Build - October 2026
The equivalent of pen and paper
Not long ago I ordered from a QR code at a restaurant table. It did the job, but it looked like nobody had cared much how it looked and worked, and it got me thinking...
barTab started somewhere simpler. In Spanish bars the tab stays open all night and gets settled when people leave, and the running total mostly lives in the head of whoever's behind the bar, or on a slip of paper under the counter. barTab is the digital version of that. I've described it as the equivalent of pen and paper, and I still think that's the best way to put it. Spain is where I noticed it, but small bars keep tabs everywhere, and it runs in a browser on a tablet the venue already owns.
Small on purpose
It's for the small independent places: a bar, a café, a little restaurant, one to four people working, tens of things on the menu rather than hundreds, and no budget for hardware. It isn't for busy restaurants with a head chef and a booking system. Those are well served already, and I'd lose that comparison, so I don't invite it.
Within that, it does the everyday things well. Open a tab for a table or a name, add rounds all night, and split the bill however people ask, by item or by amount, cash and card mixed. Mark something out of stock once and it greys out everywhere. Every round lands on every screen at once, over WebSockets, and the owner can finally see what actually sold.
The guest side is the newest part, and building it was loads of fun. Guests scan a QR code at the table, get a menu with proper photos, and order straight onto the table's tab, and several phones on one code build one shared order. When they're ready, they can ask to pay, and staff see it on the tab. It's meant to feel like part of the place, not something bolted on.
It also says no to plenty. It isn't invoicing software, a kitchen display, or a hardware product, and holding those lines is a lot of what keeps it simple.
barTab is in trial and free to use, with a proper launch still to come. If you run a small bar or café, I'd love to hear what you make of it.
I'd say the best thing you can do for a small product is decide who it isn't for. Everything else gets easier after that.
All writing - CV