In counter-service restaurants, delivering food can become surprisingly complicated. Guests place their orders, choose their own seats and sometimes move between tables while waiting. When the food is ready, employees may have to walk around searching for the right guest, call out an order number or ask several tables who ordered the meal.
A restaurant table location system eliminates this confusion. It helps food runners identify exactly where each guest is seated, so orders can be delivered quickly and accurately without shouting names or numbers across the dining room.
What Is a Restaurant Table Location System?
A table location system is technology that helps restaurant employees find guests after they place an order and seat themselves.
The guest receives a small location tag when ordering. After the guest places the tag on their table, sensors detect its location. When the order is ready, the restaurant’s display shows the food runner the correct table or delivery zone.
Table location systems are especially useful in:
• Fast-casual restaurants
• Food halls
• Cafés and coffee shops
• Large or multi-level dining areas
• Restaurants with patios or outdoor seating
• Counter-service concepts that deliver food to tables
Instead of searching the dining room, employees know where to take each order before leaving the kitchen or pickup counter.
How Does a Table Location System Work?
Although features vary by system, the process is generally simple:
- The guest places an order at the counter, kiosk or point-of-sale system.
- The guest receives a numbered table location tag.
- The guest chooses a table and places the tag on its designated surface or location card.
- Sensors identify the tag’s location within the restaurant.
- The tag number and table location appear on a staff-facing display.
- When the food is ready, an employee delivers it directly to the correct table.
- The tag is collected and reused for another order.
This process removes much of the guesswork from food delivery. Employees no longer need to call out an order number, circle the dining room or rely on guests to pay attention to an announcement.
What Is RFID Table Tracking?
RFID stands for radio-frequency identification. The technology uses radio waves to identify tagged objects and communicate information to a reader or sensor.
In a restaurant, RFID table tracking uses tags and sensors to determine where a guest is sitting. Each tag has its own unique identification number. When the guest places the tag at a table, the system associates that tag and the corresponding order with the table’s location.
The system is designed to locate the tag, not personally identify or track the guest. Once the tag is returned, it can be assigned to a new order.
Depending on the technology and restaurant layout, a table tracking system may identify a specific table, seating area or delivery zone.
How Do Restaurants Find Your Table?
Restaurants use several methods to connect guests with their orders:
- Calling the guest’s name or order number
- Giving the guest a numbered table tent
- Using a restaurant pager that alerts the guest to pick up the order
- Sending a text message when the order is ready
- Assigning a fixed table number during checkout
- Using RFID or another table location technology
Manual methods can work in small dining rooms, but they become less efficient as order volume and restaurant size increase. A table location system automates the process by showing employees where the guest’s tag is located.
This is particularly valuable when guests choose their own tables or move after ordering.
What Is the Difference Between a Table Tracker and a Guest Pager?
A guest pager and a table tracker solve different operational problems.
| Guest Pager | Table Tracker |
|
Notifies the guest that an order or table is ready |
Tells employees where the guest is seated |
| The guest returns to a counter or host stand |
Helps employees deliver food directly to the table |
|
Uses lights, sound or vibration |
Uses a tag and location sensors |
|
Best for guest pickup or wait-list notifications |
Best for table delivery in counter-service restaurants |
A restaurant device that signals a table is ready is typically a guest pager, not a table location system. The pager tells guests when to return to the host stand. A table tracker works in the opposite direction because it helps employees find guests.
Some restaurants may benefit from both technologies. For example, a restaurant could use pagers for its wait list and table location tags for delivering food after guests order.
Can Table Location Systems Integrate With POS?
Yes. Table location systems can integrate with compatible point-of-sale and kitchen display systems to connect an order with a location tag.
JTECH’s EasyVu Guest Location System integrates with major POS and KDS platforms through the IStation transmitter. When integrated, the restaurant can associate the guest’s order with the EasyVu tag and make location information available to employees responsible for food delivery.
Integration capabilities depend on the restaurant’s POS or KDS platform, configuration and available connection options. Restaurants should confirm compatibility and implementation requirements before choosing a system.
Benefits of a Restaurant Table Location System
Faster Food Delivery
Food runners can see the destination before leaving the kitchen, reducing time spent searching for guests.
Less Shouting
Employees do not have to repeatedly announce names or order numbers in the dining room. This creates a calmer, more comfortable guest experience.
Improved Order Accuracy
The order is connected to a specific tag and location, reducing the likelihood that food will be delivered to the wrong table.
Better Labor Efficiency
Employees can spend more time serving guests and less time walking around looking for them.
A More Organized Dining Room
Table tracking can reduce the number of guests gathering near the counter while they wait for their orders.
Support for Large or Complex Layouts
Location technology can be especially useful for patios, food halls, multi-zone dining rooms and other spaces where guests may be difficult to see from the service counter.
Is a Table Location System Right for Your Restaurant?
A table tracking system may be a good fit if your restaurant:
- Allows guests to choose their own seats
- Delivers counter orders to tables
- Frequently has employees searching for guests
- Calls out names or order numbers
- Has a large dining room, patio or multiple seating zones
- Experiences congestion around the pickup counter
- Wants to improve food-runner efficiency
The value is generally greatest in busy restaurants where employees deliver a high volume of orders across a large or changing seating area.
Find Guests Without Disrupting the Dining Room
Guests should be able to relax after ordering without having to listen closely for someone shouting their name. Employees should be able to deliver food without walking from table to table asking who placed an order.
JTECH’s EasyVu Guest Location System helps restaurants connect each order with the guest’s location, enabling employees to deliver food to the right table quickly and accurately.
Ready to make table delivery easier? Learn more about the EasyVu Guest Location System or contact JTECH to discuss your restaurant’s layout, ordering process and integration requirements.
