Dealing with Unavailable Items/Substitutions
The pizza place informs the customer if a requested item or topping is unavailable and offers alternatives or substitutions.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
pepperoni
A type of spicy Italian sausage often used as a popular pizza topping. It's a common choice for pizza orders in American-style pizzerias.
mushroom
A type of edible fungus that is sliced and added as a topping on pizzas. It's a vegetarian option that adds a earthy flavor.
delivery
The service where food is brought to your home or location instead of you picking it up. Use this when ordering food to be sent to you.
substitute
To replace one item with another similar one, often when the original is unavailable. In orders, it means swapping toppings or ingredients.
bell peppers
Sweet, colorful peppers (green, red, yellow) used as a crunchy pizza topping. They add color and mild flavor without spice.
black olives
Small, black pitted olives sliced and used as a salty topping on pizzas. They provide a briny taste and are common in Mediterranean-style pizzas.
mix
A combination of different varieties, like mixed bell peppers. Use this to describe blended options for more variety in your order.
total
The final amount of money you need to pay for your order. Always ask for confirmation to avoid mistakes.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
I'd like to order a large pepperoni and mushroom pizza for delivery, please.
This is a polite way to start a food order. 'I'd like to' is a formal expression for requests. Use it when specifying size, toppings, and delivery. The grammar uses 'for delivery' as a prepositional phrase to indicate the service.
We're completely out of fresh mushrooms right now.
This informs the customer that an item is unavailable. 'Out of' means no stock left, and 'completely' emphasizes total absence. Useful for staff to explain shortages; customers can respond by suggesting alternatives.
Would you like to substitute them with bell peppers or maybe black olives instead?
A helpful offer for alternatives when something is unavailable. 'Would you like to' is a polite question form. 'Substitute with' means replace using, and 'instead' shows the change. Great for handling order changes smoothly.
That's a shame.
A casual expression of disappointment. It's short and empathetic, used when something unfortunate happens, like an item being unavailable. No complex grammar; it's idiomatic English for everyday conversations.
We have a mix of green and red bell peppers today.
This describes available options. 'A mix of' means a combination, and 'today' specifies current availability. Useful for clarifying details in orders to help the customer decide.
Perfect! And anything else for you today?
An enthusiastic confirmation followed by checking for more items. 'Perfect!' shows agreement, and 'anything else' is a common upsell question. Use this in service roles to confirm and encourage additional orders.
Can you confirm the total and get my address?
A request for verification and information. 'Can you' politely asks for action, 'confirm' means double-check, and 'get my address' means record it. Essential for completing delivery orders accurately.