QR ordering for cafes works like this: a card on the table, a scan, your menu on the customer's phone, an order with the table number on it, payment by UPI, and a "served" tick when the plate lands. No app, no one standing with a notepad, and no second-round order lost because nobody came back to the table. For a cafe with one or two people on the floor and customers who sit for an hour, it is the feature that pays for itself fastest.
This post walks a single table through the four steps, works out what it saves on an ordinary weekday afternoon, shows what the setup looks like, and answers the questions cafe owners ask before switching: what about people who will not scan, how a shared table splits the bill, and whether the kitchen still gets a ticket.
Why cafe tables are the best fit for QR ordering
A cafe differs from a restaurant in two ways that matter here. Customers stay longer, and they order in rounds: a coffee first, a sandwich at 1 pm, another coffee at 2. In a traditional setup each round needs a staff member to notice a raised hand, walk over, take the order and walk back. On a weekday afternoon with one person on the floor and one on the machine, the second and third rounds are where orders go missing.
The second difference is the customer. People who work from a cafe already have their phone on the table. Scanning a code and tapping "one more flat white" is less effort than catching someone's eye, and it does not interrupt their call. The general case for table ordering, including where it does not fit, is in QR code ordering for dine-in; cafes sit firmly on the side where it fits.
Scan, order, pay, served: one table walked through
Scan
Table 4 has a small printed card with a QR code and the words "Scan to order, pay at your seat". The customer opens the phone camera, scans, and your menu opens in the browser at dine-in prices. Nothing to install. The table number is already attached because each table's code is its own.
Order
They pick a cappuccino and a grilled sandwich, choose oat milk as an add-on, and confirm. The order appears on your dashboard and staff app with "Table 4" on it, and a KOT prints at the counter if you have a printer. The person on the machine starts the coffee without anyone having walked anywhere.
Pay
At checkout the customer paid by UPI, so the order is already settled. If you prefer, you can let dine-in customers pay at the counter instead, and the order shows as unpaid until the cashier marks it. For a cafe, pay-at-seat is the better default: it removes the queue at the counter at 1 pm and the awkward "who had the second coffee?" moment.
Served
The counter marks the order preparing, then ready; whoever carries it over marks it served. An hour later the same customer scans again for a second coffee, and that order carries the same table number. The status flow for dine-in, and how it differs from delivery, is covered in dine-in served status and table numbers.
What it saves on a weekday afternoon
Take a 12-table cafe with one floor staff and one person on the coffee machine from 11 am to 5 pm. Say 40 orders come through in that window, and a third of them are second or third rounds.
| Measure | Notepad and counter | QR at the table |
|---|---|---|
| Staff trips per order | 2 (take order, deliver) | 1 (deliver) |
| Second-round orders missed | Some, when the floor is busy | None; the customer places it |
| Counter queue at 1 pm | Yes, for ordering and paying | No; both happen at the table |
| Order errors | Verbal relay, handwriting | Customer typed it; kitchen reads it |
| Cost per order | Staff time | ₹10 per order on Tezzu, zero commission |
The rupee side is simple. If QR ordering recovers three second-round orders a day at ₹180 each, that is ₹540 a day and roughly ₹14,000 a month from customers who were already sitting in your cafe. Against that, 40 orders a day at ₹10 is ₹400 a day, the price of one of those recovered orders. The staffing effect is harder to put a number on but easy to feel: one person can cover 12 tables when their only job is carrying plates.
What this looks like on Tezzu
On Tezzu, dine-in is a switch in the store settings. Turn it on, decide whether a table number is required (for a cafe with numbered tables, yes), and set dine-in prices on any item that differs from your delivery price. Then generate the table QR codes from the dashboard, one per table, print them, and put them in stands or under the glass.
When a customer scans, the store page opens in dine-in mode with the table number already set. They order from the same menu you use for WhatsApp and delivery, with variants and add-ons, and pay by UPI or card through Razorpay, or choose to pay at the counter if you allow it. The order appears in the dashboard under the dine-in tab with the table number on it, the staff app rings on every phone that has it, and the KOT prints on your thermal printer.
Staff move the order through preparing, ready and served from the app. Served is the status that matters for a cafe: it closes the loop on each round, so at 3 pm you can look at the dashboard and see that table 4 has had three orders, all served and all paid. A customer who wants a bill gets a GST bill from the same order.
The same WhatsApp number and store page carry your takeaway and delivery orders, so a regular who works from table 4 on Tuesdays can order the same sandwich to their office on Wednesday; the takeaway side is covered in cafe online ordering without apps. The detailed dine-in setup, including pricing and who marks an order served, is in dine-in with Tezzu, and the full list of features is on the features page.
Put a QR code on every table this week
Turn on dine-in, print the table codes, and let customers order and pay from their seat. Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial, then ₹10 per order and no commission.
Start your free 7-day trialSetting it up in one afternoon
- Menu first. If your menu is already built for WhatsApp or delivery, there is nothing to add. Check that milk alternatives, syrups and extra shots are add-ons so customers can pick them.
- Dine-in prices. Decide which items are cheaper at the table. Many cafes keep the same price and skip this step.
- Print the codes. One per table, on card, laminated, with two words of instruction. What makes a table card work is covered in the QR code menu setup guide.
- Staff app on the counter phone. Install it, log in with the counter role, turn the volume up, and test with one order from table 1.
- Printer, if you use one. Connect the thermal printer and print a test KOT.
Then run it for a week with the notepad still in your pocket. By the third day it tends to stay there.
Questions cafe owners ask before switching
What about customers who will not scan? Take their order the old way and enter it on the staff app or dashboard with the table number. It lands in the same list. Older regulars often switch after watching the table next to them do it.
How does a shared table split the bill? Each person scans and orders for themselves, and each order is its own payment. That is the simplest split there is, and it suits the work-from-cafe crowd, who are often strangers sharing a table.
Does the kitchen still get a ticket? Yes. The KOT prints for every dine-in order the same as for delivery, with the table number on it.
Can a customer order a second round without scanning again? They can scan again in a second; it is the same card. Each round is a separate order with the same table number, which also keeps the kitchen tickets short.
Frequently asked questions
How does QR ordering for cafes work?
Each table gets its own QR code. A customer scans it with the phone camera, your menu opens in the browser with the table number attached, and they order and pay by UPI from their seat. The order goes to your counter and kitchen with the table number, and staff mark it served when it reaches the table. Customers install nothing; the only app is the one your staff use.
Do customers need to download an app to order from a QR code?
No. The code opens a web page in the phone's browser, and payment is by UPI or card on that page. The only app involved is the staff app your counter uses to see orders, and even that is optional if you prefer the dashboard on a laptop or tablet.
Can customers pay at the counter instead of online?
Yes, if you allow it. The order then shows as unpaid until the cashier marks it paid. Most cafes default to paying at the table because it removes the counter queue, and keep counter payment for customers who prefer cash.
What does QR table ordering cost a cafe?
On Tezzu it is included in every plan, from ₹999 a month, with a flat ₹10 per order and no commission. The only other costs are printing the table cards and, if you want kitchen tickets on paper rather than on a screen, a thermal printer.