Why guests don't need to install anything

What opens when a guest scans the table QR code

With qmen.us, guests don't need to install anything because there is no app to install: everything they use is a web page. The table QR code points to a regular address, in the format qmen.us/your-restaurant/t/7, which opens in the browser the phone came with. No app store, no download, no account and no password — the person aims the camera, taps the link and is already on that table's order screen.

That screen is the table page, and it's a read-only view of what's happening with your food: which order is open, which items are out and what stage each one is at. Anyone who wants to see the menu, the address and the opening hours taps the restaurant's name and reaches the public page. And unlike the public page, the table page isn't indexed by search engines: you only get there with the QR code in hand.

Why guests don't need an app to order

• Installing an app is where most people give up. Between opening the store, searching for the name, downloading, waiting and creating an account, the guest has already flagged down the waiter by hand. With the QR code, the path is camera, tap, order screen — it takes seconds, not minutes.
• Nobody hands over data to eat. The table page doesn't ask for an email, phone number or password. Signing in with Google is optional and only feeds the My visits history, so anyone who'd rather stay anonymous tracks the order just the same.
• It works on the phone people already have. Because it's a website, it doesn't matter whether it's Android or iPhone, new or old, memory full or empty. And the same link works for the whole table: everyone scans the QR code and sees the same progress.
• The screen moves by itself. When the kitchen updates the order, the page refreshes right away, with nobody pulling it down. If JavaScript is turned off, it still reloads every so often — the guest sees the item turn Ready either way.
• Zero cost on both sides. The guest spends no phone storage and the restaurant spends no money: qmen.us is free for the restaurant with no commission per order. We don't process payments either — PIX, cash or card is arranged directly between you.

How it works for the guest, in 6 steps

Six steps seen from the side of whoever sits at the table: from the QR code to an order tracked in real time, with nothing installed.

1. Point the camera at the table QR code

   The guest opens the phone camera, aims it at the table sticker and waits for the link to appear on screen. There's no special reader to download: today's phone cameras recognize QR codes on their own. If for some reason it doesn't, the table's address is also printed under the code on the QR code sheet, to type in by hand.

2. Tap the link and the page opens in the browser

   The tap opens the browser already on the device — Chrome, Safari, whatever it is. No screen asks for an install, a sign-up, an email or a password. What shows up is the header with the Table label and the restaurant's name, the title Your orders and a note that the screen updates automatically, in real time.

3. Track the order without asking anyone

   While the kitchen works, the page shows the bar with the four stages — Ordered, Preparing, Ready and Served — and the status of each item on the list. When everything is served, the How was it? card appears with the Rate your order button, which takes the score and the note straight to the owner.

4. Call the waiter from the screen itself

   The Call waiter button may appear at the bottom, with the line "Need something? Just call." It only shows when the phone confirms the person is really at the restaurant, so anyone who declines location access simply doesn't see the button. On tap, the waiter is alerted instantly and the guest gets a message that someone will be right over.

5. If the restaurant wants, guests order on their own

   When the restaurant turns on the virtual waiter, the table page gets a Place an order button. It opens a chat in the same browser: the guest picks categories, builds the item, checks it under View order, leaves a name if they like and taps Send order to the kitchen. It's still a web page, not an app.

   Tip: Haven't turned on the virtual waiter? The button disappears and the flow is the same as always: the guest tracks on the screen and the waiter takes the order on their phone.

6. Anyone who wants can pin the address to the home screen

   For regulars, the browser menu has an option to add the page to the home screen. qmen.us sends the right name and icon, so you get a little square just like an app's — but with no install, no updates to download and no space used. It's a shortcut to the same website.

Frequently asked questions

Glossary

Table QR code

The code printed on the table that guests scan with their phone, no sign-in needed.

Table

Each spot in the dining room registered in the system, with its own QR code for opening orders.

Public page

The page at qmen.us/your-code where guests see your menu, phone numbers, address and opening hours.

Preparing

The stage the guest sees on the table page while the kitchen works on the order.

Ready

An item's status after the prep station marks it done; the waiter is alerted right away.

Related resources