PizzaGest PDA

• What is PizzaGest PDA
• Getting started
• Opening the PDA
• Logging in
• Exiting the PDA
• Taking an order
• Tables, bar and terrace
• Guests
• Categories and items
• Changing the ingredients
• Quantity and cooking notes
• Half and half
• Reviewing and sending the order
• Reviewing the order
• Sending the order to the kitchen
• Changing an order already sent
• Asking for the bill
• Help
• Warnings and messages
• Frequently asked questions

What is PizzaGest PDA

PizzaGest PDA is the PizzaGest module that lets waiters take dine-in orders on a phone or tablet, without leaving the table. The order reaches PizzaGest right away and the ticket is printed in the kitchen.

With the PDA you can:

• Open orders for a table, the bar or the terrace.
• Add products with a single tap, with their photo in view.
• Change a product's ingredients: remove some, add extras or make it half and half.
• Set the course (starter, first course, main course, dessert) and the cooking notes for the kitchen.
• See the table's running total at any time.
• Change an order that was already sent and ask for the bill.

The PDA is available in Spanish, Catalan and English.

What you need

• A phone or tablet with a web browser, connected to the restaurant's Wi-Fi.
• PizzaGest running on the restaurant's computer.
• The employee must have clocked in on PizzaGest.

An order from start to finish

This manual follows one example throughout: Table 7, with 4 guests.

1. Log in with your employee code.
2. Choose the table and enter the number of guests.
3. Add the products, changing the ingredients or the quantity where needed.
4. Review the order and send it to the kitchen.
5. When the guests have finished, ask for the bill.

Getting started

Opening the PDA

To open the PDA, the phone or tablet has to be connected to the restaurant's Wi-Fi.

PizzaGest generates an access QR code: scan it with the device's camera and the PDA opens in the browser. You will see a screen like this one:

On this screen you can:

Choose the language: tap Español, Català or English. You can also change it later, with the flag at the top right of every screen.

Log in: takes you to the employee login screen.

The language only changes what the waiter sees. The ticket that reaches the kitchen stays the same.

To avoid scanning the QR code every time, save the page to your browser's favorites or add it to the device's home screen.

Logging in

After tapping Log in on the start screen, the Employee login screen appears:

 

Enter your employee code on the keypad and tap Log in.

Clear: deletes the whole code.

Delete arrow: deletes only the last digit.

If the code is correct, the PDA greets you by name. Tap Continue to go to the Orders screen. If the name shown is not yours, tap Not me to go back.

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If you cannot log in, the PDA tells you why:

The employee does not exist: the code does not match any employee. Tap Back and enter it again.

The employee has not clocked in: the employee exists but has not clocked in yet. Clock in on PizzaGest and try again.

Employees with manager access can use the PDA without clocking in.

Exiting the PDA

At the end of your shift, or whenever you put the device away, exit the PDA so that nobody else can take orders under your name.

On the Orders screen, tap the arrow at the top left to go back to the employee login screen, and there tap Exit PizzaGest.

The PDA confirms that it has been closed. The Log in again button takes you back to the start screen.

If only the waiter is changing, there is no need to exit: go back to the login screen and enter the other employee's code.

Taking an order

Tables, bar and terrace

After logging in you reach the Orders screen. This is the starting point: from here you open a new order or go into one that is already open.

 

New order

At the top there is one button for each type of order: Table, Bar and Terrace. Only the types set up for the restaurant in PizzaGest are shown; the restaurant in the example has no bar.

Tap one of them, for example Table, and all the table numbers appear:

Free: the table has no order. Tap it to open one.

Taken: the table already has an open order and is shown in gray. To go into it, use Open orders.

Example: in the picture, tables 3 and 12 are taken. Tap 7 to open a new order.

After you choose the table, the PDA asks for the number of guests.

Open orders

Below are all the orders currently open in the restaurant, with their count to the right of the heading. An order can be in one of two states:

Open: tap it to view or change the order.

