Public preorder menu and QR codes

Turn a menu into a customer-facing QR menu for pickup orders.

A preorder menu is a customer-facing public page (e.g. rowie.io/menu/your-slug) where customers browse, order, and either pay now or pay at pickup. Common use: food trucks, pop-ups, coffee shops with line-skip.

In the vendor portal this is called Online Ordering. The page lives at Menus → [menu] → Pre-Orders → Set Up, or from the menu card's More options (⋯) menu → Pre-Order Settings.

Vendor portal sidebar → Menus.
Open the menu, then click the Pre-Orders Off pill in the top bar (or use More options (⋯) → Pre-Order Settings on the menu card).
The Online Ordering page opens. If pre-orders are off, you'll see the "How Pre-Orders Work" intro. Click the big Enable Pre-Orders button to reveal the full form.
Configure these sections:
- Menu URL. The slug for rowie.io/menu/[slug]. Has to be unique across all of Rowie, lowercase, dashes, no spaces. Use the Generate button to derive one from the menu name.
- Payment Options. Three big choice tiles:
  - Both Options (marked Recommended). Let customers choose at checkout.
  - Pay Online. Card charged immediately via Stripe. The order goes straight to the kitchen.
  - Pay at Pickup. Order goes to the kitchen, customer pays on collection via Tap to Pay.
- Menu Layout. Classic Grid, Magazine, List, Cards, Mosaic, or Compact. Each tile has a one-line preview.
- Page Theme. Dark or Light, for the public-facing page only.
- Brand Color. Colour picker with a hex input (default #F59E0B).
- Prep Time. Number of minutes (estimated preparation time, shown to the customer on the confirmation screen).
- Pickup Instructions. Textarea, placeholder e.g., Pick up at the counter on the left side.
Hit Save Changes (top right).

Generate a QR code

After saving, the Menu QR Code section at the bottom of the page renders the branded code. Before the first save it shows the placeholder "Save your changes to update the QR code".

Download PNG. Icon button that exports a high-res PNG.
Copy Link. Icon button that copies the public URL (rowie.io/menu/[slug]).

You can also share the URL directly (Instagram bio, Linktree, business card, sticker).

What customers see

Menu screen: products grouped by category, cart drawer with quantity controls. Menu content is auto-translated based on the visitor's browser language.
Checkout: name and email (required), phone (optional), order notes. Pay-online uses Stripe Elements. Pay-at-pickup just submits.
Success: real-time order status pushed live. No refresh needed.
Confirmation email goes out automatically.

Where preorders show up

Once a customer places an order, it lands in three places:

Vendor portal → Tables. Open sessions list, with a "QR Order" badge so they're easy to spot next to in-person table sessions. Tap one to see items, customer info, and totals.
Vendor portal → Kitchen. Items flow into the kitchen queue. The kitchen advances per-round status (Start cooking → Mark ready → Served). The customer's screen updates in real time.
Mobile POS → Tabs. Pickup orders appear here with a PICKUP badge, alongside any open tabs and held orders. Useful for single-phone setups where the operator can't keep a separate kitchen tablet running.

After the customer pays and collects (or marks served, for pay-at-pickup), the session settles and moves to Orders in the portal sidebar with the rest of your transaction history.

Notes

Preorder menus are public, so no customer account is needed. Rowie limits how fast orders can be placed from one device to deter abuse, and you keep full control over payment mode, prep time, and which menu is exposed. To pause sales without losing the URL, toggle Enable Pre-Orders off. The public page shows a closed state.

Enable preorder on a menu

Vendor portal sidebar → Menus.

Open the menu, then click the Pre-Orders Off pill in the top bar (or use More options (⋯) → Pre-Order Settings on the menu card).

The Online Ordering page opens. If pre-orders are off, you'll see the "How Pre-Orders Work" intro. Click the big Enable Pre-Orders button to reveal the full form.

Configure these sections:

Menu URL. The slug for rowie.io/menu/[slug]. Has to be unique across all of Rowie, lowercase, dashes, no spaces. Use the Generate button to derive one from the menu name.
Payment Options. Three big choice tiles:
- Both Options (marked Recommended). Let customers choose at checkout.
- Pay Online. Card charged immediately via Stripe. The order goes straight to the kitchen.
- Pay at Pickup. Order goes to the kitchen, customer pays on collection via Tap to Pay.
Menu Layout. Classic Grid, Magazine, List, Cards, Mosaic, or Compact. Each tile has a one-line preview.
Page Theme. Dark or Light, for the public-facing page only.
Brand Color. Colour picker with a hex input (default #F59E0B).
Prep Time. Number of minutes (estimated preparation time, shown to the customer on the confirmation screen).
Pickup Instructions. Textarea, placeholder e.g., Pick up at the counter on the left side.

Hit Save Changes (top right).

Generate a QR code

After saving, the Menu QR Code section at the bottom of the page renders the branded code. Before the first save it shows the placeholder "Save your changes to update the QR code".

Download PNG. Icon button that exports a high-res PNG.

Copy Link. Icon button that copies the public URL (rowie.io/menu/[slug]).

You can also share the URL directly (Instagram bio, Linktree, business card, sticker).

What customers see

Menu screen: products grouped by category, cart drawer with quantity controls. Menu content is auto-translated based on the visitor's browser language.

Checkout: name and email (required), phone (optional), order notes. Pay-online uses Stripe Elements. Pay-at-pickup just submits.

Success: real-time order status pushed live. No refresh needed.

Confirmation email goes out automatically.

Where preorders show up

Once a customer places an order, it lands in three places:

Vendor portal → Tables. Open sessions list, with a "QR Order" badge so they're easy to spot next to in-person table sessions. Tap one to see items, customer info, and totals.

Vendor portal → Kitchen. Items flow into the kitchen queue. The kitchen advances per-round status (Start cooking → Mark ready → Served). The customer's screen updates in real time.

Mobile POS → Tabs. Pickup orders appear here with a PICKUP badge, alongside any open tabs and held orders. Useful for single-phone setups where the operator can't keep a separate kitchen tablet running.

After the customer pays and collects (or marks served, for pay-at-pickup), the session settles and moves to Orders in the portal sidebar with the rest of your transaction history.

Notes