In a restaurant with table service, the route between guest, kitchen and Sales Point decides the pace of service. With handhelds, staff book directly at the table, the order reaches kitchen and bar in seconds, and payment is taken at the table too. This guide shows how to set up dining rooms, tables, devices and the ticket flow in bessa.
The recommended setup
|
Building block |
Recommendation |
|---|---|
|
Main Sales Point |
A stationary device at the counter or bar; it holds the tables and handles the Sales Point closing |
|
Handhelds |
One Sub-Terminal per server, optionally with a built-in printer for the invoice at the table |
|
Areas and tables |
One area per dining room, terrace or garden, with its tables |
|
Printing groups |
"Kitchen" and "Bar", more stations as needed |
|
Order monitor |
Optional for the kitchen when paper tickets are no longer enough |
Device selection is covered in Choosing the right hardware, the route of orders to kitchen and bar in Plan the order flow.
Step 1: Create dining rooms and tables
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In the bessa Manager, under Locations → Areas, create one area of type Room per dining room, e.g. "Dining room", "Terrace", "Garden".
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Under Locations → Order groups, create the tables, each of type Table with a number and an area.
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Under Arrange order groups, place the tables the way they stand in the room. Staff then find each table on the device where they see it in the restaurant.
Details in Areas & Order Groups. On the Sales Point, the areas are called Rooms.
Use the table numbers that are on the tables. With the magnifying glass in the tables view, staff find every table by number, even in another room.
Step 2: Connect handhelds as Sub-Terminals
All devices in service run as Sub-Terminals of the same Main Sales Point. Only then do they all see the same tables and open amounts. The quickest way to sign in a new handheld is Quick Connect via QR code. Details and network requirements in Wireless ordering on Sub-Terminals.
A handheld without its own printer is fully usable: printer roles left empty on the Sub-Terminal are taken over by the Main Sales Point.
Step 3: Assign tables to waiters (optional)
With user-table binding, a table belongs to the waiter who books on it first until it is paid. Colleagues cannot serve the table in the meantime; with the right permission the binding can be released, e.g. at a shift change. For regulars' tables you can store a fixed user. Setup in User-table binding.
This makes sense with sections where each waiter takes payment for their own tables. If everyone works all tables, leave the binding off.
Step 4: Kitchen, bar and courses
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Printing groups route food to the kitchen and drinks to the bar, see Plan the order flow.
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A different printer for the terrace: an override per area sends the terrace's drinks to the outdoor bar, see Manage Sales Point printer settings.
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Courses: with course groups, starter, main course and dessert appear separately on the ticket and the order monitor. With the course request, service releases the next course only when the table is ready.
During service
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Order: choose the table, book the articles, send with Order. Kitchen and bar receive their tickets.
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Several guests, separate bills: keep sub-groups at the table for guests who pay separately, e.g. "Table 12/02", or split when paying, see Split the bill.
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Change tables: if a party moves, move the articles to the new table with Transfer. The old table closes automatically once everything has been moved.
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Take payment: Pay in the table detail, choose quantities, choose the payment method. With Print invoice preview in the options menu you bring the guest an interim bill.
Operating the device is described in Tables.
At the end of the shift
Each waiter prints their settlement via Reporting → Reports with the report type Users. How to settle cash turnover and tips is covered in Staff in daily operation. Before the Sales Point closing, the Sales Point points out open tables and orders; close them first.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if the Wi-Fi in the garden drops out briefly? Sub-Terminals need the connection to the Main Sales Point on the local network. Plan Wi-Fi coverage for every area where orders are booked, see Choosing the right hardware.
Can two waiters book on the same table at the same time? Without user-table binding, yes. With binding, only the table's owner serves it.
Do I need a module for tables? Yes, table management must be enabled for your Sales Point. Ask bessa or your POS dealer.