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What is table ordering?
Table ordering lets diners order from their own phone while seated. Each table has a QR code that opens the venue's menu with the table number built into the link. Diners choose dishes and options, often pay by card on the spot, and the order goes straight to the kitchen marked with their table, so staff bring the food without taking the order.
Table ordering puts the menu and the order pad in the diner's pocket. The small detail that makes it work is the table number carried inside the link, so the kitchen knows where each dish goes.
Indunil Asanka · Co-founder
5 min read · Published
| Question | Table ordering | Counter ordering | Waiter service |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who takes the order | The diner on their phone | Staff at the counter | A waiter at the table |
| When people pay | Usually as they order | As they order | At the end of the meal |
| Staff time per order | Running food only | Taking orders and payment | Taking orders, running food, billing |
| Extra rounds | Easy, from the same page | Another trip to the counter | Wait for a waiter |
| Order mistakes | Few, the diner chooses options | Some, under queue pressure | Some, from memory or notes |
| Best for | Bars, pubs, casual dining | Cafes and quick service | Fine dining and set menus |
What table ordering is
Table ordering, also called scan to order or order at table, replaces the moment a waiter takes the order. A small card or sticker on each table carries a QR code. Scanning it with the phone camera opens a web page, usually the venue's online menu, with the table already filled in. The diner browses sections, opens a dish to choose options such as size, sides or extras, adds it to their order and checks out, typically paying by card or a phone wallet. The order arrives in the kitchen or on a docket printer labelled with the table number, and staff run the food out. Diners can usually order again later from the same page for another round of drinks or dessert. It differs from online ordering for pickup or delivery mainly in that the address and time questions disappear: the table number is the delivery address and the time is now.
How the QR link and table number work
A QR code is just a printed web address. For table ordering, each table's code points to the same menu page with a small addition such as ?table=12 at the end. When the page opens, it reads that number and keeps it for the visit, so checkout sends the order as a table order for table 12 without asking diners to type anything. A printable sheet with one code per table, each labelled with its number, is the usual way to produce them. The menu itself comes from the venue's own data: sections, dishes, prices, options and allergen notes, with a sold out switch the staff can flip during service. Prices must be calculated on the server from those records, never trusted from the diner's phone, otherwise an edited page could order a steak at the price of a side salad. Payment confirmation is what moves an order onto the kitchen's screen.
When it suits a venue
Table ordering works best where diners order in several rounds, such as bars, pubs, beer gardens and casual dining, because each round no longer waits for a staff member to come past. It suits large venues where the floor is hard to cover at peak times, and menus with many options, because diners can take their time and the order arrives exactly as chosen. It is less suited to fine dining, where taking the order is part of the service, and to venues whose regulars are less comfortable with phones; offering both table ordering and ordering from staff keeps everyone served. A common middle path is table ordering for drinks and extra rounds while staff take the first food order, which keeps the welcome personal and still saves the trips that add the least value.
Common mistakes
Printing codes that point to a PDF menu, which looks like table ordering but cannot take an order. Forgetting the table number in each code, so diners have to type it and get it wrong. Codes too small or on glossy laminate that reflects light, so they will not scan. Buttons and text too small to tap accurately on a phone. Listing allergens only in staff knowledge, when diners ordering alone need them on the screen, alongside a note to tell staff about allergies. Not marking dishes sold out quickly, so diners pay for something the kitchen cannot make. Adding a surcharge for card payments without showing it before checkout. And leaving codes in place for months without checking them, when a menu address change or a replaced sticker on one table can quietly break ordering for that table.
Where it shows up in OneCraft
When a restaurant or cafe site is generated with ordering, the AI builds table ordering from its menu guide: the menu page reads a table number from the link, such as /menu?table=12, keeps it for the visit, and checkout sends the order as a table order with no address fields. The admin area gets a printable page with one QR code per table linking to that address, a Sold out switch per dish, and a kitchen board for the orders. Prices come from the site's database, never the browser. Paying at the table uses Stripe Checkout on the owner's connected account; the free plan cannot take payments. In a phone app built with OneCraft the table number comes from a link or a typed number, because apps cannot scan QR codes or use the camera.
Questions people ask
Do diners need to download an app to order at the table?
No. Most table ordering opens a web page in the phone's browser straight from the QR code, which is why it works for walk in diners. A separate app makes sense for venues with loyal regulars who order often, but asking a first time diner to install an app before ordering dinner loses most of them.
What if several people at one table order separately?
That is normal with table ordering. Each person can open the same table link, place their own order and pay for it, and every order arrives tagged with the same table number. The kitchen can group them by table. It also makes splitting the bill unnecessary, which diners usually appreciate.
Can a venue add a card surcharge to table orders?
In Australia, a card surcharge must not exceed what the business pays to accept that card, and it must be shown clearly before payment. Many venues build the cost into menu prices instead, which keeps checkout simple. Check current rules with your payment provider before adding one.
Is table ordering good for older diners?
Some older diners find it easy, others do not. Large text, clear photos, a short checkout and staff who will happily take an order the usual way make the difference. Treat table ordering as an option rather than the only route, and train staff to offer help without making anyone feel slow.
How long do table QR codes last?
The code itself never expires; it is printed text. What breaks is the address behind it if the menu moves, or a sticker that scuffs, fades or peels. Use a stable menu address, print on matte stock, and scan every table's code after any website change to catch a broken one before diners do.
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Written and checked by the OneCraft team. Last checked .