QR table ordering: the table orders, the kitchen prints

What happens between scanning the code and kitchen printing?

Each table has its own QR code: the guest's phone opens the storefront, their submitted order enters the branch queue, and the kitchen printer produces a ticket with the table number. No app download is needed. Nexara supports an Arabic and English storefront, with configured product modifiers guests can select before ordering.

1. The guest scans the code assigned to their table and opens the menu.
2. They choose items and any configured modifiers, such as extras or preparation choices.
3. They submit the order through the storefront.
4. The table order enters the branch's live order queue, alongside orders from its other connected channels.
5. The configured kitchen printer produces a ticket with the table number.

The table reference stays with the order, so staff can check the submitted choices without retyping them. When a guest asks about a dish they ordered, staff can find the order on the branch board and read its modifiers. The printed table number tells the team where the food belongs.

How is a QR menu with ordering different from a PDF menu?

A QR menu with ordering lets guests choose dishes and submit a table-linked order to the kitchen; a PDF only lets them read the menu. A PDF is the simpler choice if staff will continue taking every order. Nexara's table link opens an ordering storefront connected to the branch queue.

Nexara's catalogue supports menu channels, so you can control which menu appears on which channel. Open the dine-in menu on a phone and check that the intended dishes appear with their correct modifiers. The one menu across ordering channels guide explains the shared catalogue.

What must be enabled before you put QR cards on tables?

Prepare table assignments and a published dine-in menu before putting cards on the floor. The branch also needs configured printing and staff accounts assigned to it. Use the checklist below to follow a guest's order all the way to the printed ticket and payment.

1. Confirm the branch's plan access and dine-in setting before generating table cards.
2. Set up the tables in Tables & QR Codes. Generate each table's code and print its card.
3. Prepare the dine-in menu. Check Arabic names, prices, modifiers and branch availability.
4. Set up Nexara Printing on the branch computer. Windows is the primary supported system; macOS and Linux are also available. Connect your USB or network thermal printer.
5. Assign kitchen categories and a ticket template to the printer. Growth includes 1 printer; Pro supports unlimited printers.
6. From each card's assigned seat, scan the code and submit an order with an Arabic modifier. Compare the table number and selected items on the branch board and printed ticket with the phone order. Confirm that the Arabic text is readable and each item reaches its assigned printer. Check access over both guest Wi-Fi and mobile data.
7. Have a waiter and cashier use their assigned branch accounts to open the test bill, check the claimed items and record the payment each collects. Practise both table collection and counter payment.

Keep the accepted test tickets beside your setup notes so staff can see what a correct order looks like. Before service, check that the branch computer is connected and the printer has paper. Nexara uses standard ESC/POS thermal printers, so confirm the exact model and connection rather than relying on the brand name alone.

What prints when a table orders 6 items?

The numbers below are an illustrative example, not a client's actual figures. At table 6, Lina and Omar submit one order containing 6 items. For this test, a single kitchen printer has both food and drink categories enabled.

The ticket should show table 6 and all 6 items, including the no-garlic modifier. Nexara prints Arabic item and modifier names on supported thermal printers without built-in Arabic fonts. English can appear on the same ticket.

With separate kitchen and bar printers within the plan allowance, category routing sends food to the kitchen and drinks to the bar. Check each printer's enabled categories before resubmitting an apparently missing item.

Lina and Omar claim the items shown in the table, assigning the shared hummus to Lina and the fries to Omar. Each dish has a payer before staff collect payment.

Can guests split the bill, and how do they pay?

Guests split a shared dine-in bill by claiming individual items, with a tip included where applicable. Cash claims hold for 45 minutes. For dine-in checkout, online card payment is hidden to prevent double payment of a shared bill, so guests pay staff at the table or use pay-at-counter checkout.

Waiter, cashier and branch-manager payment permissions apply only to their assigned branch. In the example, the cashier opens the bill and checks Lina's claimed items separately from Omar's rather than dividing the total equally. The staff member collecting each payment records it using their assigned account. Agree who collects at the table and who serves guests paying at the counter.

Nexara handles orders and operations beside the till. At close, the cashier records the day's net sale for reconciliation. Before closing, have the cashier review the table payments recorded during service and investigate any bill that staff believe was paid but still needs attention.

What should staff still do during service?

Staff still answer menu questions and handle payment. Assign someone to watch Nexara's waiter Service Board and decide who checks the branch's live order queue. A guest can send an order from a phone, but someone on the floor still needs to respond when they need help.

• Keep a staff-assisted ordering option for guests without a working phone or connection.
• Keep QR cards with their assigned tables when rearranging the dining room.
• Refer allergy or ingredient questions to the responsible staff member.
• Update branch availability when a dish sells out, then check the guest-facing menu.

If a printer stops answering, the order stays on the board and its ticket waits in the print queue. Staff can redirect its categories from the dashboard, or use automatic failover where a backup printer is configured. Waiting tickets print once when printing resumes.

The kitchen printing engine deep dive explains routing and recovery. Nexara's restaurant ordering and operations features also cover the Service Board and branch availability controls.