ArenPOS

1. What is ArenPOS?

ArenPOS is a free restaurant automation system built for restaurants and cafes. With a single Windows application you can take orders at the register, manage table orders from your waiters' phones, and deliver orders to the kitchen instantly.

Core Features:

• Desktop Cashier: Menu management, order creation, taking payment, receipt printing
• Waiter Mobile: Take orders from a phone, send to tables, instant notifications
• Kitchen Display (KDS): Real-time order display, prep status tracking
• Reporting: Daily/weekly/monthly sales, product-level analysis, CSV export
• Multiple Printers: ESC/POS thermal and Windows printer (GDI) support, routing by category (register / kitchen / bar)
• Printer Beep Alert: Double beep at kitchen/bar printers, single beep at the register — prevents a ticket from being missed in a noisy environment
• Portion Sizes: Price variations like Full / Half / 1.5x; the correct portion is added to the order at the correct price
• Order Notes: Per-item special request notes (e.g. "less salt", "no onion") are printed on the kitchen ticket
• Product Description: An ⓘ button in the menu shows an ingredients/allergen popup — the waiter can read it to the customer instantly
• Remote Bill Printing: A waiter can print the table bill on the register printer instantly (an informational receipt before payment)
• Split Payments & Table Transfer: Splitting the bill, moving an order (from both the cashier and waiter side)
• Tax Management: Different tax rates, tax-inclusive/exclusive pricing option
• Real-Time Sync: WebSocket-based — waiter, cashier and kitchen screens stay in sync in under a second
• Runs Locally: No internet connection required, runs on your Wi-Fi network

2. System Requirements

Component	Requirement
Register Computer	Windows 10/11, at least 4 GB RAM, 200 MB free disk space
Waiter Device	Any phone/tablet (Android, iOS, Windows) — a web browser is enough
Kitchen Display	Any tablet or computer — a web browser is enough
Network	A local Wi-Fi network (all devices must be on the same network)
Printer (Optional)	An ESC/POS-compatible thermal printer, or any printer installed on Windows

3. Download and Installation

3.1 — Downloading

3.2 — Installation

3.3 — Uninstalling

4. First Launch and Setup

4.1 — Starting the App

4.2 — Basic Setup (15 Minutes)

On first launch, we recommend configuring the following settings in order:

Setting	Description	Where?
Business Info	Restaurant name, phone, address (shown on receipts)	Settings → Business
Build the Menu	Add your categories and products (bulk import via CSV is possible)	Menu Management
Table Layout	Define your tables and sections (dining room, patio, etc.)	Table Management
Users	Add waiters, cashiers and kitchen users (log in with a PIN)	User Management
Printers	Configure register, kitchen and bar printers; choose beep alert and print mode	Settings → Printers
Tax Settings	Tax rates and tax-inclusive/exclusive choice	Settings → Tax

4.3 — User Roles

In ArenPOS, every user is assigned a PIN and a role:

Role	Access	Description
admin	Full access	All settings, reports, menu, user management
cashier	Register screen	Create orders, take payment, print receipts
waiter	Waiter mobile	View tables, take orders, send to kitchen
kitchen	Kitchen display	View orders, update prep status

5. Database and Backups (IMPORTANT!)

ArenPOS stores all of your data (menu, orders, tables, users, sales history, etc.) in a single arenpos.db SQLite database file. If this file is lost, all your data is lost. Please read this section carefully.

5.1 — Where is the Database File?

The arenpos.db file is automatically created in the same folder as ArenPOSWorld.exe. In other words, wherever the exe is, the database is right there with it.

5.2 — ⚠️ WARNING ABOUT MOVING THE APP

5.3 — Backing Up the Database (All Data)

To avoid losing your data, it's strongly recommended that you back up regularly. Backing up is very simple: just copy the arenpos.db file.

5.4 — Restoring From a Backup

5.5 — Backing Up the Menu (Menu Only)

If you just want to back up your menu (categories + products + prices) or transfer it to another installation, you can use the Menu Excel Export feature inside the app.

5.6 — What Gets Backed Up? Comparison

Data	arenpos.db backup	Menu CSV backup
Categories & Products	✅ Included	✅ Included
Prices & Tax	✅ Included	✅ Included
Tables & Sections	✅ Included	❌ Not included
Users & PINs	✅ Included	❌ Not included
Order & Sales History	✅ Included	❌ Not included
Printer & System Settings	✅ Included	❌ Not included

6. Network Configuration

To use ArenPOS's waiter and kitchen features, all devices need to be on the same Wi-Fi network. The register computer acts as the "server".

