Help Center
How can we help?
Step-by-step answers for restaurant teams, covering every part of Umenio from your first menu to a busy Friday night.
Getting started
Set up your restaurant, build your first menu and learn where everything lives.
Umenio is a restaurant operating system built for Arabic and English. Your diners scan a QR code, browse a branded menu, order and pay from their table. Your team runs the orders on a live kitchen board, and you manage everything from the Owner Panel or from your phone with Umenio Pocket.
Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial and no credit card is required. You can cancel at any time.
- Open umenio.com and choose "Get started".
- Enter your restaurant name and your mobile number, and create a password.
- Upload a photo or PDF of your current menu, or start from an empty menu.
- Review the menu the AI builds for you, then publish it.
There are four places, each built for a different job:
The Owner Panel, on a computer, is where you set things up: menu, payments, discounts, team, branches, tables and reports.
Umenio Pocket, on your phone, shows today's sales, live orders, delayed orders and sold-out items, and holds the Umenio Assistant.
The kitchen board, on a kitchen screen or tablet, is where your cooks move orders from new to ready.
The floor workspace is where hosts and cashiers seat guests, handle reservations and the waitlist, and take orders for walk-in guests.
Umenio Pocket is your restaurant on your phone: today's revenue, orders and average order value, live orders, a "Needs attention" list, quick menu edits, alerts and the Umenio Assistant.
It is a web app, so there is nothing to download from an app store. Open it in your phone's browser, sign in with your mobile number and password, then use your browser's "Add to Home Screen" option.
Yes, with a passkey. Sign in once with your password, then open "Sign-in security" and choose "Add a passkey". Next time, sign in with your face, fingerprint or screen lock.
Your password keeps working. A passkey is an extra way in, tied to that device. Umenio never sees your fingerprint or face: it stores only a public credential.
There are two usual reasons. Some features come with specific plans: see the Pricing page, or "Plans & Billing" in the Owner Panel. And team members only see the tabs their role allows, so ask the restaurant owner to check your role under "Team & Access".
Languages & translation
Serve diners in Arabic, English and more, and translate your menu with AI.
Open "Localization" in the Owner Panel. Your source language is the one your items are written in. Choose "+ Add Language" to add another, up to three languages in total including the source.
For each added language, choose a translation mode: "Original only", "Manual" (you type the translations) or "AI assisted".
In "Localization", choose "Translate All" and the AI translates every item's name and description into your added languages. The results land in the Translation Table, where you can correct any line by hand.
Read the translations before relying on them, especially dish names that have a well-known local spelling.
The "Default Guest Language" setting in "Localization" decides what diners see on their first visit. They can switch language from the menu at any time, and Arabic is shown right-to-left.
You choose, under "Fallback Behaviour" in "Localization": show the item in the source language, hide it from diners using that language, or show a "Not translated yet" placeholder.
To find items that still need translating, ask the Umenio Assistant "Which menu items need translations?"
Umenio Assistant (AI)
Ask about sales and your menu, and let the Assistant prepare changes you review and apply.
The Assistant is a conversation about your restaurant. It answers questions about your menu and your sales, and it prepares changes for you: a new price, an item marked sold out, a new item or category, a renamed category, a new offer.
It never changes your menu by itself. Every change it prepares waits for you to review and apply it. Open it from the Assistant button in Umenio Pocket.
Ask in plain words, in Arabic or English. The Assistant reads your actual orders, so its numbers match your reports. Some questions that work well:
"How did we do yesterday compared with the day before?" gives revenue, order count and average order value, with the previous period for comparison.
"What are my ten best-selling items this month?" or "What isn't selling this week?" ranks items by the revenue they brought in. Items with no sales are included, because that is usually what you want to know.
"Today" and "yesterday" mean your service day, which runs from each branch's cutover hour (04:00 by default), so late-night orders count towards the day you were still working.
Ask for it, for example: "Prepare an offer for our new breakfast menu on the home screen." The Assistant prepares a "New offer" proposal with its title, button text and where it is shown (Home screen, Offers tab or Search screen).
Review the draft on its card and apply it, and the offer card appears on your diner menu. To see what is already running, ask "Show my active menu offers".
