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The Waiter Assignment Panel is where managers see — and change — who covers which tables. It’s also where waiters check their own section at the start of a shift.

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Overview

Assignments do two important things:
  1. Filter what each waiter sees. A waiter only sees their assigned tables on the floor plan. Reassigning is instant — the new table appears on their device within seconds.
  2. Anchor tips and shift reports. Sales made on an assigned table are attributed to the assigned waiter for tip splits and performance analytics.
Managers can assign anyone with role waiter, cashier, or manager. Kitchen and admin roles are excluded.

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Open the panel

From the floor plan, tap the Waiter Assignments icon (people icon) in the top bar, or navigate from Staff > Assignments.
Waiter assignment panel

Waiter Assignment Panel — grouped by waiter with unassigned section

At the top you see four stat cards: Below the stats: a search box (by staff name or table name/section) and grouped cards — one per waiter, each showing their tables and each table’s live status.

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Assign a waiter to a table

Two entry points:

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From the panel (bulk / unassigned view)

  1. Scroll to the Unassigned Tables card.
  2. Beside a table, tap Assign.
  3. The Assign Waiter modal opens.
  4. Pick a staff member from the dropdown. Assignable staff are shown with their role: “Kelvin Banda · waiter”, “Chanda Mwape · cashier”.
  5. Tap Assign Waiter.
Assign waiter

Assign Waiter modal

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Reassign

If the table already has a waiter, the same modal shows a Currently Assigned panel with an Unassign button and a Reassign To dropdown. Tap Reassign to swap.

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Unassign a waiter

Open the Assign Waiter modal for the table, then tap Unassign in the Currently Assigned panel. Confirm. The table returns to the Unassigned Tables section immediately.

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Who can be assigned

Only active staff with an assignable role appear in the dropdown:
  • waiter
  • cashier
  • manager
Inactive staff, kitchen roles, and admin-only accounts are filtered out.

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What waiters see

Waiters see a filtered panel:
  • Their own tables highlighted with a red Mine pill.
  • Other waiters’ tables grouped but read-only — they can see coverage without being able to change it.
  • Unassigned tables section — visible but with no Assign button (managers only).
This lets a waiter check coverage at the start of a shift without waiting for a manager.

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Multiple waiters per table

A table can have more than one assignment (e.g. a trainee shadowing a lead). All assigned waiters see it on their floor plan, and each is listed in the assignment panel. Tip splits and performance analytics prorate revenue between them.

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Refresh

Assignments update in real time via Supabase realtime. If you suspect the view is stale, tap the refresh icon in the panel header — it spins while re-fetching. Type a staff name (“Kelvin”) or a table name / section (“Patio”, “Table 12”) into the search box. The panel narrows both the grouped cards and the unassigned list.

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Assign by section (fastest at shift start)

A common flow is “Kelvin covers Patio tonight.” To do this efficiently:
  1. Filter the floor plan by section (Patio).
  2. Enter Edit mode.
  3. Bulk-select all Patio tables.
  4. Assign to Kelvin.
Much faster than assigning table-by-table. See Floor Plan for edit-mode bulk actions.

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Tips & best practices

Assign at the start of the shift, not on demand. Waiters can see their tables before service begins, prep their sections, and greet correctly.
Watch the Unassigned Tables count during peak service. If it’s climbing, someone’s sections aren’t being covered.
Use section-based assignment where possible. It scales better and shift reports become cleaner.
For split-shift coverage (e.g. lunch waiter leaves, dinner waiter arrives), reassign — don’t create a new assignment. This keeps the audit trail clean.

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Common mistakes

  • Assigning kitchen staff. They’re filtered out. If you can’t find someone, check their role.
  • Assuming a waiter can self-assign. Only managers can create or change assignments. Waiters see coverage but cannot edit.
  • Leaving assignments from yesterday. Sweep the panel at open. Reassignments are 2 seconds; missing coverage is a bad guest experience.
  • Not unassigning at end of shift. Not critical (assignments carry over), but if roles are changing tomorrow, clean up tonight.
Last modified on July 19, 2026