Table Setup Checklist
Table Setup Checklist is the captain's pre-service walk — a configurable, per-table checklist (tablecloth, cutlery, glassware, condiments and more) ticked off before Lunch or Dinner service, with a Ready/Flagged status per table and a whole-floor progress bar so nothing gets missed before doors open.
Overview
Distinct from Floor Plan (the static layout editor) and Table Management (live in-service occupied/available status) — this screen is only about whether a table is physically set correctly before guests arrive.
Every table starts PENDING and moves to PARTIAL once some checklist items are ticked, READY once all items are ticked, or FLAGGED at any point if the captain marks it with a note (e.g. a broken glass or a stain).
The checklist itself is fully configurable — 11 default items ship out of the box (Tablecloth/Placemat, Cutlery Set, Side Plate & Bread, Glassware, Napkins, Menu Cards, Condiments, Salt & Pepper, Table Number Card, Candle/Centrepiece, Clean & Crumb-free), and you can add, rename or remove items from the Checklist config panel to match your own service standard.
A Lunch/Dinner shift toggle and a date picker keep each service's checklist separate — yesterday's dinner setup does not carry over into today's lunch.
A whole-floor progress bar and a per-status breakdown (Pending/In Progress/Ready/Flagged counts) sit above the table grid, and a green "All tables are set and ready" banner appears the moment every table hits Ready.
"Mark All Ready" instantly ticks every item on one table at once and clears any flag — a shortcut for tables the captain has already visually confirmed are fine.
"Print" produces a manager-facing setup report — every table's status and item-by-item tick marks, plus any flagged-table notes and a signature line — useful as a dated record.
Before You Start
- You must have the Table Management feature enabled on your plan.
- Review and customise the Checklist config panel to match your restaurant's actual place-setting standard before relying on this screen day to day — the 11 default items are a generic starting point.
Step-by-Step Guide
1 Run the pre-service setup walk
- Open Table Setup Checklist, confirm today's date, and pick Lunch or Dinner Service.
- Click into each table card to expand its checklist, and tick off items as you visually confirm them.
- Use "Mark All Ready" on any table you've already fully checked to skip ticking items one by one.
- Watch the progress bar climb toward 100% — the green "ready for service" banner appears once every table is Ready.
2 Flag a table that needs attention
- Expand the table's card and click "Flag Table".
- Enter a short reason (e.g. "Chipped wine glass at seat 3").
- The table turns red/Flagged on the grid until a staff member fixes the issue and either the captain clears the flag (blank reason) or marks the table Ready.
3 Customise the checklist for your restaurant
- Click "Checklist" in the top-right.
- Edit any item's label, remove ones you don't use, or click "+ Add Item" for something specific to your restaurant (e.g. "Reservation card" for a booked table).
- Click "Save" — every table's checklist updates immediately to the new item list, keeping already-ticked items intact where the key matches.
4 Keep a dated setup record
- Once the floor is fully set, click "Print" to generate a setup report for that shift.
- Have the captain sign it and file it as part of your service-quality records.
Every Field & Button, Explained
| Field / Button | What it does |
|---|---|
Shift toggle (Lunch/Dinner) | Switches between two entirely separate checklists for the same date, since a table is reset and re-set between lunch and dinner service. |
Table status (Pending/In Progress/Ready/Flagged) | Pending = nothing ticked, In Progress = some items ticked, Ready = every item ticked, Flagged = captain-marked issue regardless of tick progress. |
Progress bar + status breakdown | Whole-floor percentage of tables at Ready, plus a live count of tables in each status, updating as items are ticked. |
Mark All Ready | Ticks every checklist item for one table in a single click and clears any existing flag on it. |
Flag Table | Marks a table with a short text reason regardless of its tick progress; re-opening the same action with a blank reason clears the flag. |
Checklist config panel | Add, rename or remove the checklist items every table is checked against; changes apply to all tables' checklists immediately after saving. |
Zone filter | Narrows the table grid to one seating zone/section at a time, useful on a large floor split across multiple captains. |
Tips & Best Practices
- Customise the checklist once, early on, to match your actual place-setting standard rather than leaving the generic 11 default items — the checklist is only useful if it reflects what your restaurant really expects on every table.
- Use Flag Table liberally for anything wrong, even minor — a visible red card is a much more reliable prompt for floor staff than a verbal aside during a busy pre-service rush.
- Print and keep the setup report as a simple, dated record if you ever need to demonstrate consistent service-quality standards.