The ViaCucina guide

1. Open the sign-up pageGo to viacucina.it/registrati or press "Free trial" on the home page.
2. Fill in your detailsVenue name, email, admin username and password (at least 8 characters). Venue type and city are optional.
3. Choose a recovery word("Parola chiave"), for example the name of your first pet. You'll need it to change your password if you forget it, even without email.
4. Accept the terms and press "Crea il locale e inizia la prova"(Create the venue and start the trial). Your free 14-day trial starts straight away, with all features and no credit card.

1. Create the categoriesType a name, for example "Starters", "Pizzas" or "Drinks", and press "Aggiungi" (Add). Categories are the groups the waiter opens and closes on the phone.
2. Add the dishesIn each category, type the dish name and price, and choose the course ("portata").
3. SaveChanges reach the waiters' phones automatically within a minute.

What the course is for

Sold out? Hide it with one tap

Set menus

1. Open ⚙ Impostazioni → Utenti(Settings → Users). Settings you rarely need are grouped behind the ⚙ button. To go back to the menu, press "← Torna al lavoro" (Back to work).
2. Create a user for each person on the floorUsername, password of at least 8 characters and role "cameriere" (waiter). Their name will appear on the tickets.
3. Send the link to your waitersIn "Il mio locale" (My venue) you'll find a ready-made link that already includes your venue code.

Connecting your venue's computer (option B)

1. Get the codeIn "Stampanti" (Printers) press "Collega il computer del locale" (Connect the venue's computer). A 6-digit code appears, valid for 10 minutes.
   482 913example · valid for 9:41
2. Install the print agent on the venue's computerFrom the print agent download page.
   • Windows: open ComandeFacili-Stampa.exe. If Windows shows a warning, press "More info" and then "Run anyway".
   • Linux and Raspberry Pi: open the Terminal, paste this command and press Enter:
   curl -fsSL https://viacucina.it/linux | sh
3. Enter the codeWhen the program asks for it, type the 6 digits and press Enter. Answer S (yes) to have it start automatically every time the computer is switched on.
4. Go back to the admin areaThe computer appears by itself as "collegato" (connected) and looks for printers. If one is missing, switch it on and press "Cerca di nuovo" (Search again).

Adding a printer

1. Press "+ Aggiungi stampante"(Add printer)
2. Choose what it prints
   • Cucina (Kitchen): dishes without prices, with tick boxes;
   • Cassa (Cash desk): the table's final bill when the table is freed, with prices and total;
   • Bar: drinks only;
   • Personalizzata (Custom): choose the courses yourself in the advanced options.
3. Choose which printerThe list shows the printers found by the computer and, if you use them, your cloud printers.
4. Press "Crea e fai una stampa di prova"(Create and print a test). If the page comes out, you're all set.

First time: add the app to the home screen

Taking an order

1. Enter the table and coversAt the top, in the "Tavolo" (Table) and "Coperti" (Covers) fields. Covers are needed to open a new table: if they don't apply (for example drinks only at the bar) enter 0. For a table that's already open you don't need to enter them again: the field shows the ones already entered.
2. Open the categories and choose the dishesTap a category to open it and use + and − next to each dish. You can also search for a dish by name.
3. Add notesTap a dish's row to write a note, for example "no onions" or "well done". The note prints under the dish in the kitchen.
4. Choose the course roundIn the "Comanda" (Order) tab each dish has the buttons "1° turno", "2° turno" and "3° turno" (1st, 2nd, 3rd round): dishes in the same round go out together. The app already suggests a round based on the course (drinks and starters 1st, first courses 2nd, mains, sides and desserts 3rd) and you change it with one tap.
5. Check and sendThe "Comanda" (Order) tab shows a summary split by round, with the total. Press "Invia comanda" (Send order): it prints immediately on the right printers, with your name.

