Staff applications · 6 min read
Kiosk and staff order entry
Two ways to take orders without the customer using their own phone: a self-order kiosk tablet in the restaurant, and manual POS-style entry by staff at the counter or on the phone.
Who this is for
Counter staff and the managers who set up in-store ordering.
Two entry channels, one order pipeline
Most orders arrive from customers ordering on their own phones, but not every customer wants to scan. DashDine covers the gap with two staff-side channels: a self-order kiosk that runs the customer experience on a tablet you own, and manual order entry where staff build the order themselves. Both feed the same kitchen display, the same reports, and the same order lifecycle — there is no separate system to reconcile.
What kiosk mode is
Kiosk mode runs the customer ordering experience on a tablet you own — typically mounted at the counter or on a stand near the entrance. It locks the tablet to the menu so a customer cannot accidentally browse to other apps, and it auto-resets between orders so the next person sees a fresh cart.
Setting up the kiosk
- 1
Open a tablet browser to https://dashdinemenu.com/kiosk/{branchSlug}.
- 2
If your branch has dine-in enabled, you may also see a table selector at the start.
- 3
Put the tablet into kiosk lockdown using the OS setting (iOS Guided Access, Android Pinned Apps).
- 4
Optionally protect supervisor access with the staff PIN your runners use.
When the kiosk helps
- Walk-up traffic where customers do not want to install or scan anything.
- Customers who prefer a bigger screen than their phone.
- Drive-through staff entering orders while talking to a customer.
- A backup ordering channel during busy services.
Manual (POS-style) orders by staff
When a customer orders verbally — at the counter, on the phone, or beside the car — staff can enter the order directly from the waiter and kitchen workspace instead of asking the customer to scan.
- 1
In the waiter and kitchen workspace, tap "New manual order" in the top bar.
- 2
A drawer opens with the menu, organised by category.
- 3
Tap items to add them to the cart, just like a customer would.
- 4
Pick the order type and fill in any required fields (vehicle, table).
- 5
Submit. The order lands in the New column like any other.
When to use manual entry
- A walk-up customer at the counter who does not want to scan.
- A phone-in order from a regular.
- A staff comp or family meal that should still appear in reports.
- Recovering an order the customer’s phone could not submit.
How manual orders differ from customer orders
- Staff set the order type and fields directly — no QR scan needed.
- The customer phone can be left blank when there is none (a walk-up).
- The order still appears in admin Orders and Reports with a "manual" tag for filtering.
Frequently asked
Do kiosk and manual orders reach the kitchen differently?
No. They land on the same kitchen display in the same New column and follow the same status lifecycle as orders placed from a customer phone.Can the kiosk take payments?
Kiosk orders use the same payment options as your branch: cash or pay at the counter on all plans, and online payment where you have enabled it.Can a customer mess with the kiosk tablet?
Put the tablet in OS-level lockdown (Guided Access on iOS, Pinned Apps on Android) so it cannot leave the ordering screen, and the kiosk auto-resets the cart between orders.