You're hesitant to switch to a digital system for taking orders in the dining room, and the concern is always the same: adding a screen to an operation that's already up and running, only to end up with servers staring at their tablets and a Wi-Fi outage at 9 p.m.
This is a valid concern. If implemented poorly, digital ordering does indeed slow down service. If implemented well, it eliminates two specific sources of friction: the back-and-forth trips to the register and the need to re-enter orders.
This article isn't trying to sell you on the idea. It explains what actually changes in the service process, how much it costs, and the four conditions that must be met for it to work.
This is the most common source of confusion, and it deserves to be clarified before anything else. The term “digital table-side ordering system” actually refers to two different devices that do not serve the same purpose.
The QR code puts the ordering process in the customer’s hands. The customer scans the code, views the menu on their phone, places the order, and pays on their own. The server no longer takes part in the ordering process. This is particularly useful in high-volume brasseries, on outdoor patios that are difficult to staff, or in restaurants with continuous service.
The order pad remains in the server’s hands. It is a mobile device—a ruggedized smartphone or touchscreen terminal—on which the server enters the order at the table, sends it to the kitchen, and processes the payment. The service remains entirely human: what changes is where the order is entered.
For a traditional restaurant where service is based on providing advice, daily specials, and building relationships with regulars, the tablet is the ideal tool. The QR code shifts the focus to customer autonomy, which is not the goal of an establishment where the head waiter describes the dishes.
👉 See also: Digital ordering at the table via QR code, if that's what interests you more.
The rest of this article focuses on the pad.
A ticket book is reassuring because it never breaks down. But it comes at a cost, and the best way to gauge that cost is to time it yourself while using the service.
A server takes the order for table 12. He walks across the room. He jots down the three ribeye steaks with their desired doneness, the flank steak without shallots, and the two pitchers. He heads back.
Time it once: between the trip, any wait if a coworker is already at the register, and re-entering the order, it takes anywhere from 40 seconds to a minute and a half, depending on the complexity of the order and the distance. Multiply that by the number of times a server goes to the register during a service—appetizers, starters, main courses, desserts, and coffee—which rarely amounts to fewer than three trips per table.
With a row of fifteen tables, you can expect each server to take between thirty minutes and an hour to complete a service. Do the math using your own numbers rather than ours: that’s the only way to go.
A cooking instruction noted incorrectly, a crossed-out entry, an allergy forgotten between the notebook and the register: the dish goes back to the kitchen. The cost of ingredients is visible and easy to calculate. The real cost lies elsewhere—the table waits for its re-prepared dish while the rest of the party has already finished, and the service becomes unbalanced for the entire row.
The order pad doesn't notify your server at 1:15 p.m. that there are two salmon steaks left. It doesn't indicate that Table 8 has been waiting for the next course for twenty minutes. And at the end of the shift, you have to recount everything by hand to find out what was sold.
👉 See also: Why Is Digitizing Your Restaurant Essential for Your Customers?
The server confirms the order at the table. The order is automatically routed to the appropriate station: beverages to the bar, appetizers to the cold kitchen, and main courses to the holding counter—either via a printer or a production screen in the kitchen.
It's not just about saving time. Above all, it means no more re-entering orders—and thus no more discrepancies between what the customer ordered and what the kitchen receives.
That’s the part that head waiters appreciate the most. You clear the appetizers, set the table, and the kitchen knows it can send out the main courses. No more need to rush to the pass between courses to shout out the next order.
The dining room regains control of the pace, and the kitchen stops working blindly.
As soon as the last portion is entered, the dish turns gray on all the pads. The server knows before approaching the table that he can no longer offer the sole—instead of having to come back ten minutes later to apologize.
The server writes up the bill, splits the check, applies meal vouchers, and processes card payments without leaving the table. In a restaurant aiming to run a second seating, this is the position where the most time is saved.
This is where the difference lies between a deployment that streamlines the service and one that complicates it. These four points are not recommendations—they are prerequisites.
If the server has to click six times to find a pitcher of water, the tablet is slower than the notebook. This is the number one cause of failed deployments, and it has nothing to do with the hardware.
Organize the menus in your restaurant POS software in the order in which you serve the items, not in the order they appear on the printed menu. And set up automatic prompts: as soon as the server enters a cut of beef, the screen suggests the cooking method, side dish, and sauce. Order entry remains fast, and it’s impossible to forget anything.
This is a configuration task that must be done before commissioning, not after. The good news is that if your pad directly inherits the menu and key layout from your register, you only have to do this once.