Tables: calling the next round and freeing the table

1. ▶ "Via 2° turno" (Call 2nd round)When the table has finished the previous round, press "Via": the kitchen gets a "VIA 2° TURNO – PREPARA ORA" (2nd round – prepare now) ticket with only the dishes of that round. The same goes for the 3rd round. Before sending it the phone asks you to confirm and, if an earlier round hasn't gone out yet (for example you press the 3rd while the 2nd is still waiting), it warns you with "⚠ ATTENZIONE" (Warning).
2. + "Aggiungi" (Add)Reopens the table to send an addition. Dishes for a round that has already been called (or for the 1st round) print in the kitchen straight away, marked "AGGIUNTA" (Addition). Dishes for a round that hasn't been called yet don't print straight away: they appear on that round's "VIA" ticket, under "*** AGGIUNTA ***", so the kitchen never sees them twice.
3. ☕ "Dolce o caffè?" (Dessert or coffee?)After the last call (20 minutes by default), the table turns brown and shows "☕ Dolce o caffè?"; the "Tavoli" button shows ☕ with the number of tables to ask. Press "☕ Ordina dolce / caffè" (Order dessert / coffee): the menu opens with desserts and coffee at the top, with no rounds, and the order prints straight away. Coffee and liqueurs go where the drinks go (the bar); desserts go to the kitchen or the bar, as the owner chose in Menu → "☕ Fine pasto" (End of meal), where the minutes can also be changed (0 = reminder off). If they don't want anything, press "No, grazie" (No, thanks). If the guests ask for dessert earlier, every table always has the "☕ Dolce / caffè" button, next to "+ Aggiungi", which does the same thing.
4. ✓ "Tavolo libero" (Table free)When the guests leave, press "Tavolo libero": the kitchen and bar get a "TAVOLO LIBERO" ticket, the cash desk gets the table's "CONTO FINALE" (Final bill). If any dishes belonged to a round that was never called, the kitchen and bar find them under "NON PREPARARE" (Do not prepare) and the cash desk's bill lists them under "ANNULLATI" (Cancelled), left out of the total. The phone warns you before you confirm. After that, the same table number is free for the next guests.

Table map, reservations and bill requests (optional)

1. 🗺 Table mapThe owner draws the floor from the admin area with "✏ Modifica piantina" (Edit floor plan): round, square or rectangular tables, walls, counter and entrance, dragged into place with a finger or the mouse. You can create several rooms (indoor room, outdoor area, terrace) and join two tables for a large party (named for example "4+5"), then split them again. In the "Tavoli" (Tables) tab waiters see the map: 🟢 free, 🔴 occupied. Tapping a free table opens a new order straight away, with no need to type the number.
2. 🟡 ReservationsThe owner or the cash desk enters them from the admin area: table, day, time, name, number of people and phone. During its service (lunch or dinner) the table turns yellow with the name and time, and flashes if the guests are late. A table booked for dinner stays green at lunch. Waiters can't send orders for a reserved table: when the guests arrive, the owner or the cash desk presses "✓ Arrivati" (Arrived) and the table turns red. If they don't show up, "Non arrivati" (No-show) turns it green again. For privacy, 90 days after the reservation date the guest's name, phone and notes are deleted automatically: only table, date, time and number of people remain.
3. 🔵 Bill requestedIn the Tables tab the waiter presses "💶 Conto" (Bill): the table turns light blue for everyone, so the cash desk knows who is about to pay. "Tavolo libero" turns it green again.

Print jobs

1. Open ⚙ Impostazioni → Il mio locale(Settings → My venue)
2. Fill in the billing details("Dati di fatturazione"): company name, VAT number, tax code, address and SDI recipient code or PEC, as required for Italian e-invoicing.
3. Choose how to activateA monthly subscription ("Abbonamento"), which you can cancel any time, or a lifetime licence ("Licenza a vita"), paid once. Card payment is handled securely by Stripe.
4. DoneYou're back in the admin area with the software active. Receipts and invoices arrive by email.