6.1 — Finding the Register Computer's IP Address

6.2 — Windows Firewall Setting

6.3 — Connecting a Waiter/Kitchen Device

6.4 — Network Architecture Diagram

7. Using the Waiter App

The waiter app is a mobile-friendly interface that runs in a browser. Waiters take orders from their phones and send them to the kitchen.

7.1 — Logging In

1. Open http://<register-ip>:9090 in your browser.
2. Enter your PIN on the keypad (at least 4 digits).
3. Tap "Log In".

7.2 — Selecting a Table and Creating an Order

1. After logging in, the table list screen opens.
2. Tables are shown grouped by section (dining room, patio, etc.). Occupied tables are shown with a dark red border and a duration badge in the top right (how many minutes the order has been open).
3. Tap the table you want to take an order for.
4. On the order screen:
   • Choose products from the categories (Drinks, Food, etc.)
   • Tap a product to add it to the order
   • For portioned items (cards with a yellow ⧗ badge), a portion picker opens; choose one option such as Full / Half / 1.5x
   • If a product card has an ⓘ button, you can read the ingredients/allergen description
   • Tap a cart item to add a special note (e.g. "less salt", "no onion")
   • Use the + / − buttons to increase/decrease the quantity
5. Tap "Send to Kitchen" to send the order.

7.3 — Tracking Orders

• The "My Orders" button shows all the open orders you've taken.
• When the kitchen marks an order as "Ready", you get a vibration notification on your phone.
• Order items are tracked through the sent → preparing → ready states.

7.4 — Printing the Bill (From Waiter to Register)

When a customer asks "can I see the bill?", the waiter can print it on the register's printer straight from their phone, without walking to the table.

7.5 — Transferring a Table (From the Waiter)

When a customer wants to change tables, an open order can be transferred to another empty table. The bill, items sent to the kitchen, and the total move over to the new table exactly as they were.

1. On the current table's order screen, tap the blue "Transfer Table" button in the top bar.
2. In the list that opens, empty tables are shown in green, occupied tables in gray (disabled).
3. Choose the destination table — the order moves there instantly, and the old table becomes free.

7.6 — Additional Features

Feature	Description
Cancel Order	You can remove items that haven't been sent to the kitchen yet using the − button
Cancel an Item	You can also cancel an item already sent to the kitchen; an automatic "CANCELLED" ticket prints at the kitchen printer
Portion Selection	Choose Full / Half / 1.5x, etc. for portioned items — prices apply automatically
Order Note	Per-item special request note — reflected on the kitchen ticket and kitchen display
Product Description	The ⓘ button in the menu — ingredients/allergen popup, read instantly to the customer
Print the Bill	Print the table's bill on the register printer instantly — an informational receipt before payment
Table Transfer	You can move an open order to another empty table
Additional Order	You can add new items to an existing order and send it to the kitchen again; only the new items are printed
Live Updates	Changes from the register or another waiter appear instantly on your screen (WebSocket)

8. Using the Kitchen Display (KDS)

The Kitchen Display System shows incoming orders in real time. Kitchen staff manage the prep process from this screen.

8.1 — Opening the Kitchen Display

8.2 — Screen Layout

The kitchen display uses a card-based layout. Each open order appears as a card:

Section	Information Shown
Card Header	Order number (#), table name, elapsed time
Order Items	Product name, quantity, note (if any), status color
Action Buttons	"Prepare" → "Ready" status transitions
Top Bar	Pending/ready item count, Refresh and Logout buttons

8.3 — Order Statuses and Color Codes

Status	Color	Meaning
Sent	🟡 Yellow	The waiter sent the order, prep hasn't started yet
Preparing	🟠 Orange	The kitchen has started preparing it
Ready	🟢 Green	Prepared, ready to serve
Cancelled	🔴 Red	A cancelled item

8.4 — Kitchen Workflow

1. When a new order arrives, a card with a yellow border appears on screen.
2. Tap "Prepare" on an item to indicate you've started preparing it.
3. When it's ready, tap "Ready ✓" — a notification is sent to the waiter's phone.
4. Once all items are ready, the card fades automatically.

