Miss Rwanda 2017 third runner-up Queen Kalimpinya, Alfene Rushita and Ismaïl Bisamaza have developed a QR code-based application dubbed "Orderfene” that helps clients in hotels, supermarkets, and restaurants to order food and beverages using ‘contactless QR menu’.

The system is seeking to boost service delivery in hotels and restaurants and prevent the spread of Covid-19 pandemic as it enables patrons to use contactless menus via their smartphones while making orders, explained Alfene Rushita, the group’s representative.

"The idea came in May last year after experiencing lockdown and started to think of a solution in the area of service delivery in businesses and what we can do to ensure services are carried out in hotels while preventing Covid-19 in hotels,” he said.

The first thing that clients need when they go to hotels and restaurants to eat or drink is the menu. The contactless menu reduces the physical contact which is in line with Covid-19 prevention measures to reduce transmission of Covid-19 as clients will order food or beverages online, he said.

He explained that the application does not require one to download as the client only scans a ‘QR code’ displayed on tables in hotels and restaurants which enables to view the menu on the app and order for food.

"After reviewing the menu through the app, the client orders for what they would like and mention their seats or rooms in the hotel or restaurant so that food, drink, and any other hotel service is delivered to them. Through the application, the waiter receives the order and identifies when the client needs the delivery to be done,” he said.

To use the application, one requires a smartphone, while the hotel or the restaurant should have the QR code of that application.

Queen Kalimpinya, the co-founder, added that the application commenced operations in August 2020 and it uses English and French languages adding there is a plan to introduce Kinyarwanda.

"So many businesses are using it such as Java restaurant, Simba supermarket, and many others testing it. We have so far recorded over 700 average users (clients) per month. We want to expand it beyond Kigali businesses and reach countrywide,” she said.

She noted that the cost incurred on menu production could also decrease following the paperless menu adding that it can also help in the case of tracing Covid-19 contacts