Quality Guidelines

Operational Excellence Standards for Partners 2026

Document ID: C99-QA-2026-V2

Notice: Failure to comply with hygiene and safety standards will lead to immediate suspension from the platform.

1. Food Quality Standards

Freshness: Ingredients must be fresh, properly stored, and within expiry dates at all times.
Stale Food: No reuse of stale or leftover food; define time limits clearly for each item.
Standardization: Standardized recipes to ensure the same taste for every order.
Oil Limits: Oil reuse limits: strictly discarded after a maximum of 3 uses.
Portions: Portion size consistency must be strictly maintained across all orders.

2. Hygiene & Safety

Personal Hygiene: Mandatory hairnets, gloves, and clean uniforms for all kitchen staff.
Surface Safety: Clean kitchen surfaces and utensils after every single batch.
Water Quality: Safe water usage: only RO or filtered water allowed for cooking.
Pest Control: Monthly documented pest control checks and preventive measures.
Legal: Full compliance with FSSAI standards; valid license required.

3. Packaging Standards

Spill-proof: Use only spill-proof and tamper-proof packaging materials.
Labeling: Label items clearly (Name, Veg/Non-veg mark, Date/Time of prep).
Material Quality: Avoid low-quality plastic or leaking containers; use eco-friendly options.
Thermal: Maintain temperature: hot items must stay hot, cold items stay cold.

4. Order Accuracy

Correctness: 100% correct items packed; zero tolerance for missing items.
Customization: Strict adherence to customizations (e.g., no onion, extra spicy).
Billing: Bill must perfectly match the items delivered.
Final Check: Mandatory double-check protocol before dispatch.

5. Preparation & Delivery Time

Prep Limits: Defined preparation time per item/category (e.g., Starters: 12m).
Capacity: Avoid accepting orders during overload to maintain quality.
Real-time: Real-time status updates through the merchant dashboard.
Delays: Penalty system for excessive delays exceeding the threshold.

6. Menu Quality

Authenticity: Real food images only; no misleading stock photography.
Descriptions: Accurate descriptions including all potential allergens.
Transparency: Correct pricing with zero hidden charges or unexpected fees.
Markings: Clearly mark Veg, Non-Veg, Vegan, and potential Allergens.

7. Customer Experience

Consistency: Maintenance of consistent taste profiles across repeated orders.
Conduct: No rude communication with delivery agents or customers.
Complaints: Professional and empathetic handling of all customer issues.
Policies: Immediate alignment with platform refund and replacement policies.

8. Ratings & Thresholds

Rating Floor: Minimum average rating requirement of 3.8/5.0 for continued listing.
Complaints: Maximum allowed complaint percentage threshold per month (2%).
Audit Trigger: Regular quality audits triggered by negative feedback trends.
Discipline: Low-performing restaurants flagged, suspended, or removed.

9. Compliance & Legal

FSSAI: Valid FSSAI license must be displayed and up-to-date.
Taxation: Full GST compliance for all taxable transactions.
Ingredients: Strict prohibition of banned ingredients or additives.
Local Laws: Compliance with all local, state, and central food safety laws.

10. Audit & Enforcement

Mystery Audit: Random, unannounced quality checks by platform auditors.
Monitoring: Continuous monitoring of customer feedback and photo evidence.
Penalties: Tiered system: Warnings → Temporary Suspension → Permanent Removal.
Incentives: Incentives and badges for high-performing, quality-compliant vendors.