that the control program may be a program for causing a plurality of processors to function as the processing units.

[0085] The acquisition processing unit 411 acquires order information F1 output from the order support device 2. For example, when the order support device 2 receives an order for "daily set meal" from the order terminal 3 and outputs order information F1 corresponding to the total number of orders obtained by adding the set number to the received number of orders to the kitchen terminal 4. Thereby, the acquisition processing unit 411 acquires the order information F1 output from the order support device 2.

[0086] The output processing unit 412 outputs the information acquired by the acquisition processing unit 411 to the outside. Specifically, the output processing unit 412 causes the order information F1 acquired by the acquisition processing unit 411 to be output to the outside. For example, a roll paper is set in the kitchen terminal 4, and a transport unit (not shown) for transporting the roll paper, an image forming unit (not shown) for forming an image on the roll paper, a cutting unit (not shown) for cutting the roll paper at a predetermined position, etc. are provided.

[0087] For example, as shown in FIG. 10, when the order information F1 is acquired by the acquisition processing unit 411, the output processing unit 412 causes the image forming unit to execute a printing process of printing (black and white printing) the order information F1 on the order form T1. Specifically, each time the image data corresponding to the order information F1 is input, the output processing unit 412 causes the image forming unit to execute a printing process of forming (black and white printing) an image of the order content corresponding to the image data on the roll paper, and then causes the cutting unit to execute a cutting process of cutting the roll paper at a predetermined position and discharging it to the outside. Thereby, one order form T1 is created for each order. When receiving the order form T1, the kitchen staff prepares the food and drink of the order content.

[0088] For example, as shown in FIG. 10, when the kitchen staff obtains four order forms T1 of the "set meal of the day" that are continuously output, the kitchen staff prepares four servings of the "set meal of the day". The customer service staff serves three "set meals of the day" to the user at table number "1". Also, the customer service staff fills in the table number "2" to which the remaining one "set meal of the day" is assigned in the blank of the order form T1 and serves the user at table number "2" who ordered the "set meal of the day". In this way, the kitchen staff can prepare the same order (food and drink) together, and the customer service staff can serve the food and drink together.

[0089] Each order form T1 includes the date and time when the order was received (receiving date and time, order date and time). Therefore, since the kitchen staff can grasp the elapsed time from the time when each user actually placed the order (the time of the order confirmation operation), it is possible to adjust the priority order of cooking and preparation of the ordered food and drink.

[0090] Here, when providing the preliminary food and drink corresponding to the set number (the "daily-changing set meal" in the above example) to the user at table number "2", there is a possibility that the deviation from the provision time of the ordered products (the "sashimi set meal") of other users at table number "2" will increase. Therefore, the control unit 21 of the order support device 2 may allocate the preliminary food and drink to the tables among the tables that have received orders and have ordered the same number of the preliminary food and drink as the set number. For example, when there are 3 preliminary "daily-changing set meals", the control unit 21 allocates the preliminary "daily-changing set meals" to the users of the tables that have ordered only 3 "daily-changing set meals". Thereby, the deviation in the provision timing of the ordered products on the same table can be reduced. Note that when determining the tables to which the preliminary food and drink are to be allocated, the control unit 21 may exclude the single-item menu, the dessert menu, and the drink menu, and determine whether the same number of the preliminary food and drink as the set number has been ordered for the set meal menu.

[0091] [Order Support Process] Next, with reference to FIG. 11, the order support process executed in the order support system 1 will be described. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the order support process is executed by the control unit 21 of the order support device 2. Further, the control unit 21 can execute the order support process in parallel corresponding to each order terminal 3 in response to access from each order terminal 3. Note that the control unit 21 may end the order support process midway through a predetermined operation of the order terminal 3.

[0092] Note that the present invention can be regarded as an invention of an order support method for executing one or a plurality of steps included in the order support process. Also, one or a plurality of steps included in the order support process described here may be omitted as appropriate. Note that the execution order of each step in the order support process may be different as long as the same operational effects are produced. Further, here, the case where each step in the order support process is executed by the control unit 21 is taken as an example for description, but an order support method in which each step in the order support process is distributed and executed by a plurality of processors is also conceivable as another embodiment.

[0093] In step S11, the control unit 21 acquires the number of users (number of customers) who have come to the restaurant and the table number of the table used by the user. For example, when a restaurant staff registers information indicating that a user has come to the store, the control unit 21 acquires the number of customers and the table number corresponding to the user from the facility terminal (reservation management ledger).

[0094] Next, in step S12, the control unit 21 causes the order terminal 3 to display an order reception screen (such as a top screen or a menu screen) for receiving orders for food and beverages provided by the restaurant. For example, the control unit 21 causes the top screen shown in FIG. 7 to be displayed on the order terminal 3 installed at the table with the table number used by the user. Further, when any menu button M1 is selected on the top screen shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 21 causes the menu screen shown in FIG. 8 to be displayed on the order terminal 3.