8.5 — Printer Beep Sound (Kitchen/Bar)

ArenPOS plays a double beep on tickets printed at kitchen and bar stations (single beep at the register station). This ensures a printed ticket isn't missed in a noisy service environment.

• Settings → Printers → turn the "Beep Alert" option on/off.
• Only ESC/POS-compatible thermal printers respond to the beep command; the Windows driver filters it out in GDI mode.
• If you don't hear the beep, check whether the printer's "buzzer/bell" switch is turned off.

8.6 — Urgent Order Alerts

Time	Appearance	Meaning
0-8 minutes	Normal card	Within standard time
8-15 minutes	Yellow-bordered card	Attention — taking a while
15+ minutes	Red-bordered, blinking card	Urgent — taking too long!

9. Order Flow — End to End

Here's how a single order moves from start to finish:

10. Troubleshooting (FAQ)

The waiter/kitchen device can't connect to the register computer

• Make sure all devices are on the same Wi-Fi network.
• Check that ArenPOS has been allowed through the Windows Firewall on the register computer (Section 6.2).
• Make sure you entered the register computer's IP address correctly (check with ipconfig).
• Enter the correct address using the "Server Setting" button on the waiter login screen.
• Make sure your antivirus software isn't blocking port 9090.

ArenPOS won't open, or shows an error

• Make sure you're using Windows 10 or 11.
• Try running the app as administrator (right-click → "Run as administrator").
• Make sure your antivirus software isn't blocking ArenPOS.

The order doesn't appear on the kitchen display

• Make sure the waiter sent the order using the "Send to Kitchen" button.
• Tap the "Refresh" button on the kitchen display.
• Check the connection — is the device still on the same Wi-Fi?

I opened the app and my menu and data are gone!

• This is most likely because you moved ArenPOSWorld.exe to a different folder without moving the arenpos.db file along with it.
• Solution: Go to your previous installation folder, the arenpos.db file should still be there. Copy that file into the folder with the new exe.
• If you can't find the old folder but you have a backup: follow the "Restoring From a Backup" steps in Section 5.4.
• If you're not taking backups, start taking regular backups from today so this doesn't happen again (Section 5.3).

How do I back up my database?

• Close ArenPOS → copy the arenpos.db file from the installation folder → paste it somewhere safe (USB, cloud).
• See Section 5.3 for a detailed walkthrough.

No receipt is printing

• Make sure the printer is turned on and connected.
• Check that your printer is selected correctly under ArenPOS Settings → Printers.
• Verify that the "Auto Print" option is checked for the relevant station; if it's off, the receipt is generated but not printed.
• Print a test page from Windows to confirm the printer is working.
• If it still doesn't print, try switching the Print Mode (ESC/POS ↔ GDI). GDI is preferred if you're seeing issues with special characters.

The printer isn't beeping

• Make sure the "Beep Alert" option is turned on under Settings → Printers.
• Check that the printer's physical buzzer/bell switch is turned on (usually a small DIP switch on the bottom or back of the printer).
• If print mode is set to GDI, the beep may be filtered out by the Windows driver; switch to ESC/POS mode to test the beep.
• Not all thermal printers support beeping — check the model's specs for "buzzer support".

A waiter wants to print the bill — how do they do it?

• In the waiter app, open the table → tap the green "Bill" button in the top bar.
• The button only appears if there is at least one item already sent to the kitchen (you can't print a bill for an empty table).
• If the register printer is off/disabled, an error message appears; check the "Register Station" in the settings.

A waiter opens a table but can't see the items / the cart shows empty

• This issue was fixed as of version 1.1. Make sure you're using the latest ArenPOSWorld-Setup.exe installer package.
• In older versions, a rare reconciliation race could auto-close a newly opened empty order, causing a parallel empty order to open on the same table on the waiter's next tap.

How do I set up a portioned product?

• In the register app, go to Menu Management → the "Portions" button on the relevant product's row.
• Add portions such as Full / Half / 1.5x with their own prices.
• When a waiter taps that product, the portion picker opens automatically; the correct portion is added to the order at the correct price.

11. Contact and Support

Channel	Info
Website	www.arenpos.com
Email	arenposdestek@gmail.com
Phone / WhatsApp	+90 (541) 231 7888

Quick Reference Card

You can print this page and hang it next to the register.