Is Your Restaurant Ready for "Detty December"? 5 Ways to Serve Faster

The Rush Is Here. Are You Ready?

December in Nigeria is not just a month; it’s an event. It’s "Detty December" the season of endless social gatherings, diaspora returnees, office end-of-year parties, and family reunions.

For restaurant owners and managers, this is your "Super Bowl." It’s the month that can define your entire year's profitability. The foot traffic is guaranteed; the spending power is there.

But there is a catch.

December crowds are demanding. They are hungry, they are in large groups, and they are impatient. Nothing kills a holiday vibe faster than a 45-minute wait for drinks or a 20-minute struggle to pay the bill. If your service speed drags, your reputation suffers, and more importantly, you lose money because you can't turn tables fast enough.

You don't just need to work harder this December; you need to work smarter. Here are 5 actionable ways to turbocharge your service speed and handle the holiday heat.

1. Decentralize Ordering (Put the Menu in Their Hands)

The Bottleneck: The traditional "waiter dance." A waiter walks to the table, hands out physical menus, walks away, comes back 10 minutes later to take the order, walks to the POS to punch it in, then walks to the kitchen. Multiply this by 20 tables, and your staff is exhausted while customers are frustrated.

The Fix: Adopt QR Code Ordering. During peak "Detty December" hours, speed is everything. By placing a QR code on the table (powered by platforms like Tab by QorePay), customers can scan, browse a digital menu with high-quality photos, and place their orders instantly from their phones.

The Speed Win: Orders go straight to the kitchen/bar printer. Your waiters spend less time taking orders and more time running food and ensuring guests are happy.

2. Stop the "Split Bill" Drama Before It Starts

The Bottleneck: A table of 12 friends finishes a loud, expensive dinner. The bill arrives. Then comes the dreaded question: "How are we sharing it?" The calculators come out. Arguments start over who ordered the extra cocktail. Your waiter stands there helplessly for 25 minutes while a prime table sits occupied but generating zero revenue.

The Fix: Automated Split Payments. You cannot afford to have tables held hostage by manual bill splitting during the holidays. You need a system that lets the customers handle it themselves.

The Speed Win: With Tab, customers can split the bill on their phones by item, by percentage, or equally in seconds. They pay individually via transfer or card, the system reconciles it instantly, and the table is cleared for the next group.

3. Create an "Express" Holiday Menu

The Bottleneck: A 10-page menu causes "analysis paralysis" for customers and slows down your kitchen line with complex, varied orders.

The Fix: Simplify for speed. For the busiest weeks of December, consider running a reduced "Festive Edition" menu. Highlight your best-sellers, your highest-margin items, and crucially, the dishes your kitchen can prep and plate the fastest.

The Speed Win: Fewer choices mean faster customer decisions. A streamlined menu means the kitchen assembly line moves much quicker, getting food to tables faster.

4. Zone Your Floor Staff

The Bottleneck: Waiters running wildly from one end of the restaurant to the other, crossing paths and duplicating efforts.

The Fix: Implement strict zoning. Assign specific waiters to specific sections (zones) of the floor. They are responsible only for those 5-6 tables. They should have everything they need (cutlery stations, water pitchers, mobile POS terminals) within their zone.

The Speed Win: Less travel time for waiters means more face time with customers and faster reactions to new guests being seated.

5. Real-Time Inventory Management (No More "Sorry, It Finished")

The Bottleneck: A customer spends 10 minutes deciding on the Grilled Croaker, only for the waiter to return five minutes later saying, "Sorry, Madam, kitchen said Croaker has finished." The customer has to start the decision process all over again. This is a massive time-waster.

The Fix: Digital menus linked to inventory. Physical menus are static; they can't tell a customer that the Jollof is sold out. A digital menu can.

The Speed Win: With Tab, when an item runs out in the kitchen, you update it instantly on the backend. It immediately shows as "Sold Out" on everyone’s phone. You manage expectations instantly and stop selling what you don't have.

The Secret Weapon for a Successful December: Tab by QorePay

You might be thinking, “These ideas are great, but how do I implement QR codes, split bills, and digital inventory before the rush hits?”

You don't need three different software programs. You just need one.

Tab by QorePay is designed specifically to solve the speed and efficiency problems that plague hospitality businesses during peak seasons. It is an all-in-one QR-based solution that handles:

Contactless ordering.

Seamless split payments for large groups.

Real-time digital menu updates.

Secure, instant payments via Card or Transfer.

This December, don't let operational chaos leave money on the table. Give your customers the fast, modern experience they expect, and give your staff the tools they need to breathe.

Is your restaurant ready for the rush? 👉 The Rush Is Here. Are You Ready?

