Ordering For Yourself

[Saleen836]

Have I been living under a rock or just not going to the right places to experiance this?

Have been working today on a job in Bristol and we decided to go to the nearest cafe for breakfast, being a Sunday the usual local cafes were closed so next option was a place called 'Boston Tea Party' upon being seated you are expected toscan a QR code which then opens their menu, then follows scrolling through different sections of the website looking for what you want, you place the order online entering a table number then go to the checkout, enter card details and then follows "would you like to tip the staff?" erm...no as i have just done the job for you!
Our order was brought to the table by a server who less than impressed to be working on a Sunday Morning around 15mins later.
Is this the norm now for ordering food/drinks?

[Mojooo]

There are many places now which let your order online or order in person but there are some that very much push you towards doing it.

Some places you order off a big computer screen.

[shirt]

When restaurants started to trade again post covid the QR code and self ordering was rife. In some places it’s been kept. If it’s a basic meal/place then I’ll do so but refuse it otherwise, a menu is then always produced.

[Jimjimhim]

Saleen836 said:

Have I been living under a rock or just not going to the right places to experiance this?

Have been working today on a job in Bristol and we decided to go to the nearest cafe for breakfast, being a Sunday the usual local cafes were closed so next option was a place called 'Boston Tea Party' upon being seated you are expected toscan a QR code which then opens their menu, then follows scrolling through different sections of the website looking for what you want, you place the order online entering a table number then go to the checkout, enter card details and then follows "would you like to tip the staff?" erm...no as i have just done the job for you!
Our order was brought to the table by a server who less than impressed to be working on a Sunday Morning around 15mins later.
Is this the norm now for ordering food/drinks?

Yeah it's fairly normal for servers to not be impressed at working on a Sunday morning. 15mins is pretty good though.

[Panamax]

QR ordering is the equivalent of visiting restaurants that have pictures of the menu items on the wall or in a laminated pack.

Generally speaking, avoid.

[xx99xx]

Pretty standard round my way. And I like it, less waiting around to get served. The food tastes the same regardless how you order it.

[Wheel Turned Out]

Ordering that way doesn't bother me at all. "Would you like to tip" before there's been any service is a bit rich, though.

[21TonyK]

Only ever had negative experiences with this method of ordering. I just see it as a way of reducing your FOH staff to the bare minimum. Turning skilled waiters and waitresses into plate carriers.

I'd avoid where possible. In a similar vein, I was in a casual dining restaurant in Spain recently where printed menus had QR codes linking to prices.

[miniman]

Boston Tea Party started as a quite cool independent but now seems to be a desperate to be cool chain.

[48k]

One of my local garden centres has this and it's ace. I like the fact you can order when you are ready instead of either being pounced on by waiting staff before you have read the menu and have to send them away, or not get pounced on when you are ready to order. As a customer it's very convenient.

[LastPoster]

Panamax said:

QR ordering is the equivalent of visiting restaurants that have pictures of the menu items on the wall or in a laminated pack.

Generally speaking, avoid.

In the wider scheme of cheapish cafe/bar venues BTP is reasonably good

I haven’t been to all of them, but each one I have gives you the option to go to the counter and order

I don’t tip for this type of venue but I don’t recall the staff being arsey about it, I doubt they even notice.
Service is generally very quick and I always find the staff ok, they are normally kids working part time for min wage. Maybe this one had a late night/hangover and surely that’s to be lauded?

Edited by LastPoster on Monday 23 September 06:26

[Alickadoo]

In 'spoons, you can order from the app, scan a QR code (or something), or go up to the bar, give them your table number and order what you want.

Just remember, when they say - "do you want XYZ with that", the only correct response is 'is it on the deal?'

[dundarach]

Did you open the kitchen, cook it, bring it to the table, collect the muckies and wash up?

I don't like tipping, just not sure you did everything for them.

[Tommo87]

Jimjimhim said:

Saleen836 said:

Have I been living under a rock or just not going to the right places to experiance this?

Have been working today on a job in Bristol and we decided to go to the nearest cafe for breakfast, being a Sunday the usual local cafes were closed so next option was a place called 'Boston Tea Party' upon being seated you are expected toscan a QR code which then opens their menu, then follows scrolling through different sections of the website looking for what you want, you place the order online entering a table number then go to the checkout, enter card details and then follows "would you like to tip the staff?" erm...no as i have just done the job for you!
Our order was brought to the table by a server who less than impressed to be working on a Sunday Morning around 15mins later.
Is this the norm now for ordering food/drinks?

Yeah it's fairly normal for servers to not be impressed at working on a Sunday morning. 15mins is pretty good though.

This…

[Jamescrs]

Very common now and I don't mind it to be honest, I quite like the efficiency of placing an order, paying at the point of order and then leaving again.

I hate it when I go to a place and sit waiting for someone to take my order then at the end sit waiting for someone to bring a bill, then wait again when I ask for a card machine.

I generally just want to be in, eat and off again.

[Rough101]

Prefer it, you can see straight away what is and is not on the menu and order at your own pace, no waiting for the bill either.

[grumbledoak]

Oh yeah. The QR code and website is the sign of a classy establishment.

It's a massive step up from a line of vending machines along the wall and a microwave you operate yourself.

Don't forget to tip!

[RizzoTheRat]

nuyorican said:

I do like this At Wetherspoons during the summer. I can go for a bike ride, pull up, find an outside table and order from the app.

Only thing is, you have to have beer with your food. If you order coffee they’ll bring you an empty mug. And you can’t leave the bike to go to the machine. So beer it must be. I’m not aware of any other beverages.

Also very useful at airports when traveling solo, it's a pain having to order food at the counter to a table number you're not sat at yet only to find someone else has sat there when you get back to it.

The cafe we usually go to on a Saturday has it for the outside tables which is convenient, but you can also order at the counter. It's very convenient and if some people are too snobby to go to a place that does it I consider that a decent filter

[Alickadoo]

nuyorican said:

I do like this At Wetherspoons during the summer. I can go for a bike ride, pull up, find an outside table and order from the app.

Only thing is, you have to have beer with your food. If you order coffee they’ll bring you an empty mug. And you can’t leave the bike to go to the machine. So beer it must be. I’m not aware of any other beverages.

That's right. Beer it has to be.

It's not as though you can order a lemonade or a Pepsi.

[STe_rsv4]

dundarach said:

Did you open the kitchen, cook it, bring it to the table, collect the muckies and wash up?

I don't like tipping, just not sure you did everything for them.

when you picked your car up after having it serviced, did you add a "little extra" to the bill as they had to open up the garage, use their tools and clean them up after themselves afterwards?

Why should it be any different is self ordering food? tipping used to be a fad for when you received exemplary service. Its become so Americanised that its being added on to most things now just to supplement a wage that an employer should be taking care of.