SSP Waiter Web
Welcome to SSP Waiter Web - the browser-based point-of-sale interface for restaurant front-of-house operations.
Quick Links
- Tables Management - Manage table status and view orders
- Orders Management - Order operations and bulk actions
- Order Creation - Create and customize orders
- Payments - Payment processing and tips
- Discounts & Refunds - Apply discounts and process refunds
What is SSP Waiter Web?
SSP Waiter Web is a modern, web-based point-of-sale application designed for restaurant servers, hosts, and front-of-house managers. It provides a complete solution for taking orders, managing tables, and processing payments - all from any device with a web browser.
Why Use the Web Version?
- 🌐 No Installation Required: Access from any device with a modern browser
- 💻 Perfect for POS Terminals: Optimized for touchscreen terminals and kiosks
- 📱 Responsive Design: Works on tablets, desktops, and touch displays
- 🔄 Real-Time Updates: Live order status and table availability
- 🔐 Role-Based Access: Permission system for different staff levels
Looking for a native mobile app? Check out SSP Waiter Mobile for iOS, Android, and Windows devices with offline capabilities.
Key Capabilities
For Servers
- Take Orders: Browse menu categories, add items with customizations
- Manage Your Tables: See your assigned tables and their order status
- Process Payments: Accept cash, card, check, or gift card payments
- Apply Discounts: Item-level or order-level discounts with manager approval workflow
For Hosts
- Table Overview: Real-time view of all table statuses
- Seat Guests: Create new orders and assign to tables
- View All Orders: Monitor all active orders across the restaurant
For Managers
- Full Visibility: See all orders and tables regardless of assignment
- Approve Actions: Authorize discounts, voids, and refunds
- Bulk Operations: Merge, split, and reassign orders
- Analytics Dashboard: Track shift performance and sales
How It Works with SSP
SSP Waiter Web is part of the SSP ecosystem:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ SSP Manager │
│ (Menu, Staff, Tables, Payments Configuration) │
└──────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────┘
│
┌───────────────┼───────────────┐
│ │ │
▼ ▼ ▼
┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐
│ SSP Waiter │ │ SSP Waiter │ │ SSP Kitchen │
│ Web │ │ Mobile │ │ (KDS) │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│ • POS │ │ • iOS │ │ • Order │
│ Terminals │ │ • Android │ │ Display │
│ • Tablets │ │ • Windows │ │ • Prep │
│ • Desktops │ │ • Offline │ │ Tracking │
└─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘
- Configure in SSP Manager: Set up your menu, tables, staff, and payment settings
- Operate with SSP Waiter: Take orders and manage tables in real-time
- Prepare in SSP Kitchen: Orders automatically appear on Kitchen Display System
- Everything Syncs: Real-time updates across all devices
Getting Started
1. Access the Application
Navigate to your SSP Waiter Web URL (provided by your administrator):
https://your-restaurant.ssppos.com
2. Sign In
Enter your credentials:
- Email and Password - Standard login
- PIN Code - Quick access for servers (4-6 digit PIN)
3. Select Your Location
If you have access to multiple locations, select the one you're working at today.
4. Start Your Shift
You'll see the Tables view by default, showing your assigned tables.
Navigation
The main navigation sidebar provides access to:
| Section | Description |
|---|---|
| Tables | View and manage table status and orders |
| Orders | Full order list with filtering and bulk actions |
| Create Order | Start a new order (with or without table) |
| Analytics | Sales and performance dashboards |
| Settings | App preferences (coming soon) |
Understanding the Interface
View Modes
Most views support two modes:
- My Tables / My Orders: Shows only what's assigned to you
- All Tables / All Orders: Shows everything at your location
Toggle between modes using the tabs at the top of the page.
