How to set up QR table ordering for a café or restaurant

1. Get the branch ready for dine-in ordering

Begin with the branch where guests will use the codes. Nexara needs dine-in enabled for that branch before table QR ordering is available. The outcome you need is a branch ready to accept orders from seated guests. If the setting needs checking, use assisted setup on WhatsApp with Issa Al-Dalu.

Nexara has a free plan plus paid plans per branch in Jordanian dinar, with current rates on request. QR dine-in starts on Growth. Describe where food and drinks are prepared so the setup matches your service.

Nexara sits beside the till as the order and operations layer. Table orders join the branch’s order board, and staff use the waiter Service Board for dine-in service. Decide who watches incoming orders and who collects payment before putting cards on occupied tables. Read the Nexara features overview for the wider order flow.

2. Prepare the menu and match codes to tables

Nexara’s Products & Menus supports categories, products and modifiers, with availability controlled per branch. Review the menu a seated guest should see. A café should check that drink sizes and extras are understandable on a phone, that unavailable items are marked accordingly, and that Arabic and English content reads clearly.

During setup, confirm the menu intended for dine-in and the table numbering used by your floor team. Nexara’s Tables & QR Codes provides table QR generation and printable cards; the kitchen ticket carries the table number.

1. Write down the table numbers staff actually use, including outdoor seating if it belongs to the same branch.
2. Review item names, prices, modifier choices, and Arabic and English wording in the guest menu.
3. Prepare the table QR codes, then check each code against its intended table.

Keep table names consistent between the floor and the ticket. If staff call a table by a nickname, agree which number they will use when serving QR orders. The broader QR dine-in ordering guide explains the service flow around the table.

3. Generate, print and place the table QR cards

Use Nexara’s generated, printable QR cards for the tables prepared during setup. The result should be a card whose scan opens the ordering experience associated with the intended table.

Check a printed sample at the actual table before producing the full set. Glare from a cover and the position of a card can make scanning awkward. Test from a seated position under your usual lighting, then choose a holder that keeps the code visible and easy to clean.

Add a short instruction beside the card, such as “Scan to order. Ask your waiter for help.” Tell guests where to pay using wording that matches your service. Keep spare cards organised by table so a damaged card is replaced with the correct one.

4. Follow a guest order through to the kitchen

The guest scans the table code and orders from their phone. Nexara places the order on the branch’s order board, and the kitchen ticket prints with the table number. That number connects what the cook prepares to where the waiter takes it.

Place a test order with a modifier your kitchen uses, then read the physical ticket. Check the item, modifier and table number together. Arabic and English can appear on the same ticket.

For a café with separate preparation areas, each printer prints the product categories switched on for it. Match those categories to the kitchen or drinks station, then test that staff receive the tickets they need.

Use the thermal printer setup guide when preparing the printer connection. Orders can keep arriving in the cloud while the branch connection is down, and printing catches up when it returns; the order board itself needs a connection. If a printer stops, the ticket waits in a queue, and you can re-route its categories from the dashboard or use automatic failover to a configured backup printer.

5. Agree how guests pay and split the bill

Nexara supports pay at the table for a dine-in tab and pay at the counter for dine-in. Choose the service routine your staff will explain to guests. Online card payment is hidden for dine-in to avoid double payment on a shared bill.

Shared bills can be split by guests claiming their items, plus a tip. Cash claims hold for 45 minutes. Practise the split-bill flow with staff so they understand which items each guest has claimed and how payment is handled before trying it during a busy service.

Waiter, cashier and branch manager payment permissions are tied to their own branch. Check that the people handling table payments are assigned correctly. Then rehearse the handover between waiter and cashier using the payment route you intend guests to follow.

Keep the explanation at the table short: scan, choose your items, submit the order, then pay through the agreed service routine. If a guest needs help using their phone, staff should know who will assist.

6. Run a service check before opening QR ordering

A successful scan is the start of the check. Nexara connects table ordering to the branch board, printing and shared-bill handling, so walk through the full service with the people who will operate it.

1. Scan each table card in place and confirm the intended menu opens.
2. Submit a test order and check its table number on the printed kitchen ticket.
3. Have the waiter follow the order through the branch’s service routine.
4. Complete a payment walkthrough, including guests claiming separate items.
5. Confirm staff know who to contact if a card, ticket or payment needs attention.

For your branch’s setup, contact Nexara through the WhatsApp step below. Share your table layout and printer model so the branch setup can be checked, and explain whether guests will pay at the table or counter. Issa Al-Dalu, founder of Nexara at nexaratech.io, answers in Arabic or English during Amman hours.