Front of House

Overview

Front of house (FOH) is how your floor team moves guests from order to bill: open a tab, add items, park open orders, transfer ownership between staff, and close with payment.

Tavio FOH is tab-based (customer name + staff owner). There is no visual floor-plan or table map yet — if you need a table number for the kitchen, put it in the customer name or an order note.

This handbook covers the POS floor flow — not kitchen prep (see Kitchen Display) or stock (see Inventory).

Service flow at a glance

1. Staff sign in with their staff code.
2. Start a new order (All Orders / New Order).
3. Optionally set a customer name so runners can find the right tab.
4. Add items from categories.
5. Park the order when the guest is still dining (keeps it open on All Orders). Food lines go to the kitchen when the order is parked/sent.
6. Adjust later (notes, add items, voids with permission, staff transfer).
7. Close with payment when the guest is done (cash, card, split, signed, unpaid, or comp).

Tip: Train new waiters on park → find tab on All Orders → close payment before teaching transfers and voids.

Tabs and customer names

• Use a customer name (or table label in the name field) so busy bars can tell tabs apart.
• Always work under the right staff code so tips and sales reports stay honest.
• Open orders live on All Orders until paid or voided.

On the till: New Order → add items → Park. Do not leave large unpaid tabs overnight without a manager plan.

Transfers and parking

Transfer order

Move an order to another staff member when sections change or a waiter goes off shift. Manager token may be required. This does not move a guest between physical tables — it only changes who owns the tab.

In admin: Sales → Orders — you can still see who owned the order for audit.

Park / hold

Park when the guest is still dining or the bill is not ready to close. Clear parked/open tabs before cash up so nothing is forgotten.

Combine orders

On All Orders you can combine tabs when guests join (source order is voided into the target). Use with care and tell the kitchen if tickets already printed.

Discounts and manager actions

Discounts, comps, and quantity reductions often need the admin PIN. Decide who may approve them and write it into your house rules.

Warning: Unlimited floor discounts without a PIN invites leakage. Keep PIN with managers only.

Closing the tab

When guests are done:

1. Open the tab on All Orders (or complete from the order screen).
2. Review the bill on screen.
3. Open payment.
4. Choose method(s): cash, card, split, signed, unpaid, or comp.
5. Confirm amounts match the due total.
6. Close the order.

See the Payments handbook for split tender, signed tabs, and comps.

Common questions

Can two waiters share a tab? Prefer one owner per open order; transfer when needed.

Guest moves seats? Update the customer name / note on the same order — do not open a duplicate tab and forget the first.

Wrong item sent? Modify or void with permission, then add the correct item so kitchen gets a fresh ticket. Tell the kitchen immediately.

Tips

Good practice: End every shift with zero mystery open tabs on All Orders.

Good practice: Brief the floor on which methods need a manager (signed, comp, unpaid).

Troubleshooting

Glossary