Self-ordering systems for restaurants in the UK

What a restaurant self-ordering system means

A self-ordering system lets the guest put the order in themselves instead of telling a member of staff. The order goes straight to the kitchen with everything the guest chose: the dish, the options, the notes and, if they paid, the payment. Staff time moves from writing orders down to cooking, serving and looking after people.

There are three common ways to do it, and most venues only need one or two of them.

The three types

Self-order kiosks

A kiosk is a large touchscreen in the venue. Guests queue at it instead of at the till, tap through the menu and pay by card. Kiosks suit high-volume counters such as burger chains and food halls, where a queue at the till is the bottleneck. They need floor space, power, a card reader and a support contract, and you need one per lane at peak times.

QR table ordering

Each table gets its own QR code. The guest scans it with the phone camera, the menu opens in the browser, and the order reaches the kitchen tagged with the table number. There is nothing to install and no hardware on the table beyond a printed code. It suits cafés, pubs serving food and venues where guests order in rounds: a second drink, sides, desserts.

Online ordering

The guest orders on your website or app before they arrive, for collection or delivery. This is self-ordering for takeaways, and it is where most commission is saved when regulars move from delivery apps to your own site.

Which suits which venue

• Quick-service counters and food halls: a kiosk can shorten the queue, if you have the space and the volume.
• Cafés, pubs and casual restaurants: QR table ordering, often alongside staff taking the first order.
• Takeaways: online ordering on your own site, with collection and delivery.

Many restaurants mix them. A common pattern is staff for the first order, QR for drinks and second rounds, and online ordering for collection.

Costs and hardware

Kiosks are the hardware-heavy option: a unit, a stand, a card reader and usually a monthly software fee per unit. QR ordering costs the printing of codes plus the software. Online ordering needs no hardware in the dining room at all. In every case, the kitchen needs a way to receive orders. With Chefzi that is the Chefzi Orders app on a phone or tablet you already own, which rings until someone accepts the order.

Upselling with options and add-ons

Self-ordering shows every option to every guest, every time. Use that well: offer sizes, sides and add-ons as choices on the dish, set required options so nothing is missed, and keep descriptions short. Do not overload the menu; a guest who has to scroll past ten add-ons may give up.

Keep a human option

Not every guest has a smartphone or wants to use one. Always let people order from staff, keep the menu text readable and the buttons large, and make sure someone checks on tables that have scanned but not ordered.

How Chefzi does it

Chefzi runs QR table ordering and online ordering for collection and delivery from one menu, so you change a price or mark a dish sold out once. Orders arrive in the Chefzi Orders app, and can also show on the kitchen screen. Guests can order and pay at the table; card payments come with the Plus and Pro plans, and cash is always an option. Chefzi does not offer a self-order kiosk.

Plans are Starter £9, Plus £19 and Pro £39 a month per location, billed annually (or £12, £22 and £49 monthly), ex VAT, with the first month free, no card needed and 0% commission. See Chefzi pricing. For a wider look at taking orders without staff, read our guide to automated ordering systems for UK restaurants.