The ordering system for canteens
Canteens serve the same group at the same time every day: 11:30 am to 1 pm, 80–400 lunches, everyone wants to get through the line fast. On top come legal requirements under the LMIV for allergen declaration, employer subsidy management, and a weekly menu that has to be communicated Monday for Friday already. GastroSystem covers all of it.
What canteen operators know well
- Employer subsidy is technically complex
The employer contributes €3.10 per lunch — the rest is deducted from the employee's paycheck or paid by card. This two-tier billing is not supported by standard POS systems. The result is manual tracking in Excel and billing errors.
- Allergen labelling is legally required
Under the German Food Information Regulation (LMIV), canteens must label all 14 allergens on every dish. Violations can result in warnings and fines. Manual labelling on whiteboards is error-prone and not legally reliable.
- Weekly menu needs to be planned and communicated
The weekly menu is planned on Fridays, changes on Monday — sometimes mid-week due to delivery problems. Without a digital system, employees don't know what's available until they're standing at the counter.
- Peak at lunchtime overwhelms the counter
Between 12:00 and 13:00, 70% of the day's guests arrive. Without pre-ordering or time slots, queues form, some employees skip their break — and the canteen loses revenue.
How GastroSystem helps canteens
Employer subsidy logic built in
Define the employer contribution per meal or category. At checkout, GastroSystem deducts the subsidy automatically and shows the employee their remaining amount. Payment via card, Apple Pay or payroll deduction (if integrated with HR system). The daily close shows employer and employee shares separately — ready for accounting.
Digital allergen labelling
Tag every dish with all 14 allergens and additives in the menu editor. Labels appear on the display board, in the ordering app and on the printed receipt. No manual whiteboard updates, no missed allergens. Legal compliance is documented automatically.
Weekly menu with advance planning
Plan the weekly menu in GastroSystem — Monday to Friday with daily specials, choice of soup and the fixed price. Employees see the menu for the whole week via the app or a digital display. If something changes mid-week, update with one click and employees are notified immediately.
Pre-ordering to relieve lunch peak
Employees order via app up to 30 minutes before their break. The kitchen prepares by order, not by queue. When the employee arrives at the counter, their meal is ready. The peak is distributed more evenly — queue times drop by up to 60%.
What canteens gain
A canteen with 150 meals/day at an average ticket of €5.50 (after subsidy) turns over €24,750/month. Pre-ordering reduces the lunchtime peak — meaning the counter can be staffed more efficiently. With one fewer staff member at peak times, that saves €1,500–€2,000/month in personnel costs.
Features for canteens
Employer subsidy logic
Configurable subsidy per meal — deducted automatically at checkout.
Read more →Allergen labelling
All 14 allergens on every dish — legally compliant and always up to date.
Read more →Weekly menu planning
Plan the entire week in advance — visible to employees via app.
Read more →Pre-ordering
Employees order in advance — lunch peak distributed more evenly.
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Common questions for canteens
Can I configure the employer subsidy per employee?
There's no employer subsidy linked to payroll, we don't supply data for payroll accounting. What works: a fixed discount amount as a voucher that you assign to your team.
How is the allergen requirement under the LMIV met?
Enter all 14 allergens per recipe. The system shows them automatically in the app, on the digital notice board, and prints them as a PDF on request. If a recipe changes, the declaration updates automatically.
Can employees see the weekly menu in the app?
Yes. The canteen app shows the weekly menu with allergen information and prices. Employees can pre-order dishes for the next day. A push notification goes out when the menu is updated.