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The Waiter Module opens on the Floor view — a personal, filtered version of the restaurant’s floor plan showing only the tables you’re covering.

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Overview

When you sign in as a waiter, DishInk automatically:
  • Fetches your assignments from waiter_table_assignments.
  • Filters the floor so you see only your tables by default.
  • Splits the grid into Floor and Walk-in / POS sections (configurable).
  • Shows live KDS counts, unsent-cart badges, and split-bill markers on each card.
Managers see the same page but with the extra ability to toggle to All Tables.
Waiter floor

The Waiter Floor view with filter pill, search, and grouped cards

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Reading the top bar

Across the top of the Floor view you’ll find:

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Filter options

Tap the filter pill to expand the grid. Options:
  • All Tables (managers only) — every table in the branch.
  • My Tables — your assignments (default for waiters).
  • Free, Occupied, Ordering, Served, Billing, Reserved — status filters.
  • Unsent Orders — tables where you’ve added items to the cart but not sent them.
  • Split Active — tables with an active split payment.
Each option shows a live count. Non-managers don’t see the All Tables option — they’re always scoped to their assignments.
Managers who pick All Tables stay on that scope even when they switch to a status filter (e.g. All · Billing). Switching back to My Tables rescopes them.

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Reading a table card

Every card packs a lot of live signal:
  • Coloured border — encodes the status. If multiple states apply (e.g. Ordering + Preparing + Split), the border shows 2 or 4 colours (see Table Statuses).
  • Merged badge (indigo) — this table’s bill lives on another table; tap for details.
  • Temp badge (purple) — temporary table.
  • Unsent cart badge (red, top-right) — your saved cart items not yet sent to kitchen, with count.
  • Split badge (orange) — active split payment; the number is the payer count.
  • Split-syncing badge (amber, pulsing) — a split request queued while offline; syncs on reconnect.
  • Preparing / Waiting dots (blue / amber, pulsing) — live counts from the Kitchen Display.
  • Overdue dot (red, animated) — an item has exceeded its target prep time.
  • Waiter first name (red) — who is assigned. On your own tables this matches your name.
  • Bill amount (emerald) — running total for the session.
Table cards

Table card variations — busy, merged, temporary, and split states

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Walk-in / POS section

Tables in the special Walk-in section (created from POS quick sales or as temporary walk-ins) can either:
  • Show separately — appear in their own labelled group below the main floor.
  • Hide completely — vanish from the waiter view entirely.
The toggle sits in the top bar. Your choice persists on the device. Type any part of a table name (Patio, 12, Bar). The grid narrows in real time across both the main floor and the walk-in section. Press Esc or tap the ✕ to clear.

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Empty states

If the current filter yields nothing, you’ll see:
No ordering found — 24 total tables on the floor. [Show all tables →]
Tap the link to jump back to the default view for your role.

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Cached data & offline

If the device loses connectivity or you open the page from cache, DishInk continues to work:
  • Your assignments and last-known statuses are shown from cache.
  • The offline banner displays cache age and any pending sync operations.
  • KDS dot counts freeze at their last observed values until reconnection.
See Sending Orders to Kitchen for how offline order sending is queued.

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Tips & best practices

Start every shift with a filter sweep: My Tables → Ordering → Served. It’s the fastest way to see who needs attention.
Use Unsent Orders as your safety net. If the count is non-zero at end of shift, you have carts that were never sent to the kitchen.
Managers: leave the scope on My Tables during service unless you’re actively covering a section. It matches what your waiters see and keeps the KDS realtime queries light.

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Common mistakes

  • “My tables are missing.” You’re probably not assigned. Ask a manager to open Waiter Assignments.
  • Filter stuck on a status. Tap the ✕ next to the filter pill to reset.
  • Searching for a table that’s hidden. Walk-in preference set to Hide completely removes those tables from search too.
Last modified on July 19, 2026