How to Use CafeFlow: Step-by-Step Operations Guide

Signup & Onboarding

CafeFlow does not require credit cards or licensing contracts. Setting up an account is fast, secure, and yields instant test credits.

1. Go to the signup portal at app.cafeflow.fun/signup.
2. Provide your name, email address, password, and select Register Store.
3. Upon registration, CafeFlow automatically deposits 5,000 Free Welcome Coins into your store wallet. These coins can be used to test all system features (POS checkouts, QR menus, inventory deductions) risk-free.

Store Settings & User Roles

Before entering products, adjust your operational parameters and configure your team's access rights.

1. Cafe Profile Settings

Access the Settings panel from the sidebar menu to define:

• Store Name & Contact: Printed on customer receipts.
• Currency & Timezone: Dictates billing representations and local daily reporting schedules.
• Tax Configuration: Define local tax percentages (e.g., GST or VAT) to apply to orders.

2. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

Add staff members to your workspace under Team Management. Assign one of the following roles to keep your data secure:

• Owner / Admin: Full system access, including billing, billing gateway, coin recharges, sales reports, and database permissions.
• Manager: Can customize menu items, adjust recipes, modify tables, edit staff shifts, and process inventory restocking logs. Settings updates are read-only.
• Staff / Barista: Allowed to process sales on the POS Billing Terminal, view kitchen orders (KDS), and mark orders as complete. Denied access to inventory pricing, financial logs, and settings parameters.

Building Your Digital Menu

Your digital menu serves both the internal POS billing system and the public-facing QR code table ordering interface.

1. Select the Menu tab in your dashboard.
2. Create Menu Categories (e.g., Hot Coffees, Cold Brews, Pastries, Custom Add-Ons). Organizing items into clean categories speeds up POS selection and guides QR menu visitors.
3. Add Menu Items. Fill in the item name, description, retail price, and upload an image.
4. Set up Item Customization Groups (e.g., Milk Selection: Whole Milk, Oat Milk, Soy Milk; Espresso Shot: Single, Double). Customizations can carry positive price adjustments (e.g., adding ₹40 for Oat Milk).

Inventory & Ingredient Recipe Costing

To automate stock control and track profits, link menu items to their raw ingredients.

1. Populate Raw Ingredients Inventory

Go to the Inventory panel and catalog your basic ingredients (e.g., Espresso Beans in grams, Whole Milk in liters, Paper Cups in units, Vanilla Syrup in ml). For each item, set a Reorder Threshold.

2. Configure Ingredient-Level Recipe Costing

Under the menu item settings, click Link Ingredients (Recipe). For a standard 12oz Caffe Latte, configure:

• Espresso Beans: 18g
• Whole Milk: 250ml
• Paper Cup & Lid: 1 unit

When an order for a Caffe Latte is placed, CafeFlow automatically deducts these exact amounts from your stock records. If you sell out of cups or milk, the system alerts your managers and can mark the item as out-of-stock.

Table Setup & QR Code Ordering

Frictionless, app-free dining allows customers to scan, order, and pay at their tables in under 15 seconds.

1. Navigate to the Table Management panel.
2. Add your physical tables by entering their labels (e.g., Table 1, Table 2, Balcony A).
3. CafeFlow automatically generates a unique URL and dynamic QR code for each table.
4. Download the high-resolution QR codes, print them, and place them on the corresponding tables.
5. When a customer scans a table QR, they are directed to your custom menu. They can place orders and complete digital payments (UPI, credit cards). The order immediately appears in the kitchen queue with the correct table identifier.

Operating the POS Terminal

CafeFlow's cloud-based Point of Sale billing terminal is built for extreme speed, reducing counter checkout time to under 3 minutes per order.

• Queue Routing & KDS: Every order placed via the counter POS or table QR code is routed to the Kitchen Display System (KDS). Tickets are balanced dynamically based on volume.
• Offline Resiliency Mode: If your local internet drops, CafeFlow activates its local caching engine automatically. Cashiers can continue to ring up cash sales uninterrupted. Transactions are secured in local browser storage and synced to the cloud DB the instant network connectivity is restored.

Understanding the Coin Model & Recharges

CafeFlow utilizes a usage-based currency model to keep operating costs aligned with your cafe's sales volume.

• Order Fee: Every processed customer order consumes exactly 10 coins (approx. ₹1 or equivalent).
• Free Operations: Menu configurations, staff schedule entries, sitemap requests, and stock checking do not consume coins. You only pay for successful orders.
• Coin Recharges: When your wallet balance runs low, navigate to the Wallet / Billing screen. Select from the following packages and pay securely via Cashfree or PayPal:
  • Starter Package: ₹100 for 750 coins (~75 orders)
  • Growth Package: ₹500 for 4,500 coins (~450 orders)
  • Enterprise Package: ₹1,000 for 10,000 coins (~1,000 orders)
• High-Volume Bonus: Recharges above 10,000 coins automatically earn a 1% bonus coin credit (e.g., a ₹1,100 recharge yields 11,110 coins). Unused coins roll over and never expire.