Customizing an Order
A customer requests modifications to a standard item, such as no pickles, extra sauce, or substituting a side dish for another, and the cashier processes the request.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
combo
A combo is a meal deal that includes a main item, a side, and a drink, often at a lower price than buying them separately. Use it when ordering fast food sets.
substitute
To substitute means to replace one item with another. In ordering, say this when you want to change part of your meal, like swapping fries for salad.
pickles
Pickles are sliced cucumbers in vinegar, a common topping on burgers. Customers often ask to remove them if they don't like the taste.
side
A side is a small dish that comes with the main meal, like fries or salad. It's useful for customizing orders in fast food.
extra
Extra means additional or more than the standard amount. Use it to request more of something, like sauce, in your order.
packet
A packet is a small sealed bag of sauce or condiment. It's common in fast food for adding flavor to your meal.
cash
Cash means physical money like bills and coins. Staff ask if you want to pay with cash or another method like card.
pickup
Pickup means collecting your order from the counter after it's ready. It's the final step in fast food ordering.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
Can I get a Big Mac combo please?
This is a polite way to start ordering a specific meal. 'Can I get' is a common, casual request form for intermediate learners; use it to ask for items in stores or restaurants.
Would you like fries and a soda with that?
This offers standard combo items to the customer. 'Would you like... with that?' is a useful upsell pattern; it's polite and shows options, great for service roles.
Could I substitute the fries for a side salad instead?
This requests a change to the order. 'Could I... instead?' uses conditional 'could' for polite requests; it's essential for customizing meals and practicing substitutions.
No pickles on the Big Mac, please.
This specifies a modification to avoid an ingredient. It's a simple imperative structure; useful for dietary preferences, and 'please' adds politeness.
Anything else?
This checks if the customer wants more items. It's a short, common question in service to complete the order; easy to remember and use in conversations.
Can I get an extra packet of Big Mac sauce on the side?
This asks for an additional item. 'On the side' means separately; the sentence shows how to request extras, helpful for personalizing fast food orders.
That will be $9.50. Will that be cash or card?
This states the total and asks for payment method. 'Will that be...?' is a yes/no question for choices; key for transactions, teaching numbers and payment vocabulary.
Your order number is 27. It'll be ready for pickup at the counter in a few minutes.
This gives order details and wait time. 'It'll be' is a contraction of 'it will be' for future; useful for informing customers about readiness in busy places.