If your servers are lining up in front of the single pad on the counter, you’ve recreated the line at the cash register by adding a subscription. Allow one device per server in line, or one for every two if you use runners who don’t take orders.
With paper, the risk was illegible handwriting. With the pad, it’s the opposite: three servers send everything at once the moment a customer picks up their fork, and the kitchen receives ten meters of orders all at once.
Decide before the first course is served which actions trigger what. For example: drinks are served immediately, while appetizers and main courses remain under the head waiter's control.
That’s the question everyone asks, and the answer depends on the type of setup. On a consumer Wi-Fi network shared with customers, an outage stops the service. In a professional setup, a local server installed in the restaurant maintains synchronization between the order pads, the POS system, and the printers even if the router goes down: your orders reach the kitchen, you process payments, and only external services (online orders, back-office reports) wait for the connection to be restored. Some devices even automatically switch to 5G if the Wi-Fi goes down.
Ask your service provider this specific question before signing.
For a control pad, expect to pay between €500 and €600 for hardware per unit, depending on its durability and built-in payment features, plus a monthly subscription fee of €49. In addition, depending on your existing setup, you’ll need to install a dedicated local network if you don’t already have one—this is often the item that gets overlooked in quotes.
Always ask your service provider whether the subscription is charged per device or per location: for a brewery with four brewing pads, this difference can completely change the annual budget.
Don’t switch over the entire dining room all at once—especially not in the middle of peak season. Set up the patio, or just one row, over the course of two or three service periods. That way, you can correct any configuration errors—because there will be some—without putting the entire team under pressure.
Leave the notebooks in the aprons for the first few days. Just knowing they’re there is enough to ease the stress of a busy period. You’ll naturally remove them once the team has developed its new routines.
When it comes to learning curves, there are two key points to consider. Staff can learn how to use the device in just a few minutes, especially if the pad mirrors the menu and key layout of your register: your teams will recognize familiar elements. This is a real advantage when onboarding a part-time or seasonal employee during peak season. On the other hand, adopting the new workflow habits—deciding when to trigger the next steps, pacing service from the dining room—takes a few shifts for the regular staff to get used to. Don’t judge your rollout after just the first shift.
Three guidelines are all it takes, and they’re simple: the server keeps their eyes on the table and enters the order as a secondary task; the paper menu remains available to guests; the tablet handles the technical aspects to free up time for advising guests, not to replace it.
This topic deserves more than just a few lines—we’ve written an entire article on how to digitize service without dehumanizing the customer experience.
A control pad is not an electronic notepad: it is an extension of your cash register and is therefore subject to VAT anti-fraud regulations.
In practical terms, your point-of-sale system must be secure, tamper-proof, and maintained in accordance with tax requirements. Compliance can be demonstrated either by a certificate issued by an accredited body (NF525 or LNE) or by an individual attestation from your software provider—as self-certification has been reinstated by the 2026 Finance Act. In either case, request written proof before signing.
👉 See also: NF525 or LNE: Which certification should you choose for your cash register?
It is a mobile device—a rugged smartphone or touchscreen terminal—connected to your point-of-sale software. The server enters the order at the table, sends it to the kitchen, and can process the payment directly.
The register remains the central system: it stores the card, records transactions, and generates your reports. The pad is a mobile remote control for the register, typically featuring the same menu and keypad layout. It does not replace the register.
It depends entirely on how it's used. A server who takes orders while keeping an eye on the table is more available than before, since they no longer have to leave their station to go to the cash register. A server who looks at their screen while the customer is speaking has the same problem as with a notepad.
In a professional setup with a local server, the pads continue to communicate with the register and kitchen printers even without an Internet connection. This is the technical detail you should verify with your service provider.
One server per server taking orders—that's the option that really eliminates wait times. One for every two may be enough if your runners aren't entering orders.
Yes, with a hybrid terminal capable of running the ordering app and reading credit cards.
Expect to spend between €500 and €800 on equipment per pad and €49 per month for the subscription, plus the potential cost of setting up a dedicated local network.
Digitizing table service isn’t about replacing your servers with screens, but about eliminating the two steps that serve no one: the trip to the register and re-entering the order. The rest—welcoming guests, offering advice, and reading the room—cannot be transferred to a tool, nor should they be.
If you’re planning to set up your room, start by configuring your network card and addressing network-related issues. These two factors determine the success of the deployment, long before you choose any hardware. Our experts can discuss this with you.