Locked: another waiter is changing that order right now on another device. It is shown in red with a padlock. You can go in to look at it, but the PDA warns you that it is locked.

The list refreshes by itself every 30 seconds. To refresh it right away, tap the circular arrows button at the top right.

Guests

When you open a new order, the PDA asks how many people are at the table:

Tap the number of guests and you go straight to the product categories.

Example: there are 4 people at Table 7, so tap 4.

If someone joins later or you made a mistake, change it from the order screen with the Change button.

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From now on, the top of every screen in the order shows:

• The table you are working on and your name.
• Categories: to go back to the product categories.
• Order: to see what has been ordered so far and its total.
• Finish order: to send the order to the kitchen.
• The flag, to change the language.

Categories and items

Products are organized in categories, the same as in PizzaGest: pizzas, salads, drinks, desserts…

 

Tap a category and its items appear, each with its photo.

Adding an item

Tap the item (or the + button) to add one unit to the order, just as it comes on the menu. There is nothing to confirm: the PDA shows a green message at the top and you can keep adding.

Example: go into Salads and tap the César salad. The message "Added: César" appears.

If you need more than one unit, a change of ingredients or a cooking note, tap the Options button that every item has at the top right corner of its photo:

• If the item has ingredients, you go to the ingredients screen.
• If it has none (a drink, a dessert), you go straight to the quantity.

Course

Above the items is the Course selector, which tells the kitchen in what order each product should come out:

?: not set.

S: starter.

1st: first course.

2nd: main course.

D: dessert.

Choose the course before adding the items. It stays selected for everything you add afterwards, until you change it.

Example: before the salad tap S, and when you go into Medium Pizzas tap 2nd. The salad will come out as a starter and the pizzas as the main course.

If you make a mistake, you can change the course of each product later from the order screen.

Changing the ingredients

When the guest wants a product made their way, tap the item's Options button on the items screen. You will see a screen like this one:

 

The top shows the item's name, its price, the description and its allergen icons. The price and the allergens update with every change you make.

Recipe: removing ingredients

Recipe lists the ingredients the item comes with.

To remove an ingredient, tap it: it is shown crossed out, in red, with the word NO. Tap it again to put it back.

Add extras

Below are all the ingredients you can add, grouped the same way as in PizzaGest (dough, sauces, cheese, protein, vegetables…). Tap an ingredient to add it: it appears in the recipe, in green, with the word EXTRA. To remove it, tap it in the recipe.

To the right of each group there is a counter, for example 0/5: the extras added and the maximum that group allows. Once the maximum is reached, the other ingredients in the group can no longer be tapped.

"Choose one" groups

Some groups, such as the dough or the base cheese, are marked Choose one: the product must always have one option, and only one. The current one is checked. When you tap another, the PDA makes the swap: in the recipe the old one appears as NO and the new one as SWAP.

If one of these options is missing, the PDA shows the message Still to choose and does not let you continue until you pick it.

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Example: the guest orders a Medium BBQ Chicken with no bacon, with caramelized onion and mushroom, on thin dough.

1. Under Recipe tap Bacon: it becomes "NO Bacon".
2. In the vegetables group tap the caramelized onion and Mushroom: they appear as EXTRA and the counter goes to 2/5.
3. Under Dough tap Thin dough: it appears as "SWAP Thin dough".
4. The price has gone from €12.99 to €15.39.

When you are done, tap Continue to set the quantity and cooking notes. To discard the item, tap the X next to its name.

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On a tablet, the recipe and the extras are shown in two columns:

Quantity and cooking notes

You reach this screen by tapping Continue on the ingredients screen or, if the item has no ingredients, directly from its Options button.

Quantity: use the − and + buttons to set how many units the guest wants. You can also tap the number and type it.

Cooking notes: the instructions for the kitchen. The usual notes the restaurant has set up in PizzaGest for that category are listed (for example "Lightly cooked"); just tap one. If you do not need any, leave None selected.

