How to deactivate a table and keep its history

What an inactive table is

Deactivating a table means taking it out of circulation without deleting anything. The table stays registered, with the same number and the same link, but stops taking new orders: the waiter no longer sees it when choosing where to open an order, the QR code stuck on it no longer opens the guest page, and it drops off the QR code sheet when you use Print QR codes.

Its history stays whole. Open the table's card and you'll still see every past order — Served and Cancelled, grouped by day — plus its performance over the last 30 days: orders, revenue, average order and cancellations. That's why qmen.us deactivates instead of deleting when a table has been used: its past is tied to those orders, and we don't throw that past away.

Why deactivate instead of delete

• The history protects itself. You don't even need to remember the rule: if the table has had orders, Remove automatically becomes a deactivation, and no revenue vanishes from the report because of a dining room cleanup.
• Nobody opens an order by mistake. An inactive table doesn't show up for the waiter when choosing where to place an order, and the old QR code no longer opens. No orders lost on a table that isn't even in the dining room.
• The QR code sheet comes out clean. Print QR codes gathers only active tables, so a reprint doesn't waste paper on a table that's no longer in the dining room.
• You can undo it in one tap. Reactivate brings the table back with the same code, the same link and the same QR code. No need to replace stickers when the table comes back from repair.

How to deactivate a table in 6 steps

Six steps, and the fifth only matters if the table has never received an order.

1. Open the Tables list

   In your Manage restaurant area, open Tables. Each table is a card with its QR code, public link and a badge at the top: Free, Occupied or inactive. Everything you'll do here starts there.

2. Check whether the table is occupied

   Look at the card's badge before anything else. If it says Occupied, there's an open tab there — better to close it and free the table first. As soon as the table becomes inactive, its QR code stops opening, and anyone following their order on their phone lands on a page that no longer works.

   Tip: An order already sent isn't lost: it stays on the waiter's list and can be closed from there even with the table inactive. What goes away is the QR code's public page.

3. Tap Remove on the card

   At the bottom of the card is the Remove button. It opens the Remove this table? confirmation, which spells it out: if the table has orders in its history, it's deactivated instead of deleted. Confirm with Remove table.

4. Confirm it became inactive

   The notice Table deactivated (has orders) appears and the card redraws instantly: an inactive badge at the top and the block Inactive table — not taking new orders. From then on it disappears from the waiter's table picker, the public page and the QR code sheet, and the Dashboard stops counting it in its table total.

5. Table with no orders at all? Use the Active field

   A freshly created table has no history to protect, so Remove truly deletes it. If you want to keep the code, open the table's card, look at the address (something like /restaurante/mesas/12/), add editar/ at the end and uncheck Active; then Save. Don't touch Number or code on that screen: changing it there changes the link, and the QR code stuck on the table stops working. And, for a table with history, always prefer the card's Remove — it's the path that protects the orders.

6. Reactivate it when the table returns

   On the inactive card, the Rename button gives way to Reactivate. One tap and you're done: the Table reactivated notice appears, the badge goes back to Free and the table reappears for the waiter, on the public page and on the QR code sheet. Since the code didn't change, the QR code already stuck there works again — no need to reprint anything.

Frequently asked questions

Glossary

Inactive table

A deactivated table: it takes no new orders and isn't printed, but it keeps its history.

Table

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

Table QR code

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

QR code sheet

The print page that gathers the QR codes of all active tables, three per row.

Tab

The open bill of a table, where items add up until it's closed.

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