Collabs let you team up with other chefs to drop together đ¤
When orders open, the text goes out to all subscribers of every chef in the collab. If your friend has 500 subscribers and you have 300, your drop goes out to 800 people! It's a great way to reach new customers and grow together. Collabs are especially powerful for newer chefs who get to tap into an established chef's existing audience.
How it works
The chef who creates the collab drop is the host. The host invites one or more chefs to collaborate. Each chef can add their own items to the menu and will receive revenue for those items. You can also assign a revenue split for any item -- useful for joint items, event tickets where a venue or host location gets their cut, or any situation where two chefs contribute to one thing.
When the drop goes live, subscribers of all collaborating chefs get a text with a link to the drop. The drop is hosted on the storefront of whichever chef they're subscribed to.
Host vs. participant permissions
The host chef has full control over all parts of the drop: Info, Collab settings, Menu, Schedule.
Collab participants can only edit the Menu tab: adding their own items, and setting inventory for any item.
How to create a Collab drop
Go to your Drops tab.
Click + Create a drop.
Click Create collab drop.
A Collab drop has the same steps as a regular drop (Info, Menu, Schedule) plus a Collab step.
Setting up your Collab drop
Info (host only) -- add your title, description, pickup details, and set when orders open and close.
Collab (host only) -- this is where you manage your collaborators and shared checkout settings. A Collab drop requires at least 2 chefs: the host + 1 collaborator who accepts the invite. You cannot publish the drop until at least one collaborator has accepted.
Setup your collab
Click + Invite and search by business name or storefront URL (e.g. hotplate.com/storefrontname).
If the chef you want to collaborate with doesn't have a Hotplate account yet, Copy the invite link and send it to them directly. They'll need to create a Hotplate account and complete Stripe setup (Payout tab â Get started with Stripe) before they can accept the invite.
Checkout & Fees
The host sets the tipping, collab tax rate, credit card fees, and Hotplate fees for the drop. These default to the host's own settings, but be sure all collaborators agree on these before publishing. Any chef-paid fees are split proportionally based on each chef's share of the subtotal.
Menu (all collaborators) -- all chefs can edit the Menu tab at the same time.
Click Add items to add items from your item library. Or create a new item. Revenue from each item goes to the chef who owns it.
If you want to share revenue for a specific item across all collaborators:
Add the item to the menu and click on it.
Toggle on Revenue split. Revenue will be split equally by default.
To customize the split, click the gear icon. Enter the percentage or dollar amount each collaborator should earn. Note: entered dollar amounts will determine the item's percentage-based revenue split. If the item price changes, dollar amounts will update proportionally.
Schedule (host only)
Texts
Click the drop text box to customize the message that goes out to all subscribers across all collaborating chefs. Each subscriber receives the link through the storefront of the chef they're subscribed to, meaning Chef A's subscribers get the drop link on Chef A's storefront, and Chef B's subscribers get the drop link on Chef B's storefront.
If a customer is subscribed to more than one chef in the collab, they'll only receive one text. The sending chef is chosen at random from the chefs they're subscribed to.
Options
The host can set drop visibility (public or private) and additional options: checkout time, orders open time visibility, menu visibility, and inventory on storefront visibility.
Gift cards cannot be sold on Collab drops.
Managing collab orders
In the Orders tab, you will see all tickets for the drop. Your own items (and revenue split items) are listed at the top of the ticket. Items owned by other chefs in the collab are at the bottom.
Use the "Collab orders" filter to narrow down to your orders only, or to other chefs' orders only.
The customer checkout experience
For customers, checking out from a Collab drop works exactly like a regular drop:
Customer receives the drop text, clicks the link, arrives at the drop through the storefront of the chef to whom they're subscribed.
Each item on the menu has a badge showing which chef it belongs to. Revenue-split items have a "Collab" badge.
Customer adds items to their cart and proceeds to checkout as normal.
The receipt shows each item with its chef badge (or "Collab" if revenue split).
FAQs
How are tips split between collaborating chefs?
Tips are split proportionally based on each chef's share of the order subtotal. For example, if a customer's order is $60 of Chef A's items and $40 of Chef B's items, and they leave a $10 tip, Chef A receives $6 and Chef B receives $4.
How do fees work in Collab drops?
The host sets the fee configuration on the Collab tab. For any fees set to be paid by the chef (rather than the customer), each chef in the collab covers their portion based on their share of the order subtotal.
What link do my subscribers receive?
Your subscribers will always receive a link to the drop on your storefront. Chef A's subscribers get a link to the drop via Chef A's storefront, Chef B's subscribers get a link to the drop via Chef B's storefront, and so on. Each chef's branding stays intact.
Can I split revenue for a specific item?
Yes. Add the item to the collab menu, click on it, and toggle on Revenue split. Click the gear icon to customize the percentage each collaborator earns.
Can I invite a chef who isn't on Hotplate yet?
Yes. On the Collab tab, Copy the invite link and send it to them directly. They'll need to create a Hotplate account and complete Stripe setup (Payout tab â Get started with Stripe) before they can accept. Setup is usually quick â once done, they'll see the invite when they log in.
Can I publish the drop before my collaborator accepts?
No. At least one collaborator must accept their invite before the drop can be published.
Can collaborators edit the drop info or schedule?
No. Only the host can edit the Info, Collab, and Schedule tabs. Collaborators can only edit the Menu tab.
How many chefs can be in a Collab drop?
At least 2 - the host + 1 collaborator who accepts the invite. The host can invite as many chefs as they'd like.
Can I sell gift cards on a Collab drop?
No. Gift cards are not available on Collab drops.