Status Indicators
Orders and tables use color-coded badges:
Order badges:
| Color | Badge | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 🔵 Blue | Ordered | Being built, or waiting to go to the kitchen |
| 🟠 Orange | Preparing | At least one plate is being cooked |
| 🔵 Indigo | Ready | Every plate is plated, waiting to go out |
| 🟢 Green | Served | Everything is on the table |
| 🟣 Purple | Partially paid | Some money has been taken |
| 🟢 Emerald | Paid | Settled in full |
| ⬜ Gray | Completed | Closed by hand to free the table |
| 🔴 Red | Cancelled / Voided / Refunded | Finished for good, nothing more to do |
A red RUSH badge sits beside the status, not instead of it.
Table rings (cards and floor layout alike):
| Color | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 🟢 Green | Available |
| 🔵 Blue | Seated |
| 🟡 Amber, dashed | Reserved |
| ⬜ Gray | Out of service |
| 🟠 Orange | Seated 45 min+ |
| 🔴 Red | Seated 90 min+ |
Real-Time Updates
The app automatically updates when:
- Orders are submitted to the kitchen
- Item status changes (Preparing → Ready)
- Payments are processed
- Table status changes
No manual refresh needed. As a backstop, the order page re-reads itself every 30 seconds and the lists every 60, so a dropped connection never leaves a screen stale for long.
Order lifecycle
An order does not march through a fixed list of steps. Its status is a summary of its plates. You move plates — by sending them, firing a course, plating them in the kitchen, serving them, taking payment — and the order's badge follows on its own.
A plate
Every plate on an order carries its own status. This is the part that really moves:
A plate held for a later course stays Ordered until that course is fired. Recalls run backwards: a plate sent back to the kitchen returns to Preparing, and a plate cleared off the table returns to Ready. Once a plate is Paid or Cancelled it stops moving.
The order
The order reads whatever its live plates add up to:
| The order shows | When |
|---|---|
| Ordered | Nothing has gone to the kitchen yet |
| Preparing | At least one plate is being cooked |
| Ready | Every live plate is plated, none served yet |
| Served | Every live plate is on the table |
| Partially paid | Some money has been taken, a balance remains |
| Paid | Settled in full |
Cancelled plates are ignored in that summary, so cancelling one line does not hold the order back. Cancel or void every line and the order itself reads Cancelled.
Completed is a deliberate action, not a step. Use Mark as Completed on a paid order (or Complete & Free Table from the table card) when you want the table released. Nothing sets it automatically.
Cancelled, Voided, Refunded and Abandoned end an order for good. An order in one of these is finished — it cannot be cooked, served or paid.
Courses change the shape
On a coursed order only the fired courses are in the kitchen; the rest sit as Held and their plates stay Ordered. Marking the whole order ready or served does not drag a held course along with it — the later courses wait until you fire them. See Courses.
The same words everywhere
The status word comes from the server, so the waiter app, the Kitchen Display System and SSP Manager all call a plate the same thing. In particular a plate being cooked reads Preparing, never "Cooking".
Permissions
Actions are controlled by your role:
| Action | Server | Host | Manager |
|---|---|---|---|
| View assigned tables | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| View all tables | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Create orders | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Submit to kitchen / fire a course | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Apply discounts | 🔑 | 🔑 | ✅ |
| Process refunds | 🔑 | 🔑 | ✅ |
| Void orders | 🔑 | 🔑 | ✅ |
| Merge/split orders | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Assign servers | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
🔑 = Requires manager approval if you don't have direct permission
Browser Requirements
SSP Waiter Web works best on:
- Chrome 90+ (recommended)
- Safari 14+
- Firefox 88+
- Edge 90+
For optimal experience:
- Enable JavaScript
- Allow notifications (for real-time alerts)
- Use a stable internet connection
Support
Need help? We're here for you:
- 📧 Email: support@ssppos.com
- 📚 Documentation: Explore the guides in this documentation
- 💬 Live Chat: Available in your SSP Manager dashboard
Ready to dive deeper? Explore the feature guides in the sidebar to learn about specific capabilities.