Which practice helps ensure different items finish cooking in sync on orders with varying cooking times?

• A. Cook all items on a single timer.
• B. Ask the guest to wait until all items are ready.
• C. Use separate tickets or timing notes in the POS to coordinate with the kitchen.
• D. End the order early to avoid delays.

Answer: (C)

Coordinating items with different cook times hinges on pacing each item so they finish together. The kitchen benefits from explicit pacing instructions tied to the order. Using separate tickets or timing notes in the POS gives cooks clear signals about when to start or hold each item, aligning finish times and plating. This approach improves consistency, reduces delays, and enhances guest experience. Relying on a single timer doesn't address the different cooking timelines, asking guests to wait places the burden on the guest and can disrupt service, and ending the order early is not a practical or fair way to manage timing—it compromises accuracy and guest satisfaction.