Overview

Who should read this

This page is for owners, admins, managers, and staff leads who are setting up a restaurant, cafe, cloud kitchen, or multi-outlet group on Zesty.

You do not need technical skills. Follow the steps in order, run one test order before opening to guests, and use the Launch guide inside the app to track remaining setup tasks.

How onboarding works today

Zesty onboarding is shorter than a long paper checklist. In practice you will:

1. Create your account — email or sign-in method your organization uses.
2. Create the organization — your restaurant or group name.
3. Complete the restaurant profile — address, phone, tax details, payment settings, hours.
4. Choose intended plan and features — pick what you plan to keep after trial; trial unlocks all optional modules for 14 days.
5. Choose sales workflow mode — Orders only, POS only, or Combined (see Sales workflow modes).
6. Add your first branch — even single-outlet restaurants use one main branch.
7. Invite staff — when you are ready; not required on day one.

After onboarding, use Settings → Launch guide for a step-by-step checklist: menu, tables, staff, test order, and first live shift.

Trial, plan, and feature catalog

After trial, modules not included in your plan are disabled unless you upgrade. Owners update the catalog in Settings → Features. Each save requires password confirmation or a one-time email code.

Read the full module list in Feature catalog.

What each role usually does

Owner

• Billing and subscription
• Organization and branch settings
• Feature catalog and sales workflow mode
• Staff invites and permission reviews
• Support tickets and plan upgrades

Admin

• Menu, tables, payments, printers
• Branch configuration
• Day-to-day operational rules
• Staff management (when delegated)

Staff

• Orders, KDS, billing, POS, inventory, customers—only what their role allows
• Must work inside an open operational shift for most protected actions

Customer (guest)

• Orders from QR links in the phone browser
• No app install, no staff login

The setup path (detailed)

1. Profile and payments

Enter legal and customer-facing details correctly. They appear on bills, QR screens, and reports. Set which payment modes you accept: cash, manual UPI, Razorpay, or mixed.

2. Sales workflow and features

Pick how you sell. A counter-only cafe may choose POS only. A full-service restaurant usually chooses Combined or Orders only.

3. Branches and tables

Single outlet: one main branch is enough. Multi-outlet: add each location. Create one table record per physical table and print a unique QR code for each.

4. Menu

Build categories and items. Set food type (Veg / Non-veg) where required. Mark sold-out items unavailable instead of deleting them. Import large menus via preview → apply.

5. Staff and permissions

Invite only the people who need access. Give the smallest permission set that still lets them do their job. Review access when someone leaves.

6. Operational shift and test order

Open a shift. Place a test order (staff or QR). Move it through KDS. Bill and collect payment. Review order history. Close practice via Shift Desk when training.

Try before you commit

One-hour demo (/demo)

• Synthetic restaurant data
• Auto-deletes after one hour
• Some actions blocked (billing changes, invites, branch admin)
• Good for clicking through the product

Pilot program (/case-studies)

• Real setup help from the Zesty team
• Menu import, kitchen routing, billing, first shift
• For restaurants planning to go live

First-day checklist

• Table QR opens the correct table and menu
• Sold-out items are hidden from customers
• Payment modes match how you collect money
• Staff see only the modules they need
• Operational shift opens and closes cleanly
• One full test order: order → kitchen → bill → payment → receipt
• Manager knows how to use Shift Desk at day end

Where to go next

• Feature catalog — every module explained
• Restaurant setup — profile, branches, tables, printers
• Orders and billing — daily service workflows