Table management

In table service, the POS is the map of the room. Hosts seat from it, servers order from it, managers watch it to see which tables are slow. A weak floor plan means hosts walk the room to check tables and servers lose track of who ordered what. This guide covers what to look for and how to test it.

The floor plan

• Your real layout. Tables placed as they are in the room, with sections and table numbers, and separate areas for the patio, bar and private rooms.
• Status at a glance. Open, seated, ordered, check printed, paid, needs bussing, shown by color or label, with time seated.
• Sections by server, changeable per shift.
• Moving tables when you push two together for a large party, and splitting them again.

Seats

Seat numbers on each item tell the runner where each plate goes and make splitting by seat possible. Good systems let the server enter seat by seat without slowing down, default the next item to the same seat, and mark shared items (appetizers, bottles of wine) as shared across the table.

Coursing

Coursing lets the server enter the whole order but send each course to the kitchen when the table is ready. It matters most in full-service and fine-dining rooms; see the fine dining guide for course firing in detail. Plan tiers differ: Square, for example, lists "coursing and seat management" among the features of its Premium plan.

Splitting, merging and moving checks

• Split by seat, by item, evenly, or by a dollar amount.
• Merge two tables' checks when parties join.
• Move a check to another table when guests move to the bar or a patio.
• Transfer tables between servers at a shift change, with the history kept.
• Pay at the table on a handheld, with several cards against one check.

Clover, for example, lists table mapping, bill splitting and, on its higher restaurant bundles, tableside ordering and firing on its restaurant pricing page. In the demo, seat a party of six, split their check three ways by seat with one shared bottle, then move one guest's check to the bar.

Reservations and the waitlist

• Reservations shown on the floor plan, so hosts can see which tables are held and for when.
• A waitlist with quoted times and text messages when a table is ready.
• Guest notes (allergies, celebrations, seating preferences) visible when the party is seated.
• A two-way link with your reservation system, if you use a separate one, so seated and paid status flows back.

Turn times and reports

The floor plan records when each table was seated, ordered and paid. That gives you turn times by table size, section and daypart, which is how you decide how many covers you can book and how to set sections. Ask for:

• Average time seated by party size and daypart.
• Covers and sales per server and section.
• Tables that sat longest between order and payment.

A 20-table room turns its tables 2.5 times in a dinner service, with an average party of 3 and an average check of $32 per guest. That is 20 × 2.5 × 3 × $32 = $4,800. Shortening the average table time enough to add half a turn would add 20 × 0.5 × 3 × $32 = $960 a night.

Handhelds

Handhelds let servers order and take payment at the table without walking to a station. Check that the floor plan works on the handheld as well as on terminals, and that Wi-Fi reaches every table. The hardware guide covers handheld options.

What to bring to the demo

1. A drawing of your floor plan with table numbers and sections.
2. A large party with shared items, to split.
3. Your reservation system's name, if you use one.

Then run the general tests in how to choose a restaurant POS.