Mobile Waiter – Overview

Mobile Waiter is Vendion's solution for staff-on-the-floor – servers taking orders at the table instead of walking back to the register. The view is optimized for tablets (iPad mini, Galaxy Tab) or larger phones and lives at /staff/waiter.

When is mobile waiter a fit?

• À la carte restaurants where the server stays at the table
• Outdoor seating far from the register
• Large rooms where "running to the register" eats time
• Fine dining where guests expect the order to be entered right at the table
• Events / pop-ups without fixed POS terminals

Open the app

1. Sign in on a tablet or phone
2. Go to Waiter in the menu (or type /staff/waiter)
3. Pick a workstation (e.g. "Tablet Anna")
4. Server identifies with PIN

The floor plan

The whole view revolves around the floor plan:

• Color-coded status per table:
  • Green – available or seated booking
  • Yellow – booking within 60 min
  • Teal – active order (occupied)
  • Red – waiting / delayed / no-show
• Sections as tabs: Main hall, Terrace, Bar, Lounge
• Each table shows: number, seats, guest name (if linked), booking info, active order total

What you can do from the waiter view

Real-time & sync

• Real-time sync means orders you take on the tablet appear instantly on KDS, on other servers' tablets, and in the register
• If two servers open the same table at once → a lock badge shows who's currently active on the table
• On network loss the app switches to offline cache for the next 10 min – syncs when the network returns

What's not available (March 2026)

Some features are in the full POS but not yet in the mobile view:

• Detailed cash management (cash in/out)
• Z-report generation (must be done from POS)
• Manual control box tests
• Split payment (can be started but finished in POS)

These are deliberate choices – the mobile view is optimized for order taking, not register operations. Shift manager handles the register side in the stationary POS at end of day.

Hardware recommendations

• iPad mini (6th gen or later) – best size/battery balance
• Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ – Android option
• Tablet case with strap – servers can wear it around the neck
• Extra power bank – for long shifts (lunch + dinner = 10+ hours)
• Hydrogel screen protector – handles splashes from glasses and wine

Training

New staff are usually up and running in ~30 min:

1. Demo how to open a table and add an item (5 min)
2. Take a real order from A to B with support (15 min)
3. Practice guest linking and notes (10 min)

Tip: Let seniors shadow new staff at first – the mobile view is intuitive but tiny habits (e.g. double-tap for quick selection) are learned best by observation.

Status

This feature is under active development – the backbone (floor plan, order taking, table management) has been live since February 2026, but more features are planned: tip split view, corporate invoicing at the table, and richer booking integration. See Vendion's release plan for the latest status.