Key takeaways
- Sign up as a business, then follow the Get FIG ready checklist on your dashboard: it ticks itself as you go.
- Build your menu in sections, then dishes and prices. Nothing changes for diners until you tap Publish changes.
- Post one specific, capped deal for a quiet window. Posting deals and scanning diners are included in your plan.
- In-app takeout needs your HST number and Stripe payouts, both in Settings → Get paid. Dine-in deals need neither.
- During a rush, pause takeout or add prep time in one tap.
The short answer
Setting up on FIG takes about 15 minutes if you have your menu handy: sign up as a business, add your sections, dishes and prices, publish, and post one deal for a quiet window. If you want diners to pay for takeout in the app, add your HST number and connect Stripe for payouts in Settings → Get paid. Everything is included in one flat plan, and in-app takeout also costs 5% of the food plus Stripe's card fee.
Before you start: have these ready
- Your menu (paper, a PDF or a photo) with prices.
- Two or three good photos of your food and room.
- Your opening hours.
- For in-app takeout only: your HST number (it looks like 123456789 RT 0001) and your bank details for Stripe.
Minutes 0 to 3: sign up and follow the checklist
Sign up as a business with your restaurant's name and address. Your dashboard shows a Get FIG ready checklist with one button per step. Each step ticks itself when it's done, from your real data, and you can hide the checklist for good once you're set. Quick tours point out the important buttons the first time you open a screen.
Minutes 3 to 10: your menu
- Sections first. Starters, Mains, Noodles, Drinks: however your paper menu is organised.
- Dishes and prices. Type prices the way you like: "15.50", "15,50" and "$15.50" all work.
- Publish. Your edits are kept while you work, and the button says Publish changes until you tap it. Nothing changes for diners before that, and if you close the tab with unpublished changes, FIG asks first.
Publishing is all or nothing: if one line has a problem, nothing changes and FIG tells you which line. Dishes keep their place in your deals and open orders when you edit them.
Out of something tonight? Mark a dish sold out for today, and it's back tomorrow.
Minutes 10 to 13: your first deal
Pick one dish with a healthy margin and one quiet window, and write it plainly: "$3 off any noodle bowl, Monday to Thursday, 2 to 5 pm". Set a daily cap (10 is a good start) and choose dine-in only or takeout too. That's it: it's live on the map for nearby diners. Which deal type to pick.
Minutes 13 to 15: how you'll scan
Diners show a QR code; staff scan it with the restaurant side of FIG on any phone, tablet or computer, or type the short code if a camera won't cooperate. You can also turn on a counter code in Settings: your screen shows a code that changes every 30 seconds, and diners scan it themselves. Neither has a fee per scan or per diner.
Takeout: three ways to run it
| What you need | What it costs | |
|---|---|---|
| Dine-in deals only | Nothing more | Included in your plan |
| Takeout, paid in the app | Your HST number + Stripe payouts (Settings → Get paid) | 5% of the food + Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 |
You decide which deals work as takeout and how many deals one order can use. Some restaurants also take takeout at full price, with no deal needed.
In-app payments, explained simply
Step 1: your HST number. It goes on every takeout receipt, with your restaurant as the seller. FIG checks its format as you type. Not registered for HST? You can still post deals and scan diners; takeout waits until you have a number. HST registration for small restaurants.
Step 2: Stripe payouts. FIG uses Stripe, a payments company, to take diners' cards and pay you. Stripe asks for your business details and bank account in its own secure setup. When it's done, Get paid shows Ready.
- The diner pays $33.90 ($30.00 + 13% HST).
- Stripe's fee: 2.9% of $33.90 + $0.30 = $1.28.
- FIG's fee: 5% of $30.00 = $1.50.
- Paid out to you: $31.12, including the $3.90 HST you remit.
Each month's takeout statement shows sales, HST, fees and what you kept.
When it gets busy
Takeout is for your quiet hours, not your rush. In one tap you can pause takeout (for a set time, or until tomorrow) or add prep time so pickup times stay honest. Diners see it before they order. Turn takeout off entirely whenever you like.
After setup
- Reply to reviews in public. Only diners whose visit was scanned can leave one.
- Check your insights after two weeks: claims, scans, and who came back.
Questions? Restaurant help or message us.
Questions
How long does it take to set up FIG?
About 15 minutes with your menu handy: sign up, add your menu, publish and post one deal. In-app takeout adds your HST number and Stripe setup.
Do I need an HST number to use FIG?
Not for deals and scanning. You need one, with Stripe payouts, for takeout, which diners pay for in the app.
What does it cost?
One plan for all your restaurants: $29.99 a month or $299.99 a year from the day FIG opens to diners, before tax (founding restaurants lock in less before launch). It covers their pages, menus, deals, scans and insights. In-app takeout also costs 5% of the food plus Stripe's card fee.
What if we're too busy for takeout?
Pause takeout for a while or until tomorrow, or add prep time, in one tap.
Can diners scan us instead of us scanning them?
Yes. Turn on the counter code in Settings: your screen shows a code that changes every 30 seconds, and diners scan it.
