Restaurants & Cafes — Online Ordering, Menus, and Table Reservations

Introduction

Answe gives restaurants and cafes a complete digital ordering and reservation system that embeds directly on your website. Customers browse your menu, place orders for dine-in, takeaway, or delivery, and reserve tables — all from one widget.

How It Works

Online Ordering

Embed a shopping widget on your website with your full menu:

1. Menu categories — Organize items into Drinks, Mains, Snacks, Desserts
2. Size options — Offer Small, Medium, Large with different prices
3. Browse and search — Customers find what they want quickly
4. Cart — Add multiple items, adjust quantities
5. Ordering mode — Table number, delivery address, or pickup
6. Checkout — Secure card payment with order confirmation

QR-to-Table Ordering

Place a printed QR code on each table. When a guest scans it, the widget opens in their browser pre-tagged with that table's number — no app, no login, no waiter required to take the order:

1. Guest scans the QR at the table
2. Widget opens in the browser showing your menu, tagged to that table
3. Guest adds items to cart and pays by card
4. Order arrives in your staff inbox already labelled with the table number
5. Staff deliver to the table — no POS integration required

Payouts go directly to your Stripe account via Stripe Connect. Answe does not take a cut of the transaction.

Staff Orders App

Every Answe account comes with a free staff app at answe.com/ordersapp. Open the link on any phone or tablet, tap "Add to Home Screen", and it sits on the screen like any downloaded app — no app store, no subscription, no hardware to buy.

Here is what your team gets:

1. One login per device, all devices in sync — log in once on the kitchen tablet, the bar phone and the manager's screen. Every device sees the same order queue at the same time.
2. Instant new-order alert — the moment a guest checks out through your website or scans a table QR to order, the app rings a bell and shows a full-screen "New order!" splash. Paid orders ring louder so a confirmed takeaway or table order never gets buried.
3. Full receipt at a glance — tap the order to see every item, modifier (size, extras), the table number from the QR scan and the amount paid.
4. Five-button order lifecycle — Accept, Reject, In progress, Ready, Delivered. Tap once and every device on your account flips to the new status instantly.
5. Active and All tabs — Active shows the live queue with a count so the kitchen always knows how deep the backlog runs. All shows the day's complete history.
6. Pause orders in one tap — the Available / Unavailable switch on the Profile screen closes ordering when the kitchen is slammed or done for the night. Flip it back when you're ready and new orders start flowing again.
7. Reconnects on its own — if the Wi-Fi drops for a moment the app picks back up without your staff having to touch anything.

A €100 used Android tablet on the bar shelf is all the hardware you need to run a fully digital ordering operation.

Table Reservations

Add a booking widget for table reservations:

1. Customer selects a date from the calendar
2. Available time slots shown for that date
3. Customer picks a time and party size
4. Fills in name and contact info
5. Reservation confirmed instantly

Buffer time between reservations ensures staff can prepare.

Menu Display

Show your menu as an interactive, browsable catalog instead of a static PDF. Customers can:

• Filter by category
• See prices and descriptions
• View product images
• Search for specific items

Real-World Scenarios

Pizza restaurant: Customers select pizza size and toppings, specify dine-in table or delivery address, and pay by card.

Cafe: Morning visitors order coffee and pastries for pickup. The widget shows estimated wait time based on the queue.

Fine dining: Guests browse the tasting menu, make a reservation for a specific date and time, and note dietary requirements in the form.

Beer hall / high-volume bistro: Each table has a laminated QR card. Guests scan and browse a visual catalog of drinks and bar food. The widget resolves the table number from the QR link automatically, so every order arrives in the staff inbox tagged "Table 4" or "Table 12". Bartenders fill the order and walk it over — no dedicated waiter per table needed. Payment is collected at order time via card, reducing end-of-night cash handling entirely.

Key Benefits

• No third-party delivery app fees — Direct ordering through your own website
• Table and delivery — Support both dine-in and takeaway
• Real-time availability — No double-booked tables
• Menu management — Update menu items, prices, and availability instantly
• Order history — Track all orders in your inbox
• Mobile-friendly — Customers order from their phones at the table

Getting Started

1. Sign up and create your restaurant profile
2. Use the restaurant template from the gallery
3. Add your menu items with categories and prices
4. Set up table reservations with your hours
5. Embed the widget on your website
6. Open answe.com/ordersapp on your kitchen tablet or staff phone, log in, and add it to the home screen
7. Start receiving orders and reservations — the bell rings on the staff app the moment a guest checks out

Related

• Online Store — Set up your menu
• Reservations & Booking — Table bookings
• Payments — Accept card payments
• Availability Calendar — Set restaurant hours