← All tips
Technology 1 min read Published 20 June 2026

The tablet on the floor that replaces three printers

Order pads, kitchen tickets, table notes — one $300 tablet. The change pays back in 30 days.

Most floor inefficiency in a service comes from staff walking back to a terminal, waiting at a printer, or running a paper docket. A single hospitality-grade tablet (Toughbook, ruggedised iPad) per section changes the flow.

What the tablet replaces

  • Walking back to the terminal to send orders.
  • The kitchen printer (sends direct to the BOH screen).
  • The bill-printout-and-walk-back loop.
  • The “hang on, I’ll just check” on allergens — they have it in their hand.

The ROI

One section staff member saves around 35–45 minutes per service of walking time. Over six services a week, that’s 4 hours of labour reallocated. At $35/hr fully loaded, the tablet pays back inside 30 days.