The short answer
How do you set up QR code table ordering?
QR code table ordering lets guests browse the menu, order and pay from their phone, with no app to install. It works well when each table has its own QR code, orders go straight to the kitchen and servers keep their role of welcoming and advising guests. Plan for shared tables, second rounds during the meal and bill splitting, then start with part of the dining room before rolling it out further.
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Why offer QR code table ordering?
At peak times, waiting for the menu and then for someone to take the order weighs on the guest experience. With QR code table ordering, guests scan the code on their table, browse the menu and order as soon as they are ready, without waiting for a server to be free.
Service flows more smoothly: orders arrive complete and legible, with no re-entry. Servers have more time to welcome guests, recommend a dish or a drink, check that everything is going well and handle special requests.
This way of ordering suits restaurants, brasseries, pizzerias and fast-casual venues, and terraces in particular, where trips back and forth take longer. It comes on top of ordering with a server: guests who prefer to order in person should always be able to do so.
Do your guests need to download an app?
No. A mobile-friendly web page is enough: guests scan the QR code with their phone camera and the menu opens in their browser. They order from their phone without creating an account or installing an app, which also suits occasional visitors.
Treat this QR code menu like your printed menu: clear categories, understandable names, accurate photos, prices and options (cooking, sides, extras). Allergen information must remain available to guests before they order.
Keep a few printed menus for guests who want them, and make sure a server can take the order if a phone battery runs out or the network is weak.
How do you handle a table shared by several groups?
The same table sometimes seats people who are not eating together. Take a table for four: two people are already seated and have ordered, two others arrive and sit down. Each group needs to order and pay separately, without mixing up the bills.
The answer is one session per group. The first group opens its session by scanning the QR code; the second opens its own on the same QR code. Each session has its own order and its own bill, both linked to the same table.
To join an existing session, for example a friend arriving during the meal, the newcomer sends a request that the people who opened the session accept. Each group stays in control of its order and its bill.
How do you make a second round easier (drinks, desserts, coffees)?
During the meal, the wish for another drink, a dessert or a coffee often comes while the server is busy at another table. With table ordering, guests order again from the same session, without waiting for someone to come by.
The new items are added to the same bill and sent to the kitchen or the bar just like the first order. Guests have nothing to re-enter and the team sees everything ordered for the table.
Highlight desserts, hot drinks and after-dinner drinks in the online menu, and mention on the table tent that guests can order again at any time. Servers can also suggest it when clearing plates.
How do you offer pay-at-table?
Paying at the table spares guests the wait for the bill at the end of the meal. They pay from their phone, in the same session as their order, when they are ready to leave.
To make splitting the bill easy, offer three ways to pay: pay for selected items only, each person paying for what they had; split equally between the people in the session; or enter a custom amount, for example when someone is treating the others or covering part of the bill. Everyone pays their share with no mental arithmetic and no trip to the till.
The bill closes once everything has been paid. Make sure the team can see which tables have paid, and always let guests who prefer it pay with a server.
How do you organize the dining room and the kitchen?
Orders placed at the table go straight to the kitchen and the bar with the table number, without a paper ticket. They can arrive at any point during service: check with the kitchen how they are displayed and in what order they are prepared.
The server’s role changes without disappearing. Servers welcome and seat guests, explain how the QR code works, give advice, serve dishes, follow the course of the meal and deal with the unexpected. Assign tables to servers as you do today: each one remains the point of contact for their guests.
Keep a personal welcome from the moment guests arrive: a word to explain the QR code, the dish of the day, a kind gesture at the end of the meal. The time saved on order taking is there for exactly these moments.
Where and how should you display the QR code?
Place a table tent on every table, where it stays visible once the table is set. Use one QR code per table: it tells the system where the order comes from, without guests having to enter a table number. Also print that number clearly on the table tent, for guests and staff alike.
Add a short line of explanation next to the QR code, for example “Scan to order and pay from your table”. Guests understand at a glance what they can do.
Keep it clean and legible: a QR code large enough, with good contrast, no glare and protection from stains and rain on the terrace. Clean the table tents along with the tables, replace damaged ones and test every QR code with several phones before the first service.
In short
QR code table ordering saves time for guests and staff when it stays simple: a web page with no app, one QR code per table, one session per group, and the ability to order again and split the bill.
Servers keep their place: with less order taking to do, they welcome, advise and look after the meal. Start with a few tables or the terrace, gather feedback from guests and staff, then extend the service to the whole dining room.
BeezTable, coming soon
BeezTable is Beez360’s upcoming table ordering solution. Guests scan their table’s QR code and order from their browser, with no app to install. Several sessions can be open at the same table, each group keeping its own order and bill.
During the meal, guests place a new order from their session. When paying, they choose to pay for selected items, split the bill equally or enter a custom amount.
Would you like to be among the first restaurants to use BeezTable? Tell the Beez360 team about your venue.
Become a BeezTable pilot restaurantBeez360
The Beez360 solution for this need
Compare the options
Scroll horizontally to read the full table.
| Stage of the meal | Ordering with a server | QR code table ordering |
|---|---|---|
| Browsing the menu | Printed menu brought to the table | QR code menu opened in the browser, printed menu on request |
| Ordering | When the server comes to the table | As soon as guests are ready, from their phone |
| Ordering again | By catching the server’s eye | From the same session, at any time |
| Shared table | Separate bills noted by the server | One session per group, with its own order and bill |
| Paying | Bill brought to the table | Selected items, equal shares or a custom amount, from the phone |
| Server’s role | Order taking, service and payment | Welcome, advice, service and follow-up of the meal |
Your checklist before choosing
- Prepare the online menu: categories, photos, prices, options and allergens.
- Create one QR code per table and check the table numbering.
- Place a legible table tent on every table, with a line of explanation.
- Organize how orders are received in the kitchen and at the bar.
- Train the team to present the QR code and help guests.
- Choose the payment options and keep paying with a server possible.
- Test every QR code and the full journey before the first service.
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