Glossary. Hospitality and technology without the jargon.
41 terms that come up in conversations about reservations, payments, the kitchen, staff, and regulations. Kept short, with links to our guides.
41 terms
A
Advance payment (zaliczka)
Part of the price paid up front. If the agreement falls through, it is, as a rule, refundable.
AI Act
The EU regulation on artificial intelligence. As of August 2, 2026, Article 50 requires that people talking to an AI system know it is AI, including on a phone call.
AI phone system
A venue's phone number where calls are answered by a virtual AI employee. In Townely, it's part of the Voice AI module, and setup takes 2–4 weeks, depending on the phone carrier.
Average bill
The average bill value per table or per guest. Townely reports that pay at the table increases the average order value by 12.5%.
B
BLIK
A Polish mobile payment method: the guest enters a six-digit code from their banking app and confirms the payment. In Townely, BLIK payments are handled by PayU.
C
Calling a server
A feature that lets guests call staff from their own phone. In Townely, part of the QR Order & Payment module.
D
Deposit (zadatek)
An amount paid when the agreement is made (Article 394 of the Polish Civil Code). If the guest doesn't show up, the venue can, as a rule, keep it.
Direct trade
Buying directly from producers, with no middlemen. In Townely: “farm to kitchen” in the Marketplace module.
E
EWA
Earned Wage Access, or on-demand pay: an employee's access to the part of their pay they have already earned, before payday.
F
Floor plan
A map of the venue's tables in the reservation system, called the floor view in Townely. Colors show which tables are free.
Food cost
The cost of the ingredients needed to make a dish, usually calculated as a percentage of its menu price. It helps you set prices and keep an eye on your margin.
G
Google reviews
Ratings and reviews on a Google Business Profile, shown in Maps and Search. As of April 17, 2026, Google bans, among other things, giving staff quotas for collecting reviews.
I
Integration
A connection between two systems that exchange data on their own, for example between reservations from Google and the venue's calendar.
K
KDS
Kitchen Display System: a screen in the kitchen or at the bar that shows orders from the POS system instead of paper tickets.
Kitchen ticket
A paper printout of an order for the kitchen or bar, informally called a chit. In many venues, a kitchen display (KDS) replaces it.
KSeF
Poland's National e-Invoicing System: the government platform through which businesses in Poland issue and receive invoices. Since 2026, invoices between businesses go through KSeF. In Townely, the Invoices & Costs module fetches supplier invoices from KSeF.
M
Marketplace
A purchasing platform where many producers sell in one place. The venue places one order and pays once.
Master class
Workshops led by industry experts, such as bartenders or chefs. In Townely, part of the Jobs Platform module.
N
No-show
A reservation the guest neither shows up for nor cancels.
O
Occupancy
The share of seats or tables taken at a given time. It helps you plan the staff schedule, purchasing, and prepayments.
Omnibus
A package of EU consumer protection rules. In Poland, since January 1, 2023, it has banned, among other things, publishing fake reviews and commissioning others to write them.
P
Pay transparency
As of December 24, 2025, candidates must be told the pay or the pay range before they are hired, and the job title must be gender-neutral.
PayU
An online payment provider. In Townely, it handles cards, bank transfers, BLIK, and international transfers, and the funds go to the venue's PayU account.
POS
Point of Sale: the venue's sales system for taking orders, sending them to the kitchen and bar, settling bills, and reporting.
Prepayment
Money taken from the guest up front when they make a reservation. Its legal effect depends on whether your reservation terms treat it as a deposit or an advance payment.
Presale
Selling tickets or reservations ahead of an event, often in several price tiers.
Q
QR code
A square code that guests scan with their phone camera to open the menu, order, and pay. No app to install.
R
Reservation queue
A list of new reservations waiting for the venue to accept them. Once accepted, a reservation gets a table on the floor plan.
RevPASH
Revenue Per Available Seat Hour: the revenue per available seat per hour. It shows how well a venue uses its dining room at different times of day.
S
SLA
Service Level Agreement: the supplier's guaranteed response time to a reported issue.
Splitting the bill
Dividing one bill among the guests at a table: by selected items, into equal shares, or by any amount.
Staff schedule
The team's shift plan for a week or a month. In Townely, you manage the staff schedule in Jobs Platform, and new people are added to it right after hiring.
T
Table turn time
The time from seating guests until the table is free again. A shorter time at the same quality of service means more guests at peak hours. Townely reports that pay at the table saves about 15 minutes per table.
Table turnover
The number of parties served at one table over a given time, for example during one evening. Townely reports that its POS system speeds up table turnover by 24%.
Tip
A voluntary amount for the staff on top of the bill. When paying by QR code, the guest chooses the amount. Townely reports that teams get 12% more in tips this way.
U
Upselling
Suggesting a pricier or additional item to the guest, such as dessert or a better wine. In an e-menu, good photos and dish descriptions help with this.
V
VAT invoice with QR payment
A guest who pays by QR code enters their tax ID (NIP) and receives a VAT invoice with their details, without having to ask the server.
VIP booth
A separate seating area in a club, usually reserved with a prepayment.
Voicebot
Software that holds phone conversations by voice. In Townely, it's the virtual employee in the Voice AI module.
W
Walk-in
A guest without a reservation who comes in off the street. Once entered in the calendar, a walk-in shows staff the real occupancy of the dining room.
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