Quick starts
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Each quick start is a single page you can print and hand to a new hire.
2.1 Waiter: your first shift
- Sign in. Enter your PIN (4–8 digits) on the PIN pad. Sign-in works even with no internet.
- Clock in. Go to Cash → enter your opening float (if your venue floats servers) → Clock in.
- Seat a table. Floor tab → tap an available (green) table → enter the number of guests (1–12) → the order opens bound to that table. If the table holds a booking, the seat sheet offers Check in booking so the reservation is honoured automatically.
- Ring the order. Sale screen → tap categories/products → set modifiers and notes → adjust quantities in the cart.
- Assign seats (optional). Tap the seat chips (Shared / S1 / S2 / +) then tap a line's seat badge to move it. Turn on the ⟳ auto chip to advance the active seat automatically as you ring "round the table". The ticket regroups by seat so the kitchen and the bill stay tidy.
- Send to the kitchen. Tap 🔥 Send (whole cart) or the per-course Send on a course header. Food appears on the KDS. This needs a connection.
- Watch for the green banner. When the kitchen taps Ready on a ticket, every terminal pops a green "ready to run" banner naming the table — go collect the food.
- Add more / next course. Return to Floor → tap the table → Add items or Fire the next course.
- Bill. Open the table → Bill → take payment (see §9) → the table clears.
- Clock out. End of shift → Cash → count your cash → Clock out.
2.2 Bartender: running tabs
- Sign in and clock in as above.
- Open a tab. Tabs tab → + Open tab → guest name (optionally take a Yoco card pre-authorisation to protect against walk-outs — the tab then shows Card held).
- Add rounds. Ring drinks on the Sale screen against the open tab; Send to fire bar tickets.
- Settle. Tabs → tap the tab → Settle → take payment. Tabs need a connection throughout.
2.3 Kitchen: working the KDS
- Open the Kitchen tab on the kitchen/bar screen. If you only cook one station, tap your station's filter chip (stations are set up in the Back Office).
- New tickets appear oldest-first with rushed tickets pinned to the front, and flash green for a few seconds so nothing is missed. Tiles turn amber after 5 minutes and red after 10.
- Tick items as you plate them — tap a line to strike it through. The ticket shows progress (2/5).
- 🔔 Ready ("run this table") when the food is plated — the ticket turns READY and every waiter's terminal pops a green ready to run banner for that table.
- Bump when the food leaves the pass — the ticket leaves the board. ↩ Recall brings back the last bumped ticket. Rush flags a ticket urgent for every station.
- ⇊ Bump whole table clears all of a table's tickets at once when the expo sends everything together.
- Switch to the All-day view for totals per dish across the whole board ("6× Sirloin").
- Out of something? Long-press the item on the ticket to 86 it — it disappears from the terminal, QR menu, and Back Office ordering immediately.
- Takeaway orders show 🥡 PICKUP with the promised time; guest QR orders arrive automatically with table and order number.
2.4 Cashier: opening and closing the till
- Open: Cash → opening float → Clock in.
- During service: No-sale opens the drawer for change (a manager PIN is required and each open is logged).
- Close: Cash → count the drawer → the screen shows the variance against expected cash → Clock out → run the Z-report to lock the shift and post the day's journal. Closing and the Z-report need a connection.
2.5 Manager: day-to-day
- Authorise discounts / voids / comps / no-sales with your PIN when a server requests one (manager-override — the server keeps the till).
- Refunds are yours alone: Orders → tap a paid sale → Refund (the button only appears for managers).
- Watch the Reports tab for the live X-report and the low-stock badge in the top bar.
- Rearrange the room from the Floor tab's Edit layout (arrange mode) — drag tables, add sections, define table groups.
- Adjust the menu, staff, tables, pricing, and promotions from the Back Office (see §17).
- Confirm tonight's bookings from the Floor tab's Bookings panel — confirming sends the guest a WhatsApp confirmation (when configured).
2.6 Owner: from zero to first sale
Follow Setting up your restaurant in order. The short version: create tax rates → categories → products (+ modifiers, allergens) → prep stations → zones & tables → staff & PINs → terminal settings → connect a printer → ring a test sale → close the day.
More in Getting started
- 1What runs where
- 3Setting up your restaurant
- 4Signing in, roles and permissions
- 25Running a shop (retail mode)
- 44Products and licensing
Still stuck? Mail support@aurapos.co.za or use the support page — include your venue name and what you were doing.