How QR code table ordering works in a pub or bar

What is QR code table ordering?

QR code table ordering lets a customer order from their seat by scanning a code on the table with their phone camera. The menu opens in the phone's browser, they choose what they want, and the order goes straight to a screen behind the bar. Nobody queues at the bar, and staff spend their time pouring and running drinks instead of taking orders three deep.

With DrinksQR there is no app to download and no account to create. Each table has its own QR code, so every order arrives already labelled with where it needs to go. Payment still happens at the table, which is how most UK pubs and bars already work with table service: staff bring the order out along with the card machine.

The rest of this guide follows a single order from three angles: the customer at the table, the staff behind the bar, and the owner who set it all up.

How does QR ordering work for the customer?

1. Scan. The customer points their phone camera at the table card. Modern phones read QR codes in the standard camera app, so there is nothing to install.
2. Browse. The menu opens in the browser, split into your own categories: draught, bottles, wine, spirits, softs, snacks. Items show the price, allergens, dietary tags such as vegan or gluten-free, and ABV where you have added it.
3. Choose. They pick a size (half or pint; 125ml, 175ml, 250ml or bottle; single or double) and any options, such as a mixer with a gin.
4. Add details. There is room for a note, such as ‘no ice’ or ‘two straws’, and an optional first name so staff can hand the drinks to the right person.
5. Send. One tap sends the order to the bar, with the table already attached.

Because each table code is unique and unguessable, nobody can order to a table they are not sitting at by guessing or editing a web address. Orders are also rate-limited, which stops anyone flooding the bar with junk orders.

What do bar staff see when a QR order comes in?

The order lands on the live bar screen straight away, with a chime so staff notice it over the noise. The bar screen runs in a web browser, so any tablet, laptop or spare phone will do. The table name is shown in big type, so it can be read from a few steps away.

The screen is split into three lanes:

Each ticket moves on with a single tap. A timer on every ticket turns orange after 5 minutes and pink after 10, so an order that has been forgotten stands out without anyone having to watch the clock. Any ticket with alcohol on it shows a ‘Check ID’ flag, so whoever runs it out is reminded to apply your age-check policy before handing it over.

How do customers pay when they order by QR code?

Customers pay at the table. When the order is ready, a member of staff carries it out with the card machine, and the customer pays by card, contactless or cash. You keep your existing card terminal and your usual way of taking payment.

That keeps a person involved at the moments that matter: handing over the drinks, checking ID and taking the money. Paying on the phone is coming soon, but it is not available yet. DrinksQR does not connect to tills (POS) at the moment either, so staff record the sale on your till as they do now.

If you are weighing this up against traditional waiter service, see our comparison of QR ordering and table service.

What does the owner manage behind the scenes?

Owners and managers log in to a back office to control everything the customer sees:

• Menu structure: categories, items, prices and sizes.
• Shared options: build one option list, such as ‘Mixers’, and attach it to every gin, vodka and rum instead of retyping it on each drink.
• Allergens and dietary information: the 14 UK allergens for each item, plus vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free tags and ABV. Our guide to allergen information on digital menus covers what you need to get right.
• Availability: a sold-out toggle, and optional stock counts that mark an item sold out automatically when it reaches zero.
• Deals: happy hour prices by day and time, multi-buys and meal deals, all priced on the server so a customer's phone cannot change them. See our guide to happy hours and deals.
• Tables and QR codes: name your tables, then print A4 sheets of four A6 table cards or download SVG files for a print shop.
• Branding (add-on): your colours, logo and font, with automatic checks that text stays readable.

Menus and the site are available in English and Spanish.

What do you need to start QR ordering in a pub?

• Your drinks menu with prices and sizes, plus any food you serve.
• Allergen information for every item, from recipes and supplier specifications.
• A list of tables with names staff will recognise, such as ‘Snug 2’ or ‘Garden 7’.
• A printer or a print shop for the table cards.
• A tablet, laptop or phone behind the bar for the bar screen, on your Wi-Fi.
• Your existing card machine.

The setup itself is short. Our 30-minute setup guide takes you through it step by step, and if you would rather not build the menu yourself there is an optional one-off menu setup service.

Is QR ordering right for every pub or bar?

It works best where customers sit at tables and the bar gets busy: beer gardens, food-led pubs, cocktail bars and hotel terraces. It also helps on short-staffed shifts, because staff can run drinks to tables rather than standing at the bar taking orders one by one. Plenty of venues keep ordering at the bar running alongside it for people who prefer it.

Be clear about what it does not do yet. DrinksQR has no till integration, does not print kitchen tickets and does not cover room service. If you serve food, decide how food orders will reach the kitchen before you go live. For more on how it fits a typical local, see QR ordering for pubs.