QR Ordering

How QR Table Ordering Works in Restaurants

By Thmenu Team · Published 7 October 2026 · Updated 31 October 2026 · Reviewed by Kerim Sağlam, Founder, Synaltix LLC — approved for publication in bulk (owner decision 2026-11-06)

With QR table ordering, each table has its own QR code. A guest scans it, browses the menu on their phone and sends an order that arrives in the kitchen already labelled with the table number. Staff confirm and prepare it, the guest can follow its status, and payment happens either when ordering or at the end — depending on how the restaurant sets it up. From the same page, guests can also call a member of staff or ask for the bill.

The flow, step by step

1. Scan: the guest scans the code on the table. Because every table has its own code, the menu already knows which table is ordering.
2. Browse: the guest reads the menu, chooses dishes and options, and adds notes such as "no onions".
3. Order: the guest sends the order. Nothing is cooked yet.
4. Confirm: a member of staff accepts the order on the kitchen or bar screen — or, if the restaurant chooses, orders go straight through.
5. Prepare: the kitchen sees the order, grouped by table, and marks it as it progresses.
6. Follow: the guest's phone shows the order status, so they are not left wondering whether it arrived.
7. Pay: either at the moment of ordering — by card on the phone, where the restaurant takes online payment — or at the end of the meal, with staff.

What staff still do

Table ordering does not remove service; it removes the walk back and forth to take an order. Staff still greet guests, answer questions, check allergies, serve food and handle anything unusual. The time saved is usually spent on the parts of service guests notice.

• Watch incoming orders during service and accept them promptly.
• Keep the menu's availability current, so guests cannot order a dish that has run out.
• Check codes and table cards when resetting tables.

Calling staff from the table

A "call staff" button on the table's menu replaces waving across the room. Because the request comes from the table's own code, it arrives labelled with the table, and staff see it in a list of open calls. Pressing the button again while a call is still open does not create a second one, so a guest who is not sure it worked cannot flood the list.

• Decide who watches the list during service — a call nobody sees is worse than no button at all.
• Mark a call as seen when someone is on the way, and as done when it is handled, so the list shows only what is still waiting.
• Keep the old way working: a guest who raises a hand should still be noticed.

Asking for the bill

The same page can carry an "ask for the bill" button. The guest sees what the table owes, chooses how they want to settle — the whole bill, only what their own phone ordered, an equal share, a percentage or a set amount — and adds a tip if they wish. The request goes to staff with the amount already worked out, and staff bring the card machine or take payment at the counter.

Each split option, and when to suggest it: how to let guests split the bill on their phones.

Paying: before or after?

Paying by card on the phone depends on the restaurant having online payment set up and available in its country. Without it, ordering still works and guests pay staff as they always have.

How paying from the phone works, and where it fits: what pay-at-table is.

Rolling it out

1. Get the menu right first: complete prices, options, allergens and availability.
2. Print one code per table and label each one with the table number.
3. Decide whether every order needs staff approval before it is prepared.
4. Decide when guests pay.
5. Run a quiet service with staff placing test orders from several tables.
6. Tell guests: a short line on the table card ("Scan to see the menu and order") does most of the work.

Common concerns

• Guests who do not want to use a phone can still order from a server — keep both options open.
• Orders from a table that has already left: requiring staff approval, or payment at ordering, avoids cooking for an empty table.
• Mistakes in an order: the order lists every option and note, so staff can check it with the guest before it goes to the kitchen.
• The Wi-Fi password: if it is on the menu, staff are asked for it less often.

Before ordering, the menu itself has to work on a phone — see what a QR menu is.

Table ordering with Thmenu

In Thmenu each table has its own QR code, and orders arrive on the kitchen screen with the table number. By default every order waits for a member of staff to tap "Accept" before it is prepared, and the restaurant chooses whether guests pay when ordering or after being served. Guests can follow the status of their order on their phone. Ordering is a switch in Settings: it starts off for a new restaurant, so you can set up the menu and tables first and turn it on when you are ready.

Calling staff and asking for the bill are two more switches in Settings, also off for a new restaurant. Once on, the table's menu shows both buttons. Calls and bill requests appear in their own lists in the Thmenu dashboard: staff mark a call as seen and then as done, and print and close a bill request, which shows the split the guest chose and the amount. Staff can also collect a table's bill in parts at the cashier screen. Card payment on the guest's phone happens when ordering, at restaurants that take online payment through their own Stripe account in a country Stripe supports; a bill request is settled with staff. If you add your Wi-Fi details, guests can open a Wi-Fi card from the menu and copy the network name and password.

See how Thmenu table ordering works.