Shopify for bistros
Shopify for bistros: the dine-in question
A bistro's online life is mostly about the table: guests book one, then order and pay at it. Shopify is a shop for things you send or hand over, so booking and table ordering come from apps. Here is what that means in practice.
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The short answer
Shopify sells products. A bistro sells evenings.
A bistro takes a booking for Friday at 8, seats the table, takes a first order, then dessert and a second bottle, and settles the bill at the end. Takeaway is a side line; delivery may not exist at all.
None of that is in Shopify's own documentation. Shopify's POS Pro is described as retail tools for inventory, reports and staff; its docs don't cover tables or courses. Table QR ordering on the App Store is thin, and booking comes from restaurant apps such as Zapiet Eats.
Where Shopify does help a bistro is selling things: gift cards for a dinner, a wine club box, a cookbook. Keep it for those.
- Booking a table: a restaurant app, such as Zapiet Eats
- Ordering from the table: a QR app, few to choose from
- Gift cards and vouchers: built into Shopify
- Menuthere: table QR on every plan, booking from Lite
One evening, step by step
A table for four, Friday at 8: what each step needs
Read on Shopify's Help Center, its App Store and Menuthere's docs on 20 October 2026.
| Step | On Shopify | On Menuthere |
|---|---|---|
| Guest books a table online | An app. Zapiet Eats includes dine-in and table reservations, US$49.99 a month | Table booking with your slots and notice, from Lite |
| Guest scans the table QR and orders | An app. Flip POS offers QR table ordering from US$25 a month (2 reviews when checked) | QR per table, every plan |
| Steak cooked medium, sauce on the side | An options app for choices; priced extras need a paid tier | Add-on groups with prices, every plan |
| Second round: dessert and coffee | Depends on the app | Added to the same table's order, marked for the kitchen |
| Kitchen gets a ticket | Not in Shopify's docs; restaurant POS apps add it | Kitchen ticket printing, every plan |
| Pay at the end | Shopify POS takes card payments with a supported reader | Cash on every plan; "pay after the order is complete" with online payments, from Lite |
| Someone orders from the car park | Depends on the app | Geo-lock: table orders only from inside your distance, every plan |
Bistro-specific gaps
What a bistro adds to Shopify
Reservations
Shopify has no booking calendar for tables in its docs. Zapiet Eats lists table reservations and dine-in with menus and hours, at US$49.99 a month for 250 orders, then US$0.10 each.
Ordering at the table
Flip POS has QR ordering with self-pay and a kitchen display from US$25 a month for one location. Few apps do this, and the ones we found had very few reviews.
A retail till
POS Pro, US$89 a month per location, is built around inventory and staff. Shopify's docs don't mention tables, courses or kitchen tickets.
What Shopify does well
Gift cards are on every Shopify plan, and online tips are built into checkout. A wine club box with Shopify's free Subscriptions app is a natural fit.
A worked example
A 40-seat bistro with bookings, table QR and takeaway
About 300 table and takeaway orders a month, with choices on most mains. Monthly billing in US dollars, before card fees.
| Cost line | Shopify setup | Menuthere Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | Basic: US$39 | US$17 |
| Bookings and dine-in menus | Zapiet Eats: US$49.99 + 50 extra orders × US$0.10 = US$54.99 | Table booking included |
| Ordering from a table QR | Flip POS Starter: US$25 | Included |
| Priced choices and extras | Globo Product Options Premium: US$9.90 | Included |
| Fee per order without Shopify Payments | 2% of sales on Basic | None |
| Monthly total before card fees | US$128.89 | US$17 |
Shopify Basic is US$29 a month billed yearly; Menuthere's yearly billing charges 10 months for 12. Menuthere's counter POS for walk-in bills is an add-on at US$10 a month, sold on request.
When Shopify is the better choice
Selling the bistro, not the table
Gift cards for a dinner are a store product, and Shopify sells them on every plan.
A wine club or a box of house preserves shipped monthly is a subscription product; Shopify's free Subscriptions app handles weekly, monthly or yearly billing with skip and pause.
Use both: Shopify for vouchers and boxes, Menuthere for bookings and the table. Link Book a table on your Shopify site to your Menuthere page.
How to start
Your bistro on the table, this week
- 1
Create the free page
Go to get started and find your bistro on Google, or add it by hand.
- 2
Upload the menu
A photo or PDF of your lunch and dinner menus. Then set the hours each one shows.
- 3
Print the table QRs
Add your tables and download a QR for each one. Turn on geo-lock if you want orders only from inside.
- 4
Open bookings
On Lite, switch on table booking with your slots, and add the link to your Google Business Profile and Instagram.
Questions owners ask
Answered, plainly.
Sources (8) · checked 2026-10-20
- Shopify pricing (US dollars) · Shopify, read 20 October 2026
- Identify your POS needs · Shopify Help Center, read 20 October 2026
- Shopify POS tips · Shopify Help Center, read 20 October 2026
- Tipping · Shopify Help Center, read 20 October 2026
- Zapiet Eats ‑ Restaurants · Shopify App Store, read 20 October 2026
- Flip POS ‑ Restaurant & Winery · Shopify App Store, read 20 October 2026
- Globo Product Options, Variant · Shopify App Store, read 20 October 2026
- Shopify Subscriptions · Shopify App Store, read 20 October 2026
Bookings and table orders, one menu
Make your bistro's menu and table QRs from a photo of your menu. Free to start, 0% commission.
