QR Ordering
Restaurant QR Ordering for Food Courts
In a food court the seats are shared and the kitchen belongs to one stall, so QR ordering works differently from table service. Guests scan a code at the stall or on the shared tables, order from that stall's menu, and collect at the counter when the order is ready. The parts that need thought are where the codes go, how the guest knows the order is ready, and how the guest pays.
How it differs from table service
| Table service | Food court stall | |
|---|---|---|
| Who brings the food | A server, to the table | Usually the guest, from the counter |
| What the code identifies | The table | The stall's menu — the seat is not fixed |
| How the guest learns it is ready | The food arrives | A screen, a call-out or the order page |
| When the guest pays | Often at the end | Usually before the kitchen starts |
Where to put the codes
- At the stall's counter and on its menu board, so guests in the queue can order before they reach the front.
- On shared tables only if every stall's code is there and clearly labelled — a guest should never order from the wrong stall by accident.
- On a tablet kiosk at the counter, for guests who would rather not use their own phone.
- Keep one printed menu at the counter for guests without a phone.
Telling the guest the order is ready
Guests in a food court wander off, sit far away or go to a second stall. Decide how they will know their order is ready before you open: an order number called out, a screen above the counter, or the status on the order page the guest is already holding. Whatever you choose, say it on the receipt or the order page, and keep the counter clear so collection is quick.
Payment
Because the guest collects and may not come back to the stall, most food court stalls take payment when the order is placed. If you take card payments online, the order is paid before the kitchen starts; if you do not, the guest pays at the counter before the order is prepared. Mixing the two at one stall is possible but needs clear signs.
Before opening day
- Agree with the venue operator where codes may be placed on shared furniture.
- Test the menu on mobile data at the busiest seat — food court Wi-Fi is often crowded.
- Mark dishes as sold out during service, so nobody orders what you cannot make.
- Practise a rush: ten orders in five minutes, and see where they pile up.
The basics of ordering by QR code: how QR table ordering works.
Food court ordering with Thmenu
In Thmenu each stall is its own venue with its own menu and codes: an account runs one venue, so there is no shared cart across several stalls. A general code opens the menu without a table, and with pickup orders switched on the guest orders with a name and phone number. A tablet can run the same menu as a self-order kiosk; kiosk orders are pickup orders, and the kiosk resets itself after a short idle time. Every order arrives as waiting and a staff member accepts it on the kitchen screen. The guest follows the order's status on the menu page — Thmenu sends no SMS or email. Pickup payment follows your setting: at the counter, or by card before the kitchen starts where you take card payments through Stripe.