Help
How it works, and who to ask.
Most people never need to call us. When you do, we answer on WhatsApp and e-mail.
How you start
From sign-up to your first order.
- 1
Sign up2 min
Two minutes: your business, the address you want (you.getdhow.com), your e-mail.
- 2
We say hellosame day
We approve each sign-up ourselves for now and may call you. Once approved your system is ready in minutes.
- 3
Set up1 afternoon
A short wizard: your name on the bills, taxes, tables, and the menu — photograph the printed one and the system reads it.
- 4
Try your first order5 min
Scan Table 1’s QR code, order, see it reach the kitchen, pay. The wizard ticks each step as it happens.
- 5
Go livewhen you are ready
Add your team, choose screens or paper in the kitchen, set opening hours, print the table cards. We are a WhatsApp away.
Questions
Everything people ask before and after they sign up.
Do I need special hardware?
No. The till runs in a browser on any laptop, Windows POS or tablet; waiters use their own phones; kitchen screens are any tablet or TV with a browser. Receipt and kitchen printers are optional.
Does it work when the internet drops?
Dhow runs on a server, so each screen needs a connection. On an island we recommend a second connection (a mobile hotspot) for the till. Working offline is on our list, not in the product today.
Is there a commission on orders?
No. QR ordering, takeaway and delivery are yours at a flat price. Card and bank fees are between you and your bank.
How do guests pay at the table?
Card on your machine, cash, bank transfer with a QR code and the exact amount, a card link (BML Connect), or charged to their room when you run Dhow Hotel or a connected hotel system.
Can I keep my accountant and my own books?
Yes. The restaurant works without Dhow Finance, and the day’s sales export as a QuickBooks journal. Dhow Finance is an add-on when you want the books in the same system.
What languages?
The screens are in English today. Menus, dish names and messages to guests are whatever you type.
Where is my data?
On a Dhow server in Singapore with a nightly backup, in your own database. You can ask for a full export at any time.
What does it cost?
Every plan starts with a 30-day free trial, no card needed. The full restaurant is Rf 600 per outlet a month and hotels are Rf 30 per room a month; our first 3 customers pay nothing for their first year. See Pricing.
How long does setup take?
Most restaurants are taking orders the same afternoon: the wizard reads your printed menu, you add tables as “1-12”, and the first order is a test you run yourself.
Who is behind Dhow?
Dhow was built running SORA Restaurant & Bar and ARIA Beach, a guesthouse on Ukulhas. It is made in the Maldives for the Maldives, and sold to anyone who runs a kitchen or rooms here.
Talk to a person
We are a message away.
Write to us about anything: a question before you sign up, a feature you miss, a bill that looks wrong.
Ready to take your first order?
Start a 30-day free trial in two minutes, or let us show you around on a call.