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QR code ordering for restaurants: pickup orders without a queue

4 min read · Last reviewed: 2026-10-12 · Zaxore

The short answer

Give each branch its own ordering link and QR code, show only what that branch has in stock, and offer “as soon as possible” or pickup slots built from your real preparation time, hours and capacity. Move orders through a few statuses the team and the customer both see, decide in advance how to handle late pickups, and take payment at the counter on handover.

Give every branch its own ordering link and QR code

A QR code is simply a shortcut to a web page, so customers order from their phone's browser without installing anything. Use one link per branch: each branch has its own menu, stock and hours, and the customer should see exactly what that kitchen can make and when.

  • At the entrance and in the window, so people can order before they step inside.
  • On the counter and the tables, for the next coffee or a takeaway for later.
  • On bags, cups or printed receipts, so the next order starts from home.

Show only what the branch can actually prepare

The quickest way to lose trust is to accept an order for something that ran out an hour ago. Tie the online menu to the branch's stock, so items that are gone stop appearing, and hold the units for the order as soon as it is placed so the counter does not sell them twice. A clear photo and a short description cut down on questions at handover.

Build pickup slots from preparation time and capacity

A pickup time is a promise. Offer only times your team can keep: the earliest slot should be now plus your real preparation time, and each slot should take only as many orders as the bar or kitchen can finish in it. Offer “as soon as possible” for walk-by customers and fixed slots for people planning ahead.

  1. Set the weekly hours when you accept pickups, with breaks and any rush you would rather keep for walk-ins.
  2. Time a typical order from ticket to bag; that is your preparation time.
  3. Choose a slot length and how many orders one slot can take.
  4. Set a same-day cutoff before closing.
  5. Mark closed days ahead of time and decide how many days ahead customers can order.

Set a minimum order and a drive-thru handover

A minimum order keeps online orders worth preparing and packing; show it while the customer is still adding items. For drive-thru or curbside pickup, agree on one handover point and let customers say they have arrived, so the team brings the order out.

Use clear statuses, plan for late pickups, take payment at handover

A few statuses, used the same way by everyone, keep the counter calm: the team knows what to start next, and the customer checks their phone instead of asking. Keep ready orders on a labelled shelf away from the queue so collecting takes seconds.

  1. Accepted: someone has seen the order and its pickup time.
  2. Preparing: it is being made, timed so it is fresh at the slot.
  3. Ready: bagged, labelled with the name and placed on the pickup shelf.
  4. Completed: handed over and paid, so it counts as a sale.
  • Decide how long a ready order waits, and who calls or messages the customer when it is late.
  • When paying at pickup, have the total ready and confirm the name before taking payment.

How it works in Zaxore

In Zaxore, online ordering is switched on branch by branch in Business › QR ordering. Each branch gets its own link and QR code, and its page shows that branch's categories and only what it has in stock, with product photos when you have added them. Customers do not need an account to order.

  • Pickup schedule per branch: weekly windows with breaks, preparation time, slot length, same-day cutoff, days ahead and closed dates. Customers choose “as soon as possible” or a free slot; full slots, slots past the cutoff and closed days are not offered. Times show in the branch's time zone.
  • Pickup, drive-thru or both; at drive-thru the customer taps “I've arrived”.
  • A branch minimum order, shown as a progress bar while the customer adds items and checked at checkout.
  • Units are reserved when the order is placed and leave stock when it is completed.
  • The team moves orders through Accepted, Preparing, Ready and Completed on the Online Orders and kitchen screens, and the customer follows the status on their phone. Pickups due in the next hour appear in “Your day”, and staff get a late-pickup alert when an order is not collected on time.
  • The completed order becomes a normal sale in your reports.

Good to know: the customer pays at the branch when the order is completed, because online payment is not offered; card payments are recorded by hand at the register. Zaxore is a web app and needs an internet connection. Order messages to customers are coming soon — in development; today the customer follows the status on the order page. Delivery to the customer's address is built but not switched on yet.

Open the demo: Café / restaurant Sample data · nothing is saved

Questions owners ask

Do customers need to install an app to order with a QR code?

Usually not. A QR code opens a web page in the phone's camera or browser, and the order is placed there. In Zaxore, customers order from the branch's page without an account; those who sign in to My Zaxore can also find your business there and use their loyalty points.

How do I choose the length of a pickup slot?

Start from what you measured: how long a typical order takes and how many your team can finish together. Shorter slots give precise times but fill faster; longer ones absorb busy moments. Review after a few busy days.

Can customers pay online when they order in Zaxore?

No. Online payment is not offered: the customer pays at the branch when the order is completed, in cash or by card recorded at the register.

Go deeper

You will continue in the Zaxore app to create your account and set up your business.

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