How Joe’s Sourdough Pizzas Served 5,000 Festival Orders a Day with a WhatsApp Ordering Bot
Overview
At huge festivals like Glastonbury, Joe’s Sourdough Pizzas faces extraordinary demand—often 5,000 pizzas a day. A WhatsApp ordering chatbot helps hungry festival-goers skip long lines, get instant answers to menu and allergen questions, and pay securely from their phones. The result is faster service, happier customers, and a calmer team during peak rushes.
The Festival Challenge
In a busy festival environment, crowds, noise and time pressure create long queues and repeated questions about ingredients, allergens and pricing. Staff juggle payments, order accuracy, and shout-outs for pickups—all while keeping the oven turning. Traditional counter ordering alone can slow throughput and strain the team.
The Solution: WhatsApp-First Ordering
Why WhatsApp
- No apps to download—guests simply use the app they already have.
- No new logins or passwords—zero friction from first message to payment.
- Personal, familiar experience—clear messages and receipts right inside a trusted chat.
How it Works at the Van
- Guests scan a QR code on the van to open a WhatsApp chat instantly.
- The bot provides in-depth menu, ingredient and allergen guidance, suggesting safe swaps and flagging cross-contamination risks common to festival kitchens.
- It knows the current prices and can build customizable orders (e.g., extra toppings or sides).
- At checkout, the bot issues a unique Order ID in the format JP-12345 and a secure Stripe payment link such as https://joessourdoughpizzas.co.uk?orderId=JP-12345.
- Once paid, the kitchen gets the ticket. When the pizza is ready, the bot messages the guest with pickup instructions—no hovering near the hatch.
- 30 minutes after pickup, the bot follows up to ask how it went and politely invites the guest to leave a review.
Impact
- Shorter queues and faster throughput during peak sets.
- Accurate allergen answers delivered instantly, reducing risk and improving guest trust.
- Higher average order value through smart suggestions for sides and drinks.
- Fewer missed pickups thanks to clear Order IDs and ready notifications.
- Actionable feedback gathered after the meal to refine the menu and service.
Customer Experience Highlights
- Transparent prices and estimated wait times before paying.
- Discrete, reliable allergen guidance, even in a crowd.
- Real-time preparation updates, then a ready message right when it matters.
- Receipts and order history stored in WhatsApp for easy reference.
Team Benefits
- Front-of-house spends less time repeating menu details and more time serving.
- Reduced card terminal bottlenecks; payments flow through Stripe links.
- Kitchen receives clear, structured tickets with modifiers and notes.
Safety and Transparency
The bot presents ingredient and allergen information as supplied by the team and includes appropriate cross-contamination notices for a festival kitchen environment.
What’s Next
With WhatsApp working across major festivals, Joe’s is exploring pre-opening waitlist capture and limited-time specials to delight fans and smooth demand surges.
Example Conversations
Below are some example conversations between a user and the chatbot, whilst fictional, they have been generated by the same AI that powers the chatbot and represent realistic interactions.
1. Allergy-aware bot guides a guest from pesto warning to a nut-free Margherita with mushrooms, processes payment, sends ready notice, then requests feedback.
Hi! I’ve got a nut allergy. Is your pesto-topped pizza safe, or should I pick something else?
Thanks for checking! Our pesto contains pine nuts, so the pesto-topped pizza isn’t safe for nut allergies.
Nut-free alternative: Margherita (+optional mushrooms).
- Ingredients: sourdough base (wheat), tomato, mozzarella (milk), basil, olive oil; mushrooms if added.
- Allergens: gluten (wheat), milk. No nuts/pesto.
- Price: Margherita £9.50 + mushrooms £1.50 = £11.00.
Note: We handle nuts on site; we minimise cross-contact but can’t guarantee zero trace. Want to order this?
Margherita with mushrooms, please. No pesto anywhere, right? Name’s Alex—can we go ahead?
Thanks, Alex. I’ll place: Margherita + mushrooms. No pesto will be added.
- Allergens: gluten (wheat), milk. No nuts.
- Total: £11.00
- Order ID: JP-48291
Please pay to confirm: Secure payment link. We’ll start as soon as it clears. We’ll prep on a separate board to reduce cross-contact.
All paid—got the confirmation. Thanks!
Payment received for JP-48291—thanks!
- ETA: 10–12 minutes
- We’ll prep on a separate board/tools to reduce nut cross-contact
I’ll message when it’s ready for pickup.
Hi Alex—your pizza JP-48291 is ready now.
Please collect at Window B and tell the team “Alex, JP-48291”. Enjoy!
Hope your pizza hit the spot! How was it?
If you’ve got a minute, a quick review would mean a lot. Thank you!
2. Family orders pizzas via festival van bot; bot upsells drinks, sends payment link, confirms payment, updates prep, announces ready, then asks for review.
Hi! Can I get 2 Margheritas, 1 Spicy Salami with extra cheese, and 2 garlic dips?
