How NX POS Determines the Area for an Order

In NX Restaurant, Areas control where orders are routed, the menus available, and other customizable workflows — think directing bar drinks from patio tables to the outside bar printer vs. the inside bar. When multiple Area assignments exist within a venue configuration (a table can have one, a job has another, the device has another), NX follows a clear, predictable priority order to decide which one wins.

Area Priority Order

NX evaluates Area assignment using this hierarchy, from highest to lowest priority:

Priority	Source	Description
1	Table Area	The Area assigned directly to the table where the order was started
2	Job Area	The Area assigned to the employee's Job (e.g., Bartender, Server)
3	POS Device Area	The Area assigned to the terminal or device used to place the order
4	Venue Area	The default fallback Area set at the Venue level

The first match in this list wins. If a table has an Area assigned, that's what NX uses — period. It won't look any further down the chain.

Real-World Example

Say you're setting up a restaurant with two bars:

Patio tables → should route drinks to the Outside Bar
Dining Room tables → should route drinks to the Inside Bar

Your Server Job is assigned to the Dining Room Area. A server starts an order at a Patio table that's assigned to the Outside Patio Area.

Result: The Table Area (Outside Patio) takes priority over the Job Area (Dining Room). The drink routes correctly based on the routing settings for the Outside Patio Area.

How to See the Active Area on an Order

Not sure which Area is being applied to an order? There are two quick ways to check right from the POS.

Header Chip

When you're inside an open order, look at the top header bar of the POS screen. You'll see a chip (a small labeled badge) displaying the Area currently assigned to that order. This updates in real time and is the fastest way to confirm routing at a glance.

Order Info

For more detail, tap the three dots on the order header and select the Order Info icon from within the order. The Area field there shows you exactly which Area is active — helpful when you're troubleshooting a routing issue or just want to double-check before sending items.

Practical Tips

Servers with no Job Area set? That's intentional for many setups. Without a Job Area, NX skips to the next level (Device or Venue), letting the table's Area fully control routing.
Bartenders working from a fixed station? If a Bartender's Job has an Area, it defaults to the same area every time unless selecting a table with an Area set.
Troubleshooting wrong routing? Walk up the priority chain. Check the table first, then the job, then the device, then the venue. The first Area found is what's being used. Then confirm what NX is actually seeing by checking the header chip or Order Info.

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