Other note: if what the guest asks for is not on the list, tap here to type it.

 

Type the note (25 characters max.) and tap Add note. You go back to the previous screen, where the note now appears.

Finally, tap Add item to add it to the order.

Example: the guest wants 2 BBQ pizzas like the one just prepared, cut into 8 slices. Tap + to set the quantity to 2, tap Other note, type "Cut into 8 slices" and tap Add item.

Cooking notes only appear for categories that are printed in the kitchen.

Half and half

In categories that allow it, such as pizzas, you can make a product half and half: half of one item and half of another.

It takes two steps:

1. Add the first half as a normal item, with one unit.
2. For the second half, tap the other item's Options button and then Continue. The quantity screen shows the question Half and half with the previous item: select Yes and tap Add item.

Example: the guest wants a pizza that is half 4 Formaggio and half Carbonara. Tap Medium 4 Formaggio to add it. Then tap Options on the Medium Carbonara, Continue, select Yes and Add item.

On the order screen the two halves appear together, marked 1st half and 2nd half, with a single price.

Keep in mind that:

• The question only appears if the previous item is one unit from the same category (or from a category that can be combined with it).
• Each half can have its own ingredient changes.
• If you delete one half from the order, both are deleted.

Reviewing and sending the order

Reviewing the order

You can see what has been ordered at any time by tapping Order at the top. You will see a screen like this one:

Guests: the number of people at the table. The Change button takes you back to the guests screen.

Order lines: each product you have added, with:

• The quantity and the name.
• The line's amount.
• The ingredients, marked NO for the ones removed and WITH for the ones added.
• The cooking note, if there is one.
• The course. Tap it to cycle through ?, S, 1st, 2nd, D.
• The trash can, to delete the line.

Total: the table's amount so far.

Example: Table 7 has ordered a César salad as a starter, two BBQ pizzas made their way, a half 4 Formaggio and half Carbonara pizza, the drinks and a dessert. The total is €64.80.

At the bottom there are two buttons:

Add products: goes back to the categories to keep ordering.

Ask for the bill: for when the guests have finished. See Asking for the bill.

The total shown here is the sum of the products. Offers are applied when you ask for the bill.

When the order is complete, tap Finish order to send it to the kitchen.

Sending the order to the kitchen

When you have finished taking the order, tap Finish order at the top right. You do not need to go through the order screen first.

When you do:

• The order is sent to PizzaGest and the ticket is printed in the kitchen, without anyone having to go to the computer.
• The PDA goes back to the Orders screen, where the table is listed under Open orders.

From then on, the table can also be viewed and paid from PizzaGest.

Keep in mind that:

• If you tap Finish order without adding any product, the table is closed and becomes free again.
• While you have an order open on your screen, other devices see it as Locked. So always tap Finish order when you are done, even if you changed nothing.

If the guests order something else, go back into the table from Open orders. See Changing an order already sent.

Changing an order already sent

To add or remove products on a table whose order is already in the kitchen, tap it under Open orders on the Orders screen.

Adding products

Go into the categories and add the products as usual. When you tap Finish order, only the new ones reach the kitchen.

Removing a product that is already in the kitchen

Tap Order to see the lines:

 

Products that were already sent are marked In the kitchen. Their course can no longer be changed.

To remove one of them, tap its trash can. The product does not disappear: it is crossed out with the message Will be removed when the order is sent. If you made a mistake, tap the circular arrows button to put it back.

When you tap Finish order, the PDA asks you to confirm and shows the products that will be removed:

Yes, send the order: the order is sent and PizzaGest removes those products from the table.

No, review the order: you go back to the order and nothing is sent.

Example: the guests at Table 7 order a coffee with milk and say they no longer want the dessert. Go into the table, add the coffee, tap Order and the trash can next to the Oreo Jar. The total drops from €66.70 to €61.71. Tap Finish order and Yes, send the order.

