Restaurant pagers vs. a QR code waitlist: what changes at the host stand

· 3 min read

On a busy night the host stand runs the restaurant. Who waits, for how long and for which table is decided there, usually with one of three tools: a clipboard, a stack of pagers or a waitlist on the guest's own phone. Here's how they compare.

The clipboard

Names go on a list, and the host calls them out when a table frees up. It costs nothing, but guests can't leave. They crowd the entrance so they don't miss their name, ask "how much longer?" every few minutes, and the host spends the evening estimating waits from memory.

Pagers

Coaster pagers let guests step away, which is a real improvement. They also come with their own chores:

  • They have to be bought, charged every night and replaced when they break or walk out the door.
  • They only work within range, so guests can't wander far.
  • They have to be cleaned between guests.
  • A guest holding a pager still has no idea where they are in line.

A QR code waitlist

The guest scans a code at the door, picks their party size and leaves. The waitlist opens in the phone's browser; there's no app and no account. When their table is ready, the screen turns green and the phone buzzes. Meanwhile they can see their place and an estimated wait, and they get a heads-up when they're two parties away.

For the host, the important part is table-aware calling. You tap the table that freed up and enter its seats, and the first waiting party that fits is called. A table for 2 isn't offered to a party of 6, and you can cap how many chairs may stay empty at a table so a four-top doesn't go to a couple at peak time. If you push two tables together, enter the total and the queue matches a larger party.

Side by side

  • Hardware: a clipboard or pagers to buy and charge, versus nothing beyond the host's tablet or phone.
  • Range: guests stay at the door or within pager range, versus anywhere they like.
  • Guests' view of the line: none with the first two; position and estimated wait with a QR waitlist.
  • Table fit: decided by the host's memory, versus matched automatically by party size.
  • No-shows: the host chases them, versus an optional 3 to 30 minute arrival limit after which the table goes to the next party.

What about guests without a phone?

Some guests won't scan a code, and they don't have to. The host adds them with one tap and tells them their number. They keep their place in the same list.

Setting it up for a restaurant

  1. Create a queue in tables mode.
  2. If you have a terrace, add areas such as inside and outside; guests pick every area they'd accept.
  3. Show a rotating QR code on a tablet at the host stand, or print a fixed one for the door.
  4. Set an arrival limit so tables don't sit empty waiting for a party that went elsewhere.

After a few nights, the daily statistics show parties joined and seated, no-shows, average wait and your busiest hours. See the full feature list on the restaurant waitlist page.