A food preorder and queue management system for college canteens

Abstract

The present invention is related to a food preorder and queue management system for college canteens. It enables students to pre-order college canteen food using their institutional login credentials. The system’s frontend, built with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, allows users to browse menus, select items, and initiate secure online payments. On the backend, a Node.js and Express.js server handles request processing, order validation, and payment integration through Razorpay. All user profiles, menu data, and transaction records are stored in a MySQL database, ensuring persistence and consistency across sessions. After a successful payment, the server generates a unique digital order token, which includes the order ID and an automatically calculated estimated preparation time based on order queue length and food preparation metrics. On the canteen side, staff interact with an admin dashboard that displays all active orders, their statuses, and payment confirmations in real time. As staff update each order status to “ready,” the system triggers the notification module, which delivers alerts directly to the student’s device. This real-time synchronization between the database, backend, and client devices eliminates manual tracking and reduces miscommunication. By moving orders online and introducing automated scheduling and notifications, the invention significantly reduces wait times during peak hours—studies of comparable pre-ordering systems show queue reductions of up to 50%. Overall, the invention not only streamlines canteen operations but also improves service throughput and enhances student satisfaction through automation and seamless digital integration.