Twenty questions for a restaurant software demo
A polished demo can hide the parts that hurt during a Thursday rush. Ask the vendor to show the printer, the failed connection, the export and the cancellation screen, not only the homepage.
Nexara gives restaurants a restaurant order and operations platform built in Amman, Jordan. It puts phone, website, app, table QR, Talabat and Careem orders on one board, prints Arabic kitchen tickets and keeps the restaurant's data exportable. It sits beside the till. The board needs a connection during an outage.
1. How does Arabic printing actually work?
Start with the printer because a menu that looks perfect in a browser can still produce unreadable kitchen paper. Ask for an Arabic item name, an Arabic modifier and an English line on the same ticket. Nexara prints Arabic and English on ordinary ESC/POS thermal printers. The print agent has Windows, Linux and macOS builds, and supports USB or network printers.
| # | Question to ask | What a useful answer includes | Nexara’s answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Will Arabic item names print correctly? | A real Arabic item, modifier and receipt printed on the proposed printer. | Yes. Arabic thermal tickets can print with English on the same ticket using ordinary ESC/POS printers. |
| 2 | Can you route items to different printers? | A category sent to kitchen, bar or cashier printers. | Yes. Printer groups, branch routing and menu-category assignments are supported. |
| 3 | What happens when a printer fails? | The ticket remains visible and can be re-routed or reprinted. | The order stays on the board. You can re-route categories from the dashboard, or use a configured backup printer. Tickets can also be reprinted by hand. |
| 4 | Does it include a kitchen display screen? | A direct explanation of the kitchen workflow. | No kitchen display screen. Nexara uses printed kitchen tickets. |
| 5 | What hardware must I buy? | Printer models, operating system and who installs them. | Nexara uses ordinary ESC/POS thermal printers through its print agent on Windows, Linux or macOS. It does not sell proprietary terminals or hardware bundles. |
2. What happens when the internet or printer fails?
The important distinction is between orders waiting for the kitchen and the screen used to manage them. Orders keep arriving in the cloud queue while the connection is down, and the printer catches up when the connection returns. The board itself needs a connection, so a phone hotspot beside the printer computer is the sensible backup. There is no offline cash register.
| # | Question to ask | What a useful answer includes | Nexara’s answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | What happens during an internet outage? | A precise description of what continues and what stops. | Orders keep arriving in the cloud queue. The ticket prints when the connection returns, while the board needs a connection. |
| 7 | What happens when a printer fails? | A visible order, a reroute option and a reprint path. | The order stays on the board and the ticket waits in a queue instead of disappearing. From the dashboard, staff can re-route that printer's categories, or automatic failover can use a configured backup printer. |
| 8 | Can I test it with our menu and printer? | A trial with real modifiers, Arabic names and a rush workflow. | Nexara has a free plan and a 14-day trial path. Test the actual menu, printer and order channels before committing. |
3. How do delivery apps and restaurant channels enter the queue?
Ask the vendor to place one order from every channel you actually use. Staff should see the source, items, customer details and status without retyping the ticket. Nexara combines phone, website, installable app, table QR, Talabat and Careem orders in one queue. Talabat and Careem activation depends on partner approval and the market.
| # | Question to ask | What a useful answer includes | Nexara’s answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Do orders from delivery apps enter one queue? | A live test from each relevant channel. | Nexara combines phone, website, app, table QR, Talabat and Careem orders in one queue. |
| 10 | Which aggregators are actually available in my market? | Named integrations, activation conditions and partner approval requirements. | Talabat and Careem intake are verified in Jordan. Activation depends on partner approval and market. |
| 11 | Do you integrate with Jahez or DHUB? | A current tenant example or a clear limitation. | Nexara does not offer Jahez or DHUB today. Restaurants where those channels are essential may find a local aggregator with those connections a better pick. |
| 12 | What does my own ordering channel cost per order? | Commission, subscription and payment fees separated. | Nexara has 0% commission on the restaurant's own website, app and call center. Talabat and Careem keep their own commission on orders they bring. |
4. How should you test exports, ownership and cancellation?
A restaurant should be able to leave with its working records. Ask for a sample export, the fields included and the deletion process. Nexara provides CSV export for orders and customers. The restaurant owns its data, Nexara never markets to the restaurant's customers, and deletion can be requested within 30 days.