Keep in mind that:

• Products you have just added and not yet sent are deleted right away with the trash can, with no confirmation.
• You cannot delete the whole order from the PDA. If you mark every product for removal, the PDA tells you that the whole order has to be canceled from PizzaGest.

Asking for the bill

When the guests ask for the bill, go into the table, tap Order and then the Ask for the bill button at the bottom.

The PDA asks PizzaGest for the bill; PizzaGest applies any offers that apply and works out the total. Meanwhile you will see this message:

In a few seconds the bill summary appears, just as it will print on the receipt: the products, the offers applied with the products each one includes, and the total.

Below the summary there are two buttons:

Print the bill: the bill is printed on the restaurant's printer. When it is done, the PDA shows the message Bill printed and you can take it to the customer.

Exit without printing: goes back to the Orders screen without printing anything.

If the customer prefers other offers than the ones applied, exit without printing and apply them from the computer.

If there were products not yet sent, they are sent to the kitchen when you ask for the bill. And if any products were marked for removal, the PDA asks you to confirm first.

If PizzaGest does not answer

If 30 seconds go by and PizzaGest has not calculated the bill, the PDA tells you:

Send the order without the bill: the order is sent and the bill is printed from the computer.

Try again: asks for the bill again.

The most common cause is that PizzaGest is not running on the restaurant's computer.

If the message The bill could not be calculated appears, the table may be open on a computer. Close it there and tap Try again.

Help

Warnings and messages

These are the messages the PDA can show and what to do in each case.

When logging in

Start the server first: PizzaGest is not running on the restaurant's computer. Start it and tap Try again.

Error accessing the database: the PDA cannot connect to PizzaGest. Check that the restaurant's computer is on and that the device is connected to the restaurant's Wi-Fi.

The database version is too old: PizzaGest has to be updated to use this version of the PDA.

The employee does not exist and The employee has not clocked in: see Logging in.

When opening a table

Table locked by another device: another waiter has that order open on their device. You can look at the order, but the right thing to do is tap Exit without changes and wait for your coworker to tap Finish order.

If the table stays locked and nobody is using it, someone left it without tapping Finish order. That waiter just needs to go back into the table on their device and tap Finish order.

The table is already closed: the table was paid or closed from PizzaGest while you had it on screen. Tap Choose another table.

When taking the order

Still to choose: the product has a group of ingredients where picking one option is required, such as the dough.

Ingredients max.: the product already has the maximum number of ingredients its category allows.

When sending the order or asking for the bill

Send the order?: some products that were already in the kitchen are marked for removal. Check the list and confirm.

The order cannot be sent: every product is marked for removal. The whole order has to be canceled from PizzaGest.

PizzaGest did not answer and The bill could not be calculated: see Asking for the bill.

Frequently asked questions

Can waiters use their own phone?

Yes. The PDA runs in the browser of any phone or tablet. There is nothing to install: connect it to the restaurant's Wi-Fi and scan the access QR code.

Does it work outside the restaurant or on mobile data?

No. The device has to be connected to the restaurant's Wi-Fi, because the PDA talks to the computer where PizzaGest runs.

I added a product by mistake. How do I remove it?

Tap Order and then the trash can on that line. See Reviewing the order.

Can I change a product that is already in the kitchen?

You can remove it by marking it for removal and add a new one. See Changing an order already sent.

How do I know how much a table has spent?

Go into the table and tap Order: the Total is shown below the lines. Offers are applied when you ask for the bill.

The guest has an allergy. Where do I see the allergens?

On the product's ingredients screen, below its name. The icons update as you remove or add ingredients.

What happens if two waiters go into the same table?

The second one sees the table locked warning. This prevents two people from changing the same order at once. See Warnings and messages.

I changed the language. Does the kitchen ticket change?

No. The language only affects what the waiter sees on screen. The ticket prints as usual.

A category or a product does not appear on the PDA

Products, their photos, ingredients and cooking notes are set up in PizzaGest. If one is missing, check there that it is active for dine-in sales.