Discount codes and automatic pricing rules are set up under "Discounts" in the Owner Panel, not through the Assistant. See the Offers & marketing section.
The Assistant prepares a price change as a proposal. It never applies one without you.
If the price changed after the proposal was prepared, for example because a colleague edited it, nothing is applied. The card tells you so and offers to re-propose from the current price. When a proposal covers several items, it is all or nothing: one changed item stops the whole proposal, so your menu is never left half-updated.
- Ask, for example: "Raise the chicken shawarma to 120." Or choose "Prepare a change", then "Change an item price".
- Read the proposal card. It shows the current value next to the proposed value, and which branches it applies to.
- Choose "Apply" to make the change live in one step, or "Open in editor" to adjust it by hand before saving.
- Changed your mind? Choose "Decline". Or, after applying, choose "Undo this change", which prepares a new proposal that restores the old price.
A proposal can be applied for 15 minutes after it is prepared, and the card shows "Valid until" with the exact time. The short window keeps you from applying a change measured against a menu that has since moved on.
An expired proposal changes nothing. Ask the Assistant again and it prepares a fresh one from the current values.
Anyone who can view the menu can ask the Assistant questions. Preparing and applying changes needs permission to manage the menu, the same permission required to edit it by hand. The Assistant only sees the branches that person is allowed to see.
If you see "Umenio Assistant is not enabled for this restaurant" or "Sales reporting isn't switched on", contact Umenio support to have it switched on.
Prices, counts and item names the Assistant quotes come from your own data, and you can check them against your menu and reports. General advice, such as what to promote, is the model's suggestion, so treat it as a starting point.
Conversations are deleted after 30 days. The record of which changes were applied is kept.
Orders & customers
How diners order and check out, phone verification, and keeping orders moving.
A diner scans the QR code on their table, browses your menu, adds items to the cart and checks out. They don't need an account. The order reaches your kitchen board tagged with their table, and the diner can follow its status live on their phone.
Before a diner's first order, they enter their mobile number and type the 6-digit code sent to them by SMS. That proves the number reaches them, so you are not preparing food for a fake number.
Verification happens once. A verified number stays verified at every restaurant on Umenio, so returning diners are not asked again.
Only Egyptian mobile numbers can receive the code. If you turn verification off, diners can order with any valid number, but you can no longer be sure it is theirs.
Yes. It is on by default. To change it, open "Fulfillment" in the Owner Panel and switch "Require verified phone to order". Turning it off lets diners order with an unconfirmed number, which is faster for them but lets fake numbers through.
Open "Fulfillment" in the Owner Panel and switch on the modes you offer under "Fulfillment Modes". Dine-in lets diners order from their table. Pickup needs a pickup address. Delivery needs a dispatch address and a flat delivery fee.
Diners only see the modes you switch on when they check out.
Switch off "Accept Orders" under "Global Order Control" in "Fulfillment". The quick switch on the Owner Panel dashboard does the same. Diners can still browse the menu but cannot place orders until you switch it back on. Umenio Pocket shows "Ordering is paused" under "Needs attention" so you don't forget.
Received: the order has arrived and nobody has started it. Preparing: the kitchen is working on it. Ready: it is waiting to be served or collected. Delivered: it has reached the guest.
The diner sees each change on their tracking screen. If WhatsApp customer notifications are on, they also get a message when the order is received, ready or cancelled.
An order counts as delayed once it has waited more than 15 minutes without being completed.
On the kitchen board, each order card carries a live timer that turns red at 15 minutes.
In Umenio Pocket, the home screen lists delayed orders under "Needs attention", and you get an alert. The alert clears itself once the order moves forward.
Live orders appear the moment they are placed, in three places: the kitchen board, "Live Orders" on the Owner Panel dashboard, and the orders screen in Umenio Pocket. From the Owner Panel you can also move an order forward ("Start preparing", "Mark ready", "Mark delivered") and notify the customer.
You decide, with "Customer directory scope". "Restaurant-wide" lets every branch you have authorised share one directory of guests. "Branch-only" means each branch only sees the guests it has served itself.