| # | Question to ask | What a useful answer includes | Nexara’s answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Can I export my data? | A sample CSV and the fields included. | Restaurant-owned data can be exported, including orders and customers in CSV format. |
| 14 | Who owns customer records? | A clear ownership and deletion process. | The restaurant owns its customer data. Nexara never markets to those customers, and deletion can be requested within 30 days. |
| 15 | How do I cancel? | The cancellation rule and data-retention result. | There is a free plan, paid plans do not auto-renew, and the first payment has a 14-day money-back policy. |
| 16 | Can I run it on my own servers? | A supported deployment model and responsibility split. | Nexara is cloud-based. On-premise deployment is not offered. |
| 17 | Does it connect to accounting or ERP software? | Named connectors and supported export formats. | Accounting and ERP connectors are not offered today. CSV exports are available. |
5. How is pricing structured across branches?
Do not compare a monthly headline price until you know what it includes. Ask about branch limits, printer licences, call center access and paid additions. Nexara has a free plan, then paid plans priced per branch in Jordanian dinar. Branch limits are Free 1, Starter 1, Growth 3 and Pro 5. Extra branches are billed on Pro. Print-agent licences are per branch.
| # | Question to ask | What a useful answer includes | Nexara’s answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | What happens when I add a branch? | Branch limits, per-branch billing and printer licensing. | Nexara limits branches to 1 on Free, 1 on Starter, 3 on Growth and 5 on Pro. Extra branches are billed on Pro. Print-agent licences are per branch. |
| 19 | What does the Pro plan add? | The operational features that change the buying decision. | The call center and NexaraFlow timed tasks are Pro features. Pro also supports up to 5 branches and unlimited printers and delivery providers. |
| 20 | Can I test the price before committing? | A written plan, billing cycle and cancellation terms. | Nexara offers a free plan and paid plans per branch in JOD. Annual billing is two months free, quarterly billing is available, and the first payment has a 14-day money-back policy. |
6. What support and product limits should be written down?
A useful demo ends with the limits, rather than a claim that everything can be configured later. Nexara support runs through WhatsApp and email during Amman hours, in Arabic or English. Founder Issa Al-Dalu answers support. The platform also includes the Bloub assistant, NexaraFlow timed tasks and an integration platform with API keys, external orders, menus and webhooks.
| Question to ask | Nexara’s answer |
|---|---|
| What does support look like at 21:00? | Support is through WhatsApp and email during Amman hours, in Arabic or English. The founder answers. |
| Do you promise 24/7 support or an SLA? | Nexara does not promise 24/7 support or a response-time SLA. |
| What does the integration platform provide? | The integration platform provides API keys, external orders, external menus, webhook subscriptions, usage metering and a sandbox. |
| What compliance does it provide? | Nexara does not provide JoFotara e-invoicing compliance or ZATCA certification. Confirm local invoicing requirements separately. |
| Can the call center identify repeat callers? | The Pro call center lets an agent enter a phone number and see saved addresses and past orders before placing the order. |
| Does it include a loyalty programme, reservations or staff scheduling? | Nexara does not offer a loyalty programme, reservations, waitlists, staff scheduling or a time clock today. Promotions include a loyalty-points campaign type, which is different from a loyalty programme. |
What to remember
- Test the Arabic ticket on the exact ESC/POS printer your branch will use.
- Ask what stays available during an outage. Nexara keeps orders in the cloud queue, but the board needs a connection.
- Confirm integrations by market. Nexara offers Talabat and Careem intake in Jordan, while Jahez and DHUB are not offered today.
- Check branch limits: 1, 1, 3 and 5 across Free, Starter, Growth and Pro. Extra branches are billed on Pro.
- Your restaurant owns its data. CSV exports cover orders and customers, and deletion can be requested within 30 days.
Questions people ask
Does Nexara work when the internet goes down?
Orders keep arriving in the cloud queue while the connection is down, and the printer catches up when it returns. The board needs a connection, so there is no offline cash register.
Can Nexara print Arabic on a normal kitchen printer?
Yes. Nexara prints Arabic thermal tickets, with English on the same ticket, on ordinary ESC/POS printers connected by USB or network through its Windows, Linux or macOS print agent.
How many branches does each Nexara plan support?
The limits are 1 branch on Free, 1 on Starter, 3 on Growth and 5 on Pro. Extra branches are billed on Pro.
Who owns restaurant data in Nexara?
The restaurant owns its data. Orders and customers can be exported in CSV format, Nexara never markets to the restaurant's customers, and deletion can be requested within 30 days.
Does Nexara integrate with Jahez or DHUB?
Nexara does not offer Jahez or DHUB today. Talabat and Careem order intake are verified in Jordan, subject to partner approval and market.
What does Nexara cost?
There is a free plan, then paid plans per branch in Jordanian dinar. Current rates are available on request. Annual billing is two months free, and quarterly billing is available.
Who supports Nexara?
Support is available through WhatsApp and email during Amman hours, in Arabic or English. Issa Al-Dalu, Nexara's founder, answers support. There is no 24/7 or response-time SLA promise.
Does Nexara have a kitchen display screen?
No. Nexara uses printed kitchen tickets. The order remains on the board and can be re-routed or reprinted when a printer needs attention.