A single QR code tells you an order came from your restaurant. A per-table QR code tells you which table it came from. That one difference removes the walk around the dining room asking who ordered the biryani, and it costs nothing but a sheet of printed codes.
What does a table QR code actually contain?
A short, private identifier — not the table name, and not the table number. That distinction has a practical payoff: renaming "Table 4" to "Window 2" next season leaves every printed and laminated code working exactly as before.
Encoding the name feels simpler right up to the first time you rearrange the floor.
How do I set it up?
- Add your tables and give each a label — and optionally a zone like Terrace or Ground Floor.
- Download the QR sheet and print it. One code per table.
- Fix each code to its table. A small stand or a sticker under laminate both work.
- Orders now arrive with the table already attached.
What happens when a guest does not scan?
Plenty of guests open the menu from a link a friend sent, or scan the code by the entrance. They are asked to type their table number instead, and typed entries are matched back to a real table where the match is unambiguous — so "3", "Table 3" and "#3" all land in the right place.
When it genuinely cannot tell, the order still arrives. It simply arrives without a table link rather than with a guessed one.
Can two areas use different phones?
Yes, and this is where per-table codes earn their keep in bigger venues. Set a zone on each table, map that zone to its own WhatsApp number, and a rooftop bar stops receiving the ground-floor kitchen's orders.
| Table | Zone | Orders go to |
|---|---|---|
| Tables 1-14 | Ground Floor | Kitchen phone |
| Tables 15-22 | Terrace | Rooftop bar phone |
| Anything unzoned | — | Your default number |
Anything you have not configured falls through to the default, so a half-finished setup never loses an order.
Is this worth it for a small restaurant?
If you have four tables and one person running the floor, probably not — you already know who ordered what. The value appears at the point where a plate can reach the pass without anybody being certain where it goes, which is usually somewhere around a dozen tables and two servers.
Frequently asked questions
How do table QR codes work?
Each table gets its own QR code containing a short private identifier. When a guest scans it, their order is automatically tagged with that table, so the order arrives telling you exactly where it should go.
Do I have to reprint QR codes if I rename a table?
No. The code carries a private identifier, not the table name, so renaming "Table 4" to "Window 2" leaves every printed code working. This is the main reason not to encode the name.
What if a guest opens the menu without scanning?
They are asked to type their table number at checkout. Typed entries are matched back to a real table where possible, so "3", "Table 3" and "#3" all resolve correctly.
Can different areas of a restaurant send orders to different phones?
Yes. Set a zone on each table — Terrace, Ground Floor, Garden — and map each zone to its own WhatsApp number, so each kitchen or bar only receives its own orders.