At the bar, guests order throughout the evening and pay only when they leave. On top of that there are times with their own prices, such as happy hour. This guide shows how to run open tabs safely and have promotional prices apply automatically at the right time.
Open tabs at the bar
bessa has no dedicated tab feature. Two proven ways model the tab:
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Tab as an order group |
Tab on a customer account |
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Suited for |
Walk-in guests on one evening |
Regulars who run a tab over several days |
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Principle |
Numbered "tabs" like tables, the guest gets the number |
Orders collect on the customer and are settled together later |
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Requirement |
Table management |
Customer tabs and customer management modules |
Don't use parking orders for tabs. Parked orders are meant for short interruptions and are lost when the app restarts, see Park an order.
Tab as an order group
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In the bessa Manager, under Locations → Areas, create an area "Bar".
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In it, under Locations → Order groups, create numbered order groups of type Table, e.g. "Tab 1" to "Tab 40". Plan more numbers than you need on a busy evening.
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Give the guest a token or a coaster with the number when they first order.
In operation, book each round on the guest's tab. With the magnifying glass in the tables view every tab is found by number immediately, and Open tables lists all tabs still open. When the guest leaves, take payment for the tab like a table, split if needed, see Split the bill. Details in Areas & Order Groups and Tables.
Tab on a customer account
For regulars who run a tab, book the order with the linked customer on the Account payment method (customer tab). It appears under Open orders and is paid later as a whole, with one invoice for everything. Details in Customer tabs.
The same works for a company whose employees eat with you regularly or that holds a party with you: you book the table onto the company's account and issue one invoice at the end of the month, see Company account with a collective invoice for employees.
Happy hour
In bessa, a happy hour is a pricing level with time control. The Sales Point switches to the promotional prices automatically at the set time and back again afterwards, without staff having to do anything.
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Under Article management → Pricing levels, create a pricing level "Happy hour" with the consumption type In-house.
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On the promotional articles, e.g. all cocktails, enter the happy hour price for this pricing level. With many articles, importing into the pricing level is quickest.
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Enable the pricing level on the Sales Point on the Display tab and set Weekdays and Time range, e.g. Monday to Friday, 5:00 to 7:00 PM.
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If Sub-Terminals at the bar have their own pricing levels, enable the happy hour there as well. Sub-Terminals without their own pricing levels use those of the Main Sales Point.
Articles without a happy hour price cost the normal price during this time. Details and more examples in Set up pricing levels for the Sales Point.
Time ranges past midnight, e.g. a late-night promotion from 11:00 PM to 1:00 AM, require bessa Kassa 6.0.7 or later.
Discount instead of a pricing level: if the promotion should not apply automatically but only on request, e.g. "second cocktail −50 %", put a function key with a discount group on the order screen, see Displays and Apply discounts.
Cocktails with variants
Premium spirit, double shot or alcohol-free version: model surcharges with article options instead of creating each variant as its own article. The bar sees the chosen option on the ticket.
Frequently asked questions
A guest lost their tab number. How do I find their tab? Open Open tables: it lists every open tab with its amount, and the table detail shows the drinks booked.
Why doesn't the happy hour price apply on one device? The device is a Sub-Terminal with its own pricing levels on which the happy hour is not enabled. Enable it there or remove the Sub-Terminal's own pricing levels.