Offers & marketing
Discount codes, automatic pricing rules, weekend offers and promo banners.
Both live under "Discounts" in the Owner Panel.
A coupon is a code the diner types at checkout, such as RAMADAN20. Use it when you want to reward the people you gave the code to.
A pricing rule applies by itself to everyone, whenever its conditions are met, for example 15% off desserts every Friday. Use it when the discount is for anyone who orders at that time.
As a coupon: open "Discounts", choose "Create Coupon", enter the code and an internal name, set "Discount Type" to "% Off" and enter the percentage. You can add a minimum order amount, a maximum number of uses, and start and end dates.
As an automatic rule, follow the steps below. A percentage can't be higher than 100.
- Open "Discounts" and choose "Create Rule".
- Discount type: choose "Percentage Off".
- Scope: "All Menu Items", "Specific Categories" or individual items.
- Value & name: enter the percentage and a name diners will recognise, such as "Desserts 15% Off".
- Schedule, conditions and priority: set these, or leave them empty to apply every day.
- Review, then choose "Activate Rule".
Create a pricing rule and, on the "Schedule" step, select only the days you want under "Days of Week", for example Fri and Sat. Add a start and end date if the offer should run for a limited number of weekends.
Leaving "Days of Week" empty means every day. Rules are scheduled by date and day, not by hour, and "Today" follows each branch's own clock.
Each rule has a priority: the higher number is evaluated first. A rule only combines with others if you switched on "Allow stacking with other promotions". Otherwise the first rule that applies wins. Keep stacking off unless you have worked out what the combined discount costs you.
Not yet. Umenio's WhatsApp messages are about orders only: new-order and cancellation alerts to your team, and order updates to your customers. It does not send marketing broadcasts.
To promote an offer on WhatsApp today, create a coupon code under "Discounts", copy your menu link from "Restaurant Profile" ("Share Menu", then "Copy Link"), and send both from your own WhatsApp Business account. If you'd like broadcasts built into Umenio, tell us through the Contact page.
Kitchen display
Run orders on the kitchen board, pair kitchen screens and control stock during service.
The kitchen board shows every open order as a card in columns: new orders, preparing, ready and completed. Drag a card to the next column, or tap it to move it forward. Each move updates the diner's tracking screen straight away.
Each card has a live timer that turns red once the order has waited more than 15 minutes.
Any screen with a modern web browser works: a tablet, a TV with a browser, or a small computer. A paired device belongs to one branch and shows that branch's orders only. It never shows prices, payments or customer contact details.
- On the kitchen device, open the kitchen screen. It shows a 6-character pairing code and a QR code.
- In the Owner Panel, open "Kitchen Devices" and choose "Pair a new device".
- Type the code, for example AB3X9K, and choose the branch.
- Optionally choose a station, such as the grill, so the device only shows that station's tickets.
- Save. The device appears under "Paired devices" and starts showing orders.
Open the 86 panel on the kitchen board and choose "86 — mark out of stock" next to the item. It disappears from diners' ordering straight away, and Umenio Pocket lists it under "Needs attention" as sold out. Switch it back the same way once it is available again.
Yes. From the kitchen board, print a ticket for any order. The ticket, sized for narrow receipt paper, opens in your browser's print dialog, so it prints on whichever printer that device already uses. See Settings & hardware for printer setup.
On plans with the offline Kitchen Display, and in the desktop app, the board keeps showing the orders it already has and catches up when the connection returns. New orders can't reach a device that is offline, so keep the kitchen on a reliable connection during service.
Tables, QR & floor
Print table QR codes, run the floor, and take reservations and a waitlist.
Every table gets its own QR code. When a diner scans it, their order is tagged with that table automatically.
- Open "Tables & QR" in the Owner Panel.
- Choose "Add Table" and enter the table number. Repeat for each table.
- Choose "Customize Style" to match the cards to your brand.
- Select the tables and choose "Download PDF". You get an A4 PDF with 4 QR codes per page, ready to print.
Each table's code is unique and can be revoked. In "Tables & QR", generate a new code for that table and print it. The old code stops tagging orders to the table, so someone who photographed it can't place orders as if they were sitting there.
