What does an AI waiter change in a casual-dining restaurant?
The waiting. Guests don't wait for a server to take the order, to add a second round or to bring the check: they order by chat at the table, confirm on their phone, and call a server or ask for the check with a tap. Your staff confirm each table's first order, the kitchen cooks from its own screen and servers spend their time at tables that need them. It doesn't take payment or connect to your POS, and we don't claim it raises the check.
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Where does a casual-dining table lose time?
In the gaps between a guest being ready and a server being free.
- Waiting to order. The table has decided, and the server is three tables away running food.
- The second round. Another drink or a dessert means catching someone's eye again.
- Missed details. A cooking level or a side isn't asked, and the plate goes back.
- Waiting for the check. The table wants to leave, and the check request travels by eye contact. Then it comes back as one bill for six people.
- Not knowing what's slow. Managers feel the rush but can't see whether orders wait for a confirm, for the kitchen or for a server.
How does a table's meal run with WaiterPilot?
Guests drive the ordering; staff keep control of what gets cooked and when it's served.
The table orders by chat
Guests scan the table's QR code, ask about dishes and order in their own words. Required choices, such as a side or a cooking level, must be picked before the order can be confirmed.
Staff confirm the first order
The table's first order waits on the main board until someone confirms it or rejects it. The guest can still cancel while it waits.
Awaiting staffThe kitchen cooks, and rounds keep coming
Confirmed orders show on the kitchen screen without prices. Later orders from the same table, such as the next drinks or desserts, go straight to the kitchen.
In kitchenServers serve
Staff mark the order Served. If the table needs someone, the guest taps to call a waiter and it appears on the floor screen within seconds.
ServedThe check, split
The guest asks for the check from the phone and says cash or card, so the server brings the card machine. Each phone sees the live bill and can split it evenly or see just its own share.
What helps on a busy night?
Small features that keep the floor moving, each with its honest limit.
| Feature | What it does | The limit |
|---|---|---|
| Ticket ageing | Waiting orders and calls change colour at 1, 5 and 10 minutes | Someone still has to look at the board |
| Floor tools | Staff move a party to another table, add a dish for a table and close a table | Done by staff on the staff screen |
| One add-on question | After a guest adds a dish, the chat may ask once whether they'd like anything with it | No claim that it raises the check |
| Order-to-board time | In our tests on 15 October 2026, confirmed orders reached the staff board within 3 seconds (4 test orders, 0.8 to 2.7 s) | A small sample on our demo restaurant; your Wi-Fi and signal matter |
| Owner reports | Busy hours, top dishes, and how long staff take to confirm orders, the kitchen to serve them and the floor to answer calls | Reports cover WaiterPilot orders, not sales rung up in your POS |
Does table ordering turn tables faster?
Published research on tabletop ordering found shorter meals and a small change in check size. It studied a different product, so read it as context, not as our result.
A study of a US casual-dining chain that introduced tabletop ordering devices, published in *Management Science*, reported meals about 10% shorter and checks about 1% higher, from 2.6 million transactions (summary in Restaurant Technology News, July 2019). Those devices also took payment at the table, which WaiterPilot does not.
So the honest expectation is about time, not bigger checks: fewer minutes waiting to order, to reorder and to get the check. Your owner reports show your own confirm, kitchen and call-answer times, so you can measure the difference in your restaurant instead of trusting a promise. Read more on what the research says about check size.
How should a casual-dining team set it up?
Give each screen an owner, and keep a person between new tables and the kitchen.
- Main board: the host or shift lead. They confirm each table's first order and watch the ageing colours.
- Kitchen screen: the pass. Cooks read quantities, dishes, choices and notes, without prices.
- Floor screen: servers by section. Waiter calls and check requests come here; staff tap Ack and go.
- Agree how sales reach the till. There's no POS connection, so decide who rings up WaiterPilot orders, and when. See works with your POS.
- Set the allergy rule. Any allergy mention means a person goes to the table. See allergies and dietary questions.
- Keep printed menus. For guests who would rather order with a server.
Who should choose something else?
Restaurants that need payment at the table, orders flowing into the POS, or a fully server-led experience.
- You want guests to pay on their phone. WaiterPilot takes no payment. POS order-and-pay and pay-at-table tools do.
- Every ticket must print or land in your POS. WaiterPilot has no POS or printer connection. A POS-native tool avoids re-keying.
- Your service is the server's conversation. If guests come for the server's recommendations and you don't want them ordering on a phone, keep your service as it is.
- You want a guaranteed sales lift. We don't promise one, and the research above doesn't support a large one.
Questions from casual-dining restaurants
Does every order need a staff confirm?
Only the first order at each table. Later orders from the same table go straight to the kitchen, until staff close the table.
Can large groups split the bill?
Yes. Every phone at the table sees the live bill and can split it evenly or see just its own share. Payment is with your staff.
What if a dish runs out mid-service?
Mark it sold out from the owner or manager phone and the chat stops offering it right away. If it's already ordered, staff mark it Out of stock, which takes it off the bill.
Will guests stop talking to servers?
No. Servers still bring food, handle allergies, take payment and come when called. The chat takes the order-taking trips.
Does it raise the average check?
We don't claim it does. After a guest adds a dish it may ask once whether they'd like anything with it. Research on tabletop ordering found about a 1% change in checks.
How much does it cost per restaurant?
After 30 days free, $200 per location per month, with 0% commission and no contract. See pricing.