[0095] Next, in step S13, the control unit 21 determines whether it has received the user's order via the order terminal 3. If it is determined by the control unit 21 that the user's order has been received (S13: Yes), the process proceeds to step S14. The control unit 21 waits until it receives the user's order (S13: No). For example, when the user of the table with the table number "1" selects and orders "set meal of the day" (order confirmation operation) using the order terminal 3, the control unit 21 receives the user's order. Further, the control unit 21 associates the order number corresponding to the user's order and the information of the ordered product "set meal of the day" with the table number "1" and registers them in the order reception information D2 (see FIG. 3). Step S13 is an example of the reception step of the present invention.

[0096] In step S14, the control unit 21 identifies the set number corresponding to the received order. Specifically, the control unit 21 identifies the set number based on at least any one of the setting information D3 in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6. For example, when the control unit 21 receives an order for 3 "daily-changing set meals" at the table with table number "1", it refers to the setting information D3 (see FIG. 4) and identifies the set number as "Xa1" (for example, "1 piece").

[0097] Next, in step S15, the control unit 21 adds the identified set number to the received number of orders for food and drink to calculate the total number of orders. For example, the control unit 21 adds the identified set number "1 piece" to the order number "3 pieces" of the "daily-changing set meal" to calculate the total number of orders "4 pieces". Step S15 is an example of a calculation step.

[0098] Next, in step S16, the control unit 21 outputs the information of the received order (order information F1) to the kitchen terminal 4. For example, the control unit 21 outputs the order information F1 of "3 pieces" of the "daily-changing set meal" ordered by the user at table number "1" and the order information F1 of "1 piece" of the "daily-changing set meal" corresponding to the set number to the kitchen terminal 4. The control unit 21 outputs each order information F1 so that it can identify the order ticket T1 corresponding to the order received from the user and the order ticket T1 corresponding to the set number (see FIG. 10). Note that the control unit 21 may include the table number to which the food and drink corresponding to the set number are assigned in the order information F1 corresponding to the set number. Step S16 is an example of the output step of the present invention. The order support process is performed as described above.

[0099] As described above, the order support system 1 according to the present embodiment receives orders for food and beverages from users of a facility that provides food and beverages, and outputs order information F1 with an order number greater than the number of orders for the food and beverages. Further, the order support system 1 receives orders for food and beverages at a facility that provides food and beverages, calculates the total number of orders by adding a set number to the number of orders for the food and beverages, and outputs order information F1 with the calculated total number of orders. Further, the set number is set based on order information (number of orders, order frequency, order content, type, time zone, etc.). Thereby, for example, when a set meal menu with a high order frequency is received while the kitchen is in a busy state, order information F1 with an order number greater than the number of received orders can be output to the kitchen terminal 4. Then, the extra-prepared food and beverages can be allocated and provided to other users. Therefore, it is possible to improve the working efficiency of the kitchen.

[0100] Further, according to the order support system 1, for example, since order information F1 for orders of a plurality of the same menu can be output collectively, it is possible to reduce communication traffic and effectively utilize computer resources compared to the case of outputting order information F1 individually.

[0101] The order support system of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

[0102] As another embodiment of the present invention, the setting processing unit 216 may set the set number based on the ratio of the number of users who have already ordered food and beverages to the number of users who have not yet ordered food and beverages in a restaurant. When there are many users who have not yet ordered food and beverages, the possibility of ordering the same food and beverages as those ordered by users who have already ordered food and beverages increases. Therefore, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set number to a larger number as the ratio of users who have not yet ordered food and beverages is higher. Thereby, the working efficiency of the kitchen can be improved, and the ordered goods can be provided to the users quickly.

[0103] As another embodiment of the present invention, the setting processing unit 216 may set the set number based on the number of vacant seats or the vacancy rate in a food and beverage store. Specifically, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set number to a smaller number as the number of vacant seats in the food and beverage store is larger or the vacancy rate is higher. This can prevent the prepared food and drinks from being wasted without a recipient.

[0104] As another embodiment of the present invention, the setting processing unit 216 may set the set number corresponding to the first food and beverage in the order to be received next by the reception processing unit 212 based on the total order number included in the order information F1 of the first food and beverage output by the output processing unit 215. For example, when the total order number of the order output by the output processing unit 215 is large, the kitchen may be in a busy state, and when the output processing unit 215 outputs an order for the first food and beverage next, it is considered that the provision of the first food and beverage may be delayed. Therefore, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set number corresponding to the first food and beverage to be output next to a smaller number as the total order number of the first food and beverage output by the output processing unit 215 last time is larger. In this way, the setting processing unit 216 may determine the set number corresponding to the order to be output next based on the order number output immediately before or most recently.

