Getting started
Learn the basics and set up your account
Welcome to noqat
noqat is an all-in-one restaurant management platform built for food businesses in Kuwait and the GCC. It gives you everything you need to run your restaurant: online ordering, a point-of-sale system, kitchen display, delivery management, analytics, and more. This guide walks you through setting up your account from scratch so you can start taking orders.
Getting your restaurant on noqat
noqat sets up every restaurant together with its owner. There is no self-serve sign-up yet.
- Book a demo at noqatapp.com. We call you to arrange it.
- We walk through noqat with your own menu and branches.
- Together we set up your restaurant, your website on your own domain, and your owner sign-in.
- Sign in at noqatapp.com with your owner account and carry on with the setup below.
The rest of this guide covers the setup you finish once you are signed in.
Setting up your first branch
Every restaurant needs at least one branch. A branch represents a physical location where food is prepared and served.
- Go to Settings → Branches and click Add Branch.
- Enter the branch name (e.g., "Salmiya Branch" or "Main Kitchen").
- Set the branch address and location on the map. This is used to calculate delivery distances.
- Configure working hours for each day of the week. You can set different hours for different days, and mark days as closed.
- Enable or disable order types for this branch: takeout, dine-in, delivery, and curbside pickup.
- If you have multiple branches, each branch can have its own menu, delivery areas, and employee assignments.
Creating menus and adding items
Your menu is what customers see when they order. Organize your items into menus and categories for easy browsing.
- Go to Menus and click Create Menu. Give it a name (e.g., "Main Menu", "Breakfast Menu").
- Assign the menu to one or more branches.
- Add categories within the menu (e.g., "Burgers", "Drinks", "Desserts"). Categories help customers find what they want.
- Add items to each category. For each item, provide:
- Name in Arabic and English
- Description in both languages
- Price in KD
- Photo — upload a clear, well-lit image of the item.
- For items with customization, add Options (e.g., "Choose your size") and Choices within each option (e.g., "Small +0.000", "Medium +0.500", "Large +1.000"). Options can be required or optional, and can allow single or multiple selections.
- Set item visibility to control whether it appears online, in the POS, or both.
- Use Tags to label items (e.g., "Spicy", "Vegetarian", "New").
Adding employees and assigning roles
Add your team members and give them the right level of access.
- Go to Settings → Employees and click Add Employee.
- Enter the employee's name, phone number, and email.
- Set a PIN for POS login. Employees use their PIN to clock into the POS system.
- Assign a role that determines their permissions:
- Admin — Full access to everything including settings, reports, and employee management.
- Manager — Can manage orders, apply discounts, view reports, and override certain restrictions.
- Cashier — Can use the POS to take orders and process payments.
- Kitchen — Access to the kitchen display system to view and manage order preparation.
- Driver — Can view and manage delivery assignments.
- Agent — Can take phone orders through the POS.
- Accountant — Access to financial reports, shift summaries, and expense tracking.
- Assign the employee to one or more branches. Employees only see orders and data for their assigned branches.
Configuring payment methods
Set up the payment methods your customers can use when ordering online.
- Go to Settings → Payments.
- Connect your MyFatoorah account by entering your API key. MyFatoorah is the payment gateway that processes online transactions.
- Once connected, the following payment methods become available to your customers:
- KNET — Kuwait's local debit card network
- Visa / Mastercard — International credit and debit cards
- Apple Pay — For customers on Apple devices
- For POS payments, cash is always available. Card payments at the POS are recorded manually (the actual card processing happens through your physical card terminal).
Setting up delivery areas
Define where you deliver and how much you charge for delivery.
- Go to Settings → Areas and click Add Area.
- Pick the delivery area from Kuwait's Baladia list of governorates and neighbourhoods.
- Set the delivery charge for this area (e.g., 0.500 KD, 1.000 KD).
- Set the minimum order amount (MOA). Customers in this area must meet this minimum before they can place a delivery order.
- Set the estimated delivery time that will be shown to customers.
- Assign the area to specific branches. Different branches can serve different delivery zones.
Going live checklist
Before you start accepting orders, make sure everything is set up correctly:
- At least one branch is created with working hours configured.
- Your menu has items with names, prices, and photos.
- At least one employee is set up with POS access.
- Payment methods are configured (MyFatoorah for online, cash for POS).
- Delivery areas are defined if you offer delivery.
- Your restaurant logo and branding are uploaded in Settings.
- You have tested placing a test order through the online store and through the POS.
- Your printers are connected and tested if you plan to use receipt or kitchen printing.
Once everything checks out, your online store is live on your domain and your team can start using the POS.
The onboarding wizard
When you first log in after registration, the onboarding wizard guides you through the essential setup steps:
- Company Profile — Upload your logo and set your restaurant name in Arabic and English.
- Branch Setup — Create your first branch with address and working hours.
- Menu Creation — Add your first menu, categories, and a few items to get started.
- Employee Setup — Add your first cashier or manager.
- Payment Configuration — Connect your payment gateway for online orders.
You can skip steps and come back to them later from the admin dashboard. The wizard shows your progress so you always know what is left to complete.