Tablet ordering systems for restaurants

Two things people mean by tablet ordering

"Tablet ordering" covers two different set-ups, and it helps to know which one you are shopping for.

The first is a tablet in the kitchen or at the pass that receives orders. Customers order on your website, in your app or from a QR code at the table, and the order lands on the tablet for staff to accept, cook and send out.

The second is a tablet that guests order from: fixed tablets on each table, or a tablet at the counter that customers tap through themselves. That needs one device per table or lane, plus mounts, charging and cleaning.

Chefzi is the first kind. For dine-in, guests order from their own phones by scanning a QR code at the table, so you do not need a tablet on every table.

How orders flow

1. A customer orders on your Chefzi website, your branded Android app (Pro plan) or a table QR code.
2. The order arrives in the Chefzi Orders app on your tablet.
3. The app rings until someone accepts with a prep time or rejects with a reason the customer can see.
4. The ticket prints if you have paired a printer, and can also show on the kitchen display system.
5. If you reject an order, the customer sees the reason you gave.

One tablet instead of three

If you sell on Just Eat, Deliveroo and Uber Eats, each sends orders to its own device or app, so a busy counter can end up with three screens. Chefzi does not take marketplace orders into its app; it handles the orders placed on your own channels. What it does is put your own website, app and table orders on one device, so the orders you keep commission-free are all in one place.

Choosing a tablet for restaurant orders

There is no single right model. Look for these things instead:

• A loud speaker. The alert has to be heard over the extractor, the fryer and the radio.
• An 8 to 10 inch screen. Big enough to read an order with options at arm's length, small enough to fit the pass.
• A safe spot. Mount it away from heat, steam and grease, where whoever is on the pass can see it.
• Always-on power. Keep it on charge through service so it never dies mid-rush.
• A reliable connection. Test with an order sent from a phone on mobile data, not the shop Wi-Fi, and watch it land and ring.
• A case that wipes clean. Kitchens are messy.
• Android. The Chefzi Orders app is on Google Play today; the iOS app is coming soon.

Printing kitchen tickets

Many kitchens still want paper. Pair a Bluetooth thermal printer with the Android device and each accepted order prints; 58mm and 80mm rolls are the common sizes. Chefzi does not sell printers, so we test your model on the setup call before you rely on it. If you also use the browser-based Chefzi till or kitchen screen, they print to ESC/POS printers over Bluetooth or USB. Every order also produces a PDF receipt.

What it costs

Starter £9, Plus £19 and Pro £39 a month per location, billed annually (or £12, £22 and £49 monthly), ex VAT. The Chefzi Orders app comes with every plan. The first month is free, you do not need a card to start, there is no setup fee and there is no commission on any order. See Chefzi pricing for what each plan includes.

Setup checklist

1. Pick the device you will keep at the pass and install the Chefzi Orders app from Google Play.
2. Turn the volume up and test the ring with the extractor running.
3. Pair and test your printer, if you use one.
4. Put the device on permanent charge and a reliable connection.
5. Send a test order from a phone on mobile data and accept it.
6. Show every member of staff how to accept, reject and pause ordering.

For the story of why a missed order costs so much, read a kitchen tablet that rings until you answer.