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QR menus and WhatsApp orders for restaurants and cafés: what actually helps

A practical look at table QR ordering, takeaway and delivery on WhatsApp, kitchen screens and one bill per table, for small restaurants and cafés.

2 min read

On this page
  1. A menu people can read on a phone
  2. Orders that go straight to the kitchen
  3. One bill per table
  4. Stop prank orders
  5. Takeaway and delivery on WhatsApp
  6. How Agent24 does it
  7. Where to start

QR menus became common for a while and then many restaurants went back to paper. Usually not because QR codes are bad, but because the menu behind the code was a blurry PDF that didn't take orders.

A QR menu helps when it does three things: shows a clear menu with photos, takes the order straight to the kitchen, and keeps one bill for the table.

A menu people can read on a phone

  • Categories that match how people think: starters, mains, drinks, desserts.
  • Photos for the dishes people ask about.
  • Veg marks, spice levels, sizes and add-ons, so guests don't need to call a waiter to ask.
  • Sold out with one tap, so nobody orders what you can't make.
  • Serving times: breakfast only in the morning, the bar menu only in the evening.

Orders that go straight to the kitchen

When a guest orders from the table, the order should show up where it's cooked. Kitchen screens (any old phone or tablet works) show tickets by station, and a waiter screen shows what's ready to serve. Receipt printers can print tickets automatically.

One bill per table

Several people at one table order at different times. All of it should land on one bill, with an optional service charge and tip, and guests should be able to split it and pay online or at the counter.

Stop prank orders

The fair worry with table QR codes is someone ordering from home. Simple safeguards work:

  • The first order of a table waits for a waiter to accept it.
  • Orders can be limited to your restaurant's network.
  • Live table codes that change, and join codes for a group.

Takeaway and delivery on WhatsApp

Regulars don't want to install an app. They message you. An AI agent on WhatsApp can show the menu, find "something not too spicy for kids", take a takeaway or delivery order, and send a message when it's ready. The same menu powers the table QR, your website and WhatsApp, so prices are never out of date in one place.

How Agent24 does it

Agent24's Restaurant module has all of the above: menu with photos and add-ons, tables and printed QR codes, one bill per table, kitchen and waiter screens paired with a code, takeaway and delivery from your link or WhatsApp, and online payment through your own Razorpay or Stripe account. See Restaurant menu, tables and QR ordering.

Where to start

  1. Put your menu in with photos for your best sellers.
  2. Print QR codes for two or three tables and try it on a quiet afternoon.
  3. Add a kitchen screen.
  4. Share your takeaway link on Instagram and Google Maps.

Small steps, each useful on its own.

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