It is 12:15 on a Friday. Three delivery orders just came in on separate tablets, the kitchen display is buried under a stack of printed tickets, and your expo person is spinning between the counter and the pass. The software is fine. The physical setup is the problem.
Most restaurant operators have been through some version of this. The good news is that the workflow decisions and the mounting decisions are both solvable, and they are more connected than most people realize.
TL;DR: Match each screen role, including ordering, kitchen display, pickup, delivery acceptance and customer checkout, to the right software and a fixed physical position. Aggregator software can cut the number of ordering tablets, but most restaurants still need several mounted screens. Choose locking stands for public-facing tablets and multi-tablet towers or wall mounts for delivery stations.
What Are the Main Restaurant Tablet Workflows?
Restaurants usually run separate marketplace tablets, aggregator software, POS-integrated ordering or a self-order kiosk. Each model changes how many screens you need and where they must sit, as the table below shows.
| Workflow Model | How It Works | Tablet Count Impact | Where Mounting Matters Most |
|---|---|---|---|
| Separate Marketplace Tablets | One tablet per platform, such as DoorDash, Uber Eats or Grubhub | High, one per platform | Counter or expo station, grouped and visible |
| Aggregator Software | Single tablet receives orders from all platforms via middleware | Reduced, often one to two tablets | Primary order acceptance point, plus backup screen |
| POS-Integrated Ordering | Orders route directly into the POS, and staff manage them from one system | Low at front, but KDS still needed at back | Kitchen display, expo pass, pickup screen |
| Self-Order Kiosk | Customer-facing tablet handles ordering and payment | Adds one to two public-facing screens | Lobby or counter, locked and angled for public use |
Each platform has its own tablet management guidance. DoorDash's merchant tablet learning center covers order acceptance, pausing, and tablet troubleshooting. Uber Eats Orders app documentation explains how operators manage incoming orders from a single device. Grubhub's tablet setup guide walks through hardware and connectivity requirements for their merchant tablet.
Where Do Restaurants Still Need Mounted Screens?
Restaurants still need mounted screens for the kitchen display, pickup and expo, delivery acceptance and backup workflows, even when aggregator software cuts the number of ordering tablets. Consolidating platform tablets reduces clutter and simplifies training, but each of those roles still needs a fixed, readable position.
Kitchen Display Systems (KDS): Even when the front-of-house runs on a single POS-integrated tablet, the kitchen still needs a dedicated display. Toast's Kitchen Display System is a strong example of purpose-built KDS hardware for back-of-house workflows. Whether you use a proprietary KDS or a tablet running KDS software, that screen needs a fixed, readable position at the cook line or expo pass.
Pickup and Expo Screens: Customers and runners need to see order status. A tablet mounted at the pickup counter, showing order numbers or names, reduces staff interruptions and speeds handoff. This screen is separate from the ordering workflow entirely.
Delivery Acceptance: Even with aggregator software, some operators keep a dedicated screen at the host stand or counter for delivery driver check-ins. That screen needs to be visible to staff and drivers simultaneously, which means positioning matters as much as software.
Backup Workflows: When a POS goes down or an aggregator app loses connectivity, operators fall back to individual platform tablets. Having those tablets mounted and charged means the backup is actually usable.
Which Tablet Mount Fits Each Restaurant Station?
Choose a locking drill base stand for customer-facing or high-traffic tablets, a weighted locking stand when you want a locking holder on a base that can be screwed down later, and a multi-tablet tower or wall mount for delivery stations. The right mount follows the workflow role of each screen.
Locking stands for counters and kiosks
For public-facing tablets, locking holders are the right call. The iBOLT LockPro Drill Base Locking Tablet Stand ($139.95) attaches to a flat counter surface with self-tapping screws, locks the tablet in place, and rotates 360 degrees for customer or staff-facing orientation. The stand (IBRT-34717) is built from aluminum with security hardware designed for commercial environments. The locking holder discourages casual removal, though it is not a theft guarantee, and the tablet must fit within the selected holder's limits, so measure its width, height and depth in its case and confirm the holder limits with iBOLT before ordering.
For checkout counters where you want stability without a permanent drill installation, the iBOLT Dock'n Lock POS Tablet Stand ($99.95) uses a weighted L-bracket base with a locking tablet holder and an adjustable dual ball joint. The base includes four holes for optional surface mounting if you decide to make it permanent later. It suits a checkout counter or host stand where the location may change but a locking holder is still wanted.
iBOLT Dock'n Lock POS Tablet Stand - $99.95
Multi-tablet towers and wall mounts
For delivery stations and expo counters where multiple tablets need to be visible at once, the iBOLT Quad Tablet Tower TabDock Stand ($149.95) holds four tablets in one location. It suits ghost kitchens and multi-platform operators that need every active marketplace visible without spreading tablets across the counter, and its listing describes heavy-duty construction for repeated use.
iBOLT Quad Tablet Tower TabDock™ Stand - $149.95
When counter space is the constraint, the iBOLT Tablet Tower TabDock POS Wall Mount (IBRT-34709, $134.95) moves four tablets off the counter entirely. The pole extends from 17.5 to 28.5 inches, each holder rotates 360 degrees, and the system mounts to most flat wall surfaces. For kitchens where every inch of counter is working, this is the practical answer.
What Should a Restaurant Tablet Station Checklist Include?
A restaurant tablet station checklist should cover every screen role, the matching mount and the power and backup path. Run through these items before ordering mounts.
- Identify every screen role, including ordering, KDS, pickup display, delivery acceptance, customer kiosk and backup
- Decide whether aggregator software consolidates your ordering tablets or whether you run separate platform tablets
- Confirm KDS placement at the cook line or expo pass regardless of front-of-house software
- Choose locking mounts for any public-facing or high-traffic tablet
- Use multi-tablet mounts at delivery stations where more than two screens need to be visible simultaneously
- Plan for backup tablets that stay mounted, charged and ready even when not in active use
- Match mount type to surface, with a wall mount where counter space is limited, a weighted base where drilling is not an option, and a drill base where permanent security is the priority
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does aggregator software eliminate the need for multiple tablets?
A: It reduces the number of ordering tablets, but most restaurants still need separate screens for KDS, pickup display, and delivery acceptance. Physical screen count rarely drops to one.
Q: What is the difference between a KDS and a pickup screen?
A: A KDS shows the kitchen what to make and in what order. A pickup screen shows customers or runners which orders are ready. They serve different audiences and usually need to be in different locations.
Q: Are locking tablet mounts necessary for back-of-house screens?
A: Not always. Back-of-house screens used only by staff can use standard adjustable mounts. Locking mounts are most important for customer-facing or high-traffic counter positions.
Q: Can iBOLT mounts hold tablets from different manufacturers?
A: Often, when each cased tablet fits the selected holder. iBOLT holders grip by measured opening and depth, not by brand. The TabDock holders on the Quad Tablet Tower (IBRT-34711) and TabDock POS Wall Mount (IBRT-34709) list a 4 to 8 inch opening, the TabDock XL versions list 4 to 10.5 inches, and both list a 0.75 inch maximum device plus case depth. For the LockPro and Dock'n Lock stands, confirm the holder limits with iBOLT and measure each tablet in its case.
Every restaurant tablet setup is a little different. Whether you are running four separate marketplace tablets in a ghost kitchen or a single POS-integrated system with a KDS and a pickup screen, the physical placement of those screens shapes how fast your team can actually work. Explore the full iBOLT lineup to find the mount that fits your station.
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