[0105] As another embodiment of the present invention, when the reception processing unit 212 receives an order for one or more quantities of food and drink, the output processing unit 215 may output a predetermined number of order information that is more than the order quantity. The predetermined number may be a preset common number. In this case, regardless of the order quantity received by the reception processing unit 212, the output processing unit 215 outputs the predetermined number of order information F1. For example, when the reception processing unit 212 receives an order for one first food and drink, the output processing unit 215 outputs order information F1 for five first food and drinks. Also, when the reception processing unit 212 receives an order for three first food and drinks, the output processing unit 215 also outputs order information F1 for five first food and drinks. Further, when the reception processing unit 212 receives an order for one or more quantities of food and drink, the output processing unit 215 may output a predetermined number of order information F1 that is more than the order quantity. Also, when the reception processing unit 212 receives an order for one or more quantities of food and drink, and the order quantity is less than a preset predetermined number, the calculation processing unit 214 may output the predetermined number of order information F1.

[0106] Further, the setting processing unit 216 may set the predetermined number according to a predetermined condition. Specifically, the setting processing unit 216 may set the predetermined number based on the content or type of food and drink. For example, the setting processing unit 216 sets the predetermined number to "five" for the "daily set meal" that is expected to have the highest order frequency, and sets the predetermined number to "three" for other set meal menus that are expected to have the next highest order frequency after the "daily set meal". Also, the setting processing unit 216 may set the predetermined number based on the time zone. For example, the setting processing unit 216 sets the predetermined number to "five" for the time zone of "12:00 to 13:00" which is the busiest, and sets the predetermined number to "three" for other time zones.

[0107] As described above, the order support system of the present invention may include a reception processing unit that receives an order for a first food or beverage of a user of a facility that provides food and beverages, and an output processing unit that outputs order information having an order number greater than the number of orders for the first food or beverage received by the reception processing unit. Further, the output processing unit may output order information of a predetermined number set in advance that is greater than the number of orders for the first food or beverage. Further, when the number of orders for the first food or beverage is less than a predetermined number set in advance, the output processing unit may output order information of the predetermined number. Further, the output processing unit may output order information of a total order number obtained by adding a set number to the number of orders for the food and beverages.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0108] 1: Order support system 2: Order support device 3: Order terminal 4: Kitchen terminal 211: Acquisition processing unit 212: Reception processing unit 213: Identification processing unit 214: Calculation processing unit 215: Output processing unit 216: Setting processing unit 411: Acquisition processing unit 412: Output processing unit

Claims

1. An order reception processing unit that receives an order for the food and drink from a user of a facility that provides food and drink, When the order reception processing unit receives an order for a first quantity of a first food and drink from the user, a calculation processing unit that calculates a total order quantity by adding a set quantity set based on the first order quantity to the first order quantity, An output processing unit that outputs order information of the total order quantity calculated by the calculation processing unit for the first food and drink received by the order reception processing unit from the user, An order support system comprising:

2. The calculation processing unit calculates the total order quantity by adding a set quantity set based on the first order quantity and the content or type of the first food and drink to the first order quantity, The order support system according to Claim 1.

3. An order reception processing unit that receives an order for the food and drink from a user of a facility that provides food and drink, When the order reception processing unit receives an order for a first quantity of a first food and drink from the user, a calculation processing unit that calculates a total order quantity by adding a set quantity set based on the content or type of the first food and drink to the first order quantity, An output processing unit that outputs order information of the total order quantity calculated by the calculation processing unit for the first food and drink received by the order reception processing unit from the user, An order support system comprising:

4. The calculation processing unit calculates the total order quantity by adding a set quantity set based on the content or type of the first food and drink and the time zone when the order for the first food and drink is received to the first order quantity, The order support system according to Claim 3.

5. Receiving an order for the food and drink from a user of a facility that provides food and drink, When an order for a first quantity of a first food and drink is received from the user, calculating a total order quantity by adding a set quantity set based on the first order quantity to the first order quantity, Outputting order information of the total order quantity for the first food and drink received from the user, An order support method executed by one or more processors.

6. Receiving an order for the food and drink from a user of a facility that provides food and drink, When an order for a first quantity of a first food and drink is received from the user, calculating a total order quantity by adding a set quantity set based on the content or type of the first food and drink to the first order quantity, Outputting order information of the total number of orders for the first food or drink received from the user; An order support method executed by one or more processors. **Claim 7** Receiving an order for the food or drink from a user of a facility that provides food or drink; When receiving an order for the first food or drink from the user for a first number of orders, calculating a total number of orders by adding a set number set based on the first number of orders to the first number of orders; Outputting order information of the total number of orders for the first food or drink received from the user; An order support program for causing one or more processors to execute. **Claim 8** Receiving an order for the food or drink from a user of a facility that provides food or drink; When receiving an order for the first food or drink from the user for a first number of orders, calculating a total number of orders by adding a set number set based on the content or type of the first food or drink to the first number of orders; Outputting order information of the total number of orders for the first food or drink received from the user; An order support program for causing one or more processors to execute.

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