# Restaurant step 5: tables and floor plan

> Add tables with areas and seats, arrange them on the live floor plan, and use the host screen to seat guests, start orders and mark tables clean.

Source: https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/restaurant/step-5-tables-and-floor-plan/  
Last updated: 2026-10-30  
Product: SmartPOS Hub (https://smartposhub.com)

Tables let you take dine-in orders per table, see at a glance which tables are busy, and keep an open tab running until the guests pay. In this step you add your tables, group them into areas and lay them out on the floor plan.

## Before you start

- **Tables** is switched on in Settings › Business Settings › Modules ([step 2](https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/restaurant/step-2-turn-on-restaurant-modules/)).
- You have the role permission to manage tables (owners, admins and the Restaurant Manager role do).

## Add your tables

1. Open **Restaurant › Tables & floor plan**.
2. Pick the branch in the location dropdown at the top left.
3. Click **Add table**, or **Import prebuilt** to start from a ready-made layout ([step 3](https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/restaurant/step-3-import-prebuilt-restaurant-setup/)).
4. Enter the table name (keep it short, like "T4" or "B2"), the **area** (Main Hall, Terrace, Booths), the number of **seats** and the shape.
5. Save. Repeat for each table.

:::tip[Name tables the way staff call them]
The table name prints on kitchen tickets, bills and table QR codes, and guests see it in the online menu. "T4" is quicker to read on a busy kitchen screen than "Window table 4".
:::

## Arrange the floor plan

1. Switch to the **Floor** view.
2. Click **Edit layout**.
3. Drag each table to where it stands in your room. Use the area tabs (**All**, **Dining**, **Terrace**…) to work one area at a time.
4. Save the layout.

![Floor plan with tables T1 to T5 and L1, L2 showing free, occupied and needs cleaning states with timers and totals](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/tables-floor-plan.b54G-aQD.png) (web app page: `/modules/tables`)
*The live floor: occupied tables show time seated and the running total; the summary chips count free, occupied, reserved and needs-cleaning tables.*

## Use the floor during service

Click any table to open its side panel. From there you can:

- **Seat a walk-in** or **start a sale** for a free table, which opens the POS with the table already picked.
- **Open the running order** of an occupied table to add items or take payment.
- **Assign a booking** to the table.
- **Move the order** to another table.
- **Mark the table clean** after guests leave (when "needs cleaning" is on in Restaurant settings).

**Open host screen** gives the host or hostess a full-screen floor view on a tablet at the door. **Cards** and **List** views show the same tables as a list for small screens.

![SmartPOS Business app floor view with tables grouped by area showing free, busy and reserved states](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/app-floor-plan.Dcp6HO5-.png)
*The same floor in the SmartPOS Business app, for waiters on the move.*

## Tips

- Seats matter: the floor shows **Seats free** and the booking screen suggests tables by party size.
- Make seasonal tables (terrace in winter) **inactive** instead of deleting them, so their history stays.
- The floor states update by themselves; no need to refresh.

## Next step

  - [Step 6: Kitchen display and stations](https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/restaurant/step-6-kitchen-display-and-stations/)
  - [Restaurant module reference](https://docs.smartposhub.com/modules/restaurant/)

## Frequently asked questions

### Are tables shared between branches?

No. Each table belongs to one business location. Use the location picker at the top of Tables & floor plan to switch branches.

### What do the table colours mean?

Green is free, red is occupied, orange has a booking within 60 minutes, blue needs cleaning and dashed is inactive. Occupied tables also show how long guests have been seated and the running total.

### How do I move guests to another table?

Open the occupied table on the floor plan and use the move order action in its side panel. The order and its kitchen tickets follow the guests.

### Can I hide a table for a private event?

Yes. Edit the table and make it inactive. It stays on the plan, greyed out, and can't be picked on the POS.

### Can waiters see the floor plan on a phone?

Yes. The SmartPOS Business app has a Floor view with the same live states, and the web floor plan works in a phone browser.