Yum! Here’s your order summary:
- 2× Margherita @ £8.50 = £17.00
- 1× Spicy Salami = £11.50
- Extra cheese (on Salami) = £1.50
- 2× Garlic dip @ £1.50 = £3.00
Subtotal: £33.00
Estimated wait: 20–25 mins. Add our cold drink bundle (3 chilled cans) for £5?
Yes, add the drinks. What’s the total and how do I pay?
Great choice! Updated total:
- Food: £33.00
- Cold drink bundle: £5.00
Total: £38.00
Pay securely via Stripe with Order ID JP-73572:
https://joessourdoughpizzas.co.uk?orderId=JP-73572
We’ll start as soon as payment lands.
Paid now using JP-73572.
Payment received—thank you! Order JP-73572 is confirmed and in the queue. Current ETA ~20 mins. We’ll keep you posted. Pick up at the van window—just show your order ID.
Prep update: Doughs stretched, sauced, and topped. Your pizzas are in the oven—about 8 minutes to go.
Hot and ready! Order JP-73572 is boxed and ready for pickup at the van window. Enjoy!
Hope you loved the pizzas! If you’ve a minute, we’d really appreciate a quick review or any feedback here. Thanks for supporting our sourdough van 🙌
3. A festival pizza bot manages an 8-pizza order at peak time, sets a pickup window, confirms payment, sends updates, ready notice, and review request.
Hey! We’re a group of 8. Can we order during the headline set? How long’s the wait?
Hey! It’s peak right now — current wait is about 45–55 mins. To keep them hot and the queue moving, I suggest a pickup window 21:45–21:55. Sound good? Any specific pizzas or dietary needs?
Works for us. Eight Margheritas. 21:45–21:55 is fine.
Great — window 21:45–21:55 locked. Eight Margheritas at £9 each = £72.
Order ID: JP-71904
Pay here: https://joessourdoughpizzas.co.uk?orderId=JP-71904
What’s the pickup name?
Paid. Name is Sam.
Thanks, Sam — payment received and you’re in the queue for 21:45–21:55. I’ll ping you ~5 mins before they’re ready. If any last-minute changes, message me here.
Heads up, Sam — your eight Margheritas are in the oven now, about 5–7 minutes out. Please start heading over to the van.
Order JP-71904 is ready! Collect from the Fast Pickup lane on the right. Show your Order ID and name “Sam.” One person at the rail, please.
Hope you loved the pizzas! When you’ve got a moment, tell us how we did — your feedback helps us improve. Enjoy the set!
4. Late-night order: bot runs out of pepperoni, suggests spicy salami, processes payment for JP-26018, notifies readiness, and later requests a review.
Hey! Can I get a pepperoni sourdough pizza please?
Ah, late-night update — we just ran out of pepperoni 😞
Closest match: Spicy Salami (similar, a little heat) or Double Cheese.
- Basket updated: 12” Spicy Salami — £11.50 (price unchanged)
Shall I proceed with Spicy Salami, or switch to Double Cheese (£10.50)?
Spicy salami works for me — let’s go with that.
Great choice! Here’s your order summary:
- 12” Spicy Salami — £11.50
- Order ID: JP-26018
Pay securely to confirm: https://joessourdoughpizzas.co.uk?orderId=JP-26018
We’ll start cooking as soon as payment clears. ETA ~12–15 mins.
Payment received — thank you!
Order JP-26018 confirmed. We’re firing your pizza now. I’ll message when it’s ready for pickup.
Your pizza is ready 🔥
- Order: JP-26018
- Collect at Joe’s Sourdough van, Pickup Window A
Enjoy!
Hope you loved the Spicy Salami! If you’ve got a minute, we’d really appreciate a quick review or any feedback here. Thanks 🙏
5. Guest reports undercooked pizza JP-31167; bot apologizes, arranges priority remake, alerts manager with ETA, confirms pickup, checks satisfaction later and requests a review.
Hi, I just picked up and my pizza base is undercooked—still doughy. Order ID JP-31167.
I’m really sorry about that. I’ve found order JP-31167.
- Priority remake (ready in ~10 mins)
- Speak with our shift lead on-site
When can you pop back? I’ll alert the manager and have it ready. Any allergies we should note?
Priority remake please. I can be back in about 15 minutes. No allergies, just want it well-done.
Got it—remaking now, baked well-done. I’ve alerted our on-site manager and flagged your ticket priority with ETA ~15 mins.
Your replacement will be ready by about 19:20. Ask for the priority remake for JP-31167 at the collection window. If you’d like to chat, Shift Lead Jess is available.
Thanks. I’m setting off now—about 5 minutes away.
Perfect—thanks for the heads-up. I’ve updated the team with your new ETA. Your pizza will be hot and waiting. See you shortly.
Quick check-in: how was the replacement for JP-31167?
Much better—perfectly baked. Thanks for sorting it so quickly.
Brilliant, glad we turned it around. If you have a moment, could you leave a quick review for Joe’s Sourdough Pizzas? It really helps. Thanks!