December in Nigeria is not just a month; it’s an event. It’s "Detty December"—the season of endless social gatherings, diaspora returnees, office end-of-year parties, and family reunions.

For restaurant owners and managers, this is your "Super Bowl." It’s the month that can define your entire year's profitability. The foot traffic is guaranteed; the spending power is there.

But there is a catch.

December crowds are demanding. They are hungry, they are in large groups, and they are impatient. Nothing kills a holiday vibe faster than a 45-minute wait for drinks or a 20-minute struggle to pay the bill. If your service speed drags, your reputation suffers, and more importantly, you lose money because you can't turn tables fast enough.

You don't just need to work harder this December; you need to work smarter. Here are 5 actionable ways to turbocharge your service speed and handle the holiday heat.

1. Decentralize Ordering (Put the Menu in Their Hands)

The Bottleneck: The traditional "waiter dance." A waiter walks to the table, hands out physical menus, walks away, comes back 10 minutes later to take the order, walks to the POS to punch it in, then walks to the kitchen. Multiply this by 20 tables, and your staff is exhausted while customers are frustrated.

The Fix: Adopt QR Code Ordering. During peak "Detty December" hours, speed is everything. By placing a QR code on the table (powered by platforms like Tab by QorePay), customers can scan, browse a digital menu with high-quality photos, and place their orders instantly from their phones.

The Speed Win: Orders go straight to the kitchen/bar printer. Your waiters spend less time taking orders and more time running food and ensuring guests are happy.

2. Stop the "Split Bill" Drama Before It Starts

The Bottleneck: A table of 12 friends finishes a loud, expensive dinner. The bill arrives. Then comes the dreaded question: "How are we sharing it?" The calculators come out. Arguments start over who ordered the extra cocktail. Your waiter stands there helplessly for 25 minutes while a prime table sits occupied but generating zero revenue.

The Fix: Automated Split Payments. You cannot afford to have tables held hostage by manual bill splitting during the holidays. You need a system that lets the customers handle it themselves.

The Speed Win: With Tab, customers can split the bill on their phones by item, by percentage, or equally—in seconds. They pay individually via transfer or card, the system reconciles it instantly, and the table is cleared for the next group.

3. Create an "Express" Holiday Menu

The Bottleneck: A 10-page menu causes "analysis paralysis" for customers and slows down your kitchen line with complex, varied orders.

The Fix: Simplify for speed. For the busiest weeks of December, consider running a reduced "Festive Edition" menu. Highlight your best-sellers, your highest-margin items, and crucially, the dishes your kitchen can prep and plate the fastest.

The Speed Win: Fewer choices mean faster customer decisions. A streamlined menu means the kitchen assembly line moves much quicker, getting food to tables faster.

4. Zone Your Floor Staff

The Bottleneck: Waiters running wildly from one end of the restaurant to the other, crossing paths and duplicating efforts.

The Fix: Implement strict zoning. Assign specific waiters to specific sections (zones) of the floor. They are responsible only for those 5-6 tables. They should have everything they need (cutlery stations, water pitchers, mobile POS terminals) within their zone.

The Speed Win: Less travel time for waiters means more face time with customers and faster reactions to new guests being seated.

5. Real-Time Inventory Management (No More "Sorry, It Finished")

The Bottleneck: A customer spends 10 minutes deciding on the Grilled Croaker, only for the waiter to return five minutes later saying, "Sorry, Madam, kitchen said Croaker has finished." The customer has to start the decision process all over again. This is a massive time-waster.

The Fix: Digital menus linked to inventory. Physical menus are static; they can't tell a customer that the Jollof is sold out. A digital menu can.

The Speed Win: With Tab, when an item runs out in the kitchen, you update it instantly on the backend. It immediately shows as "Sold Out" on everyone’s phone. You manage expectations instantly and stop selling what you don't have.

The Secret Weapon for a Successful December: Tab by QorePay

You might be thinking, “These ideas are great, but how do I implement QR codes, split bills, and digital inventory before the rush hits?”

You don't need three different software programs. You just need one.

Tab by QorePay is designed specifically to solve the speed and efficiency problems that plague hospitality businesses during peak seasons. It is an all-in-one QR-based solution that handles:

Contactless ordering.

Seamless split payments for large groups.

Real-time digital menu updates.

Secure, instant payments via Card or Transfer.

This December, don't let operational chaos leave money on the table. Give your customers the fast, modern experience they expect, and give your staff the tools they need to breathe.

Is your restaurant ready for the rush? 👉 [Get Started with Tab by QorePay Today and Own This December. Get Started with Tab by QorePay Today and Own This December.]