A quick reference: how far ahead to order, by quantity

The most common question about group orders: how far ahead is enough. Too early is unnecessary; too late is risky — and the risk isn't that the shop can't make it in time, it's that there's no time left to fix anything that goes wrong.

Quick reference

These are for an ordinary day at an ordinary hour. The four factors below lengthen them.

Four things that add time

1. Peak hours

A group order landing at 7-8am or 11:30am-12:30pm should be placed earlier than the table suggests, because the kitchen is already at full stretch serving walk-ins.

Conversely, delivery at 9:30am or 2pm needs less notice — the kitchen has room.

2. The first and fifteenth of the lunar month

Vegan demand concentrates on these two days and stays heavy all day, not only at peaks. Double the lead time to be safe, and place large orders the day before.

3. Many different instructions

Twenty identical sandwiches are far faster than twenty with ten different instructions, because each variation means stopping to check.

So when ordering, group by item — it helps both sides: "ten Combination, five Sliced Cold Cut, five Spicy Tofu of which two without chilli".

4. A distant or hard-to-find location

Outside the usual radius, an outdoor venue, or a building requiring security clearance — that adds time to delivery rather than to production.

Why ordering early benefits you

It isn't about making things difficult. Early ordering buys the orderer three things:

• Time to change things. More people, fewer people, a shifted time — two hours ahead means easy changes, twenty minutes ahead doesn't.
• Your choice of delivery time. Order early and you set it; order late and you take what's possible.
• A fallback. If for any reason the full order can't be met, knowing early leaves room to rearrange.

The third matters most for events: two hours' warning is workable, ten minutes' isn't.

What to say for a group order

1. Total quantity first, then the breakdown by item.
2. The time you want it — a specific time, not "lunchtime".
3. The address with a landmark, plus floor or room for a building.
4. The number of whoever collects, if not the orderer.
5. Any special instructions, naming which sandwich carries which.
6. How you'll pay.

Six items take under two minutes to say and prevent most problems afterwards.

Recurring orders are different

An office ordering weekly doesn't need to start from scratch each time. Fix the frame once — which day, how many, what time, what address — then report only the changes each week. It saves both sides time and cuts errors sharply.

When it's urgent

If you need it soon, call anyway rather than ruling yourself out for missing the lead time. The shop is open 24 hours, so small and medium orders can usually be worked in; only large ones genuinely need notice. But when it's urgent, stay flexible on items — ask "what's quickest" rather than holding to a fixed list.

Call 0923.183.183. Five shops, all open 24 hours: 38 Le Thi Rieng, 15B Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, 2B Tran Hung Dao, 148B De Tham (District 1) and 210 Bui Van Ba (District 7). Orders from 500,000d within 5km ship free.

Quick answers

How far ahead for ten sandwiches?

One to two hours on an ordinary day at an ordinary hour, since extra filling and another frying batch are needed. Earlier if it falls at a peak hour or on a lunar observance day.

Why order earlier on the first and fifteenth?

Because vegan demand concentrates on those days and stays heavy all day rather than only at peaks. Double the lead time, and place large orders the day before.

Do varied instructions matter?

Yes. Twenty identical sandwiches are much faster than twenty with ten variations, since each one means stopping to check. Grouping by item when ordering helps both sides.

What does ordering early get me?

Room to change things, your choice of delivery time, and early warning if the full order can't be met — which is what leaves you able to rearrange.

Can I still order at short notice?

Yes — the shop is open 24 hours, so small and medium orders can usually be worked in. Stay flexible on items though: ask what's quickest rather than holding to a list.

How do weekly orders work?

Fix the frame once — day, quantity, time, address — then report only the changes each week.