The floor workspace is for your hosts and cashiers. It shows which tables are free, seated or being cleaned, lets staff seat walk-in guests and reservations, take orders on a guest's behalf, and record payment at the table.
Open "Service & Floor" and choose the branch. Switch on "Guest reservations" and "Guest waitlist", then set the rules: how far ahead guests may book, the minimum notice, the largest party that can book online, the default visit length and the no-show grace period.
Each branch has its own settings. A branch you haven't configured uses sensible defaults.
At the branch's cutover hour, 04:00 by default, in the branch's own timezone. Everything that says "today" (the kitchen board, reports, the Assistant) follows this service day, so an order at 1 a.m. still belongs to the night you were working. Late venues can change the hour under "Board reset hour" in "Service & Floor".
Payments
Accept cash, InstaPay and online payment gateways, with the money going straight to you.
You choose them under "Payments" in the Owner Panel:
Cash: the diner sends the order to the kitchen and pays in cash, or on your own card machine, at the table.
InstaPay: the diner pays through your InstaPay link.
Online gateways: Paymob for local cards and mobile wallets such as Vodafone Cash, Stripe for Apple Pay, Google Pay and international cards, plus Kashier and Fawry.
For each method you can set the button label diners see in the app.
No. Payments go directly to your own account. Umenio does not hold your money and never sees diners' card numbers, which are handled entirely by the payment gateway. Your gateway charges its own fees under its agreement with you.
Open "Payments", enable the gateway and paste the credentials from that gateway's own dashboard. For Paymob, they are under API Keys in the Paymob developer dashboard. For Fawry, they are in the Fawry Business portal under Integration, then API Settings. Then choose "Save Payment Settings".
Never share your Secret Key with anyone, including over chat or WhatsApp. It gives full access to your gateway account.
WhatsApp alerts
Order alerts for your team and order updates for your customers, on WhatsApp.
Two kinds of messages, each switched on separately under "WhatsApp Alerts" in the Owner Panel:
Internal alerts: new-order and cancellation alerts sent to your team's WhatsApp numbers.
Customer notifications: order received, ready and cancelled updates sent to the diner's phone.
Choose the "Message language" your messages are sent in.
Under "Team recipients" in "WhatsApp Alerts", enter a phone number and, optionally, a name, then choose "Add". Add as many people as you need, such as the manager on shift and the kitchen lead. Remove someone the day they leave.
Open the "Delivery log" in "WhatsApp Alerts". Each message shows its status: Queued, Sent, Delivered, Read, Failed or Undeliverable. Undeliverable usually means the number is not on WhatsApp.
Team, roles & branches
Add staff, give each person the right role, and limit people to their branches.
Before saving, the review step lists what this person will and will not be able to do.
- Open "Team & Access" in the Owner Panel and choose "Add member".
- Enter their full name and mobile number, and choose a role.
- Optionally restrict them to specific branches.
- Set a first password of at least 8 characters and tell it to them.
- Review and choose "Add member". They can sign in right away, and should then set up a passkey so they never need to type the password again.
Give each person the smallest role that lets them do their job:
General manager: runs the whole restaurant, but cannot change billing or transfer ownership.
Branch manager: runs their assigned branches, including staff operations and refunds.
Kitchen staff: the kitchen order workflow and item availability, with no payment or customer data.
Floor staff: takes and updates orders, seats tables and records payment.
Cashier: orders, tables, receipts and permitted payments, with no refunds, billing or team access.
Menu editor: the menu, categories, availability, images and AI content, with no financial or staff access.
Inventory manager: stock, suppliers, purchasing and low-stock work.
Delivery dispatcher: delivery orders and riders, seeing only the contact details a delivery needs.
Analyst (read-only): reads reports, with no customer contact details and no exports.
The owner always has full access, including billing.
When adding or editing the member, choose the branches under "Branch restriction (optional)". They then see and act on those branches' orders, tables and reports only. Leave it empty to give them every branch.
The "Branches" column in "Team & Access" shows each person's scope at a glance, and "Access report" lists who can do what.
