> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ofatoura.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Managing Tables and Waiter Assignments

> Create and manage dine-in tables in the oFatoura web admin — set table codes, areas, seating capacity, and active status, understand availability statuses, and assign waiters to tables.

Tables represent the physical seats in your dining room. Each table belongs to an area, has a unique code and a seating capacity, and shows a live availability status so your team can see at a glance which tables are free, in use, or held for a reservation. You manage all of this from the web admin in your browser.

## Permissions

Access to the Tables page and its actions is controlled by separate permissions, so you can let staff view tables without letting them change anything.

* **Show Table** — view the Tables page.
* **Create Table** — add new tables.
* **Update Table** — edit an existing table's details.
* **Delete Table** — remove tables.
* **Sync Table Status** — manually reconcile table availability against live orders.
* **Manage Table Assignments** — assign or reassign waiters to a table.

<Note>
  Tables live under **Restaurant Settings → Tables** (the table icon in the sidebar). Dining areas are managed on a separate page — see [Managing Dining Areas](/floor/areas).
</Note>

## Table fields

When you add or edit a table, you set the following:

| Field                | Notes                                                                                                           |
| -------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Table Code**       | Required. The label staff and customers see (for example, "T1" or "Patio-3"). Must be unique within the branch. |
| **Area**             | Required. Choose which dining area the table belongs to.                                                        |
| **Seating Capacity** | Required. The number of guests the table seats.                                                                 |
| **Table Status**     | Active or inactive. Inactive tables are kept on record but taken out of everyday use.                           |
| **Assigned Waiters** | Optional. One or more waiters responsible for the table. Requires the Manage Table Assignments permission.      |

<Warning>
  Each table code must be unique within a branch. If you try to save a code that another table in the same branch already uses, the save will be rejected. The same code can exist in a different branch.
</Warning>

## Availability status

Separate from the active/inactive setting, each table shows a computed **availability status** that oFatoura works out automatically from current orders and reservations:

* **Available** — the table is free and ready to seat guests.
* **Running** — the table has an active order in progress.
* **Reserved** — the table is held for a reservation.

You do not set this status by hand during service; it updates as orders are opened and closed. If it ever drifts out of step with reality, you can reconcile it — see [Table Status and Manual Sync](/floor/table-status-sync).

## Adding a table

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Tables page">
    Go to **Restaurant Settings → Tables** in the sidebar.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start a new table">
    Choose to add a new table.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter the details">
    Give the table a unique code, choose its area, set the seating capacity, and set its status to active.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Assign waiters (optional)">
    If you have the Manage Table Assignments permission, select one or more waiters for the table.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Save the table. A QR code for the table is generated automatically.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  A QR code is created for every new table automatically. You can view, download, and reprint these from the QR Codes page — see [Generating and Managing Table QR Codes](/floor/qr-codes).
</Tip>

## Editing and deleting tables

Open any table to change its code, area, seating capacity, status, or waiter assignments. Use the active/inactive setting to retire a table without deleting its history — for example, a seasonal patio table during the off-season.

Deleting a table removes it from the floor. Use the inactive status instead when you only want to pause a table temporarily.

## View modes and filtering

The Tables page can be shown in different layouts to suit how you work:

* **List view** — a compact, row-by-row list of tables.
* **Grid view** — tables shown as cards.
* **Layout view** — a floor-style arrangement.

Switch between them using the view-mode toggle in the toolbar. To narrow what you see, filter by **availability status** (available, running, reserved) or by **area**. You can also search for a table by its code.

## Assigning waiters to tables

Assigning waiters to a table tells your team who is responsible for it. This is what powers the "my tables only" view that waiters can use on the ePOS app, so they see just their own section.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the table">
    From the Tables page, open the table you want to assign.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select waiters">
    In the assigned waiters field, choose one or more staff members. A single table can have several waiters.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Save the table. The assignment takes effect immediately.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Assigning or reassigning waiters requires the **Manage Table Assignments** permission. Staff without it can still view and edit other table details (if they have the relevant permissions) but cannot change who is assigned.
</Note>

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Managing Dining Areas" icon="layout-grid" href="/floor/areas">
    Organize tables into areas like Indoor, Patio, or VIP.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Table Status and Manual Sync" icon="refresh-cw" href="/floor/table-status-sync">
    Understand availability statuses and reconcile them with live orders.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Table QR Codes" icon="qr-code" href="/floor/qr-codes">
    View, download, and regenerate the QR codes for each table.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Creating Orders on the POS" icon="receipt" href="/pos/creating-orders">
    Select a table when opening a dine-in order.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>