In "Team & Access", open the member and choose "Deactivate". They can no longer sign in, and everything they did stays in your records. You can "Reactivate" them later. Also remove their number from WhatsApp team recipients.
Open "Branches" in the Owner Panel and choose "+ Add Branch". Enter the branch name, its location and, optionally, a phone number. One branch is marked "Main branch".
Each branch has its own kitchen devices, service settings, cutover hour and timezone, and you can see every branch together in your reports.
Reports & inventory
Understand your sales and service, and keep track of stock and recipes.
The Owner Panel dashboard shows today's orders and revenue, a 12-month revenue trend and your top performers over the last 30 days. "Reports" goes deeper: QR orders against orders entered by staff, cancellations and their reasons, orders by day, station workload, and hour-by-hour heatmaps.
Umenio Pocket shows today's revenue, orders and average order value compared with yesterday.
Revenue is what you billed and kept over a service day: placed orders minus cancelled ones, with discounts already taken off at checkout and refunds subtracted. Merged orders are only counted once. An unpaid order still counts, because it is an open tab, not lost money.
Per-item revenue doesn't subtract refunds, since a refund isn't recorded against a specific item. That's why your item totals won't add up exactly to your revenue.
Open "Service Report" and pick a date range. It summarises table sessions, reservations and the waitlist, so you can see how long guests stayed and how many were waiting.
Open "Inventory" to track your stock items and their low, critical and out-of-stock levels. Build "Recipes" that list the ingredients and waste percentage for each dish, raise purchase orders under "Procurement", record "Stock Counts", and log waste in the "Waste Log".
You get an alert when an item falls to a low or critical level.
Settings & hardware
POS machines, printers and the devices Umenio runs on.
Not directly yet. Umenio doesn't connect to POS systems or card terminals today. It runs ordering from start to finish on its own, and deeper POS integrations are on our roadmap. Tell us which system you use through the Contact page.
Your existing card machine still works alongside Umenio: enable "Cash" under "Payments", and diners send their order to the kitchen and pay at the table in cash or on your machine. Staff then record the payment in the floor workspace.
Umenio has no printer settings of its own. It prints through the device's browser, so any printer that device can already print to will work, including a thermal receipt printer.
Customer receipts are sent digitally by WhatsApp to the number the diner ordered with, once you add your WhatsApp Business Number under "Restaurant Profile".
- Install the printer on the kitchen computer or tablet, following its manufacturer's instructions, and print a test page from the device.
- Open the kitchen board on that device and print a ticket from any order.
- In the print dialog, choose the receipt printer and set margins to none or minimum. The ticket is sized for narrow receipt paper.
- Your browser remembers the printer for the next ticket.
Umenio runs in a web browser, so there is no special hardware to buy. Use a computer for the Owner Panel, any phone for Umenio Pocket, and a tablet, TV or small computer for the kitchen board. Diners use their own phones and don't need to install an app. A desktop app for the kitchen display is included on plans that offer it.
Under "Restaurant Profile" in the Owner Panel: "Operating Hours", "Timezone", "Time Format" and "Currency", along with your restaurant name, logo, banner, address, Google Maps link and social media. Set the timezone correctly, because reports and "today" depend on it.
Plans, billing & domains
Your plan, your trial, your menu's web address and your own domain.
Starter suits food trucks and pop-ups: a bilingual AI-built menu with up to 50 items, table ordering and live order tracking. Growth suits independent restaurants: unlimited items, the kitchen display, WhatsApp notifications, discounts, team roles and analytics. Scale suits groups and tourist hotspots: every branch on one screen, inventory, reservations, your own domain and white-label.
Compare them on the Pricing page, and change plan any time under "Plans & Billing". Yearly billing saves 20%.
You can cancel any time from "Plans & Billing". A cancelled plan shows "Cancels soon" until the end of the period you have paid for. For refunds, see the Exchange & Refunds page.
Yes, on plans that include a custom domain. Open "Domains", choose "Connect Domain" and enter the domain. Then open "View DNS setup instructions" and add the records shown there at your domain provider. Use "Check Status" until the domain shows as Active. DNS changes can take up to 48 hours.