Customer Role - Restaurant Management System

Overview

The Customer role represents regular users of the restaurant system who can browse the menu, add items to their cart, place orders, and view their order history. Customers do not require special permissions and have access to public-facing features.

Customers can browse the menu without authentication, but must be logged in to add items to cart and place orders.

User Authentication

Customers can access the system through standard authentication:

// routes/web.php - Line 29
Route::get('/redirects', [HomeController::class, 'redirects'])
    ->middleware('auth')
    ->name('redirects');

After login, customers are redirected based on their role:

// app/Http/Controllers/HomeController.php - Lines 38-62
public function redirects(Request $request)
{
    $user = Auth::user();
    if (! $user) {
        return redirect()->route('home');
    }

    // Staff roles redirect to admin panel
    if (method_exists($user, 'hasRole')) {
        if ($user->hasAnyRole(['admin','chef','mesero'])) {
            return redirect()->route('admin.dashboard');
        }
    }
    
    // Regular customers redirect to home
    switch ($user->usertype ?? null) {
        case 'admin':
        case 'chef':
        case 'mesero':
            return redirect()->route('admin.dashboard');
        default:
            return redirect()->route('home');
    }
}

Public Features

Browse Menu

View all available dishes with descriptions and pricing.

View Categories

Filter menu items by category (appetizers, mains, desserts, etc.).

Item Details

See detailed information including ingredients, nutrition, and allergens.

Chef Profiles

Learn about the restaurant’s culinary team.

Public Routes

// routes/web.php - Lines 28-32
Route::get('/', [HomeController::class, 'index'])->name('home');
Route::get('/comidaview', [HomeController::class, 'comidaview'])->name('comidaview');
Route::get('/menu', [HomeController::class, 'comidaview'])->name('menu');
Route::get('/infocomida/{food}', [HomeController::class, 'infocomida'])->name('infocomida');

Home Page

// app/Http/Controllers/HomeController.php - Lines 22-32
public function index()
{
    // Paginated menu items to optimize performance
    $foods = Food::with('category')->latest()->paginate(12);
    $chefs = Chef::all();
    $user = Auth::user();
    $count = $user ? Cart::where('user_id', $user->id)->count() : 0;
    $categories = Category::withCount('foods')->get();

    return view('home', compact('foods','chefs','count','categories'));
}

// app/Http/Controllers/HomeController.php - Lines 67-74
public function comidaview()
{
    $foods = Food::with('category')->paginate(24);
    $user = Auth::user();
    $count = $user ? Cart::where('user_id', $user->id)->count() : 0;

    return view('comidaview', compact('foods','count'));
}

Viewing Item Details

// app/Http/Controllers/HomeController.php - Lines 79-82
public function infocomida(Food $food)
{
    return view('infocomida', compact('food'));
}

Shopping Cart

Add to Cart

Add items with specified quantities to your cart.

View Cart

Review all items before placing order.

Update Quantity

Modify item quantities in your cart.

Remove Items

Delete items you no longer want.

Cart Routes

// routes/web.php - Lines 39-42
Route::middleware(['auth'])->group(function () {
    Route::get('/cart', [CartController::class, 'index'])->name('cart.index');
    Route::post('/cart/{food}', [CartController::class, 'store'])->name('cart.store');
    Route::delete('/cart/{cart}', [CartController::class, 'destroy'])->name('cart.destroy');
});

Viewing Cart

Customer must be authenticated to access their cart.

Navigate to Cart

Access cart page at /cart to see all added items.

Review Items

Check item names, quantities, prices, and total amount.

Proceed to Checkout

Continue to order confirmation when ready.

// app/Http/Controllers/CartController.php - Lines 17-35
public function index(): View
{
    $user = Auth::user();
    if (! $user) {
        return redirect()->route('login');
    }

    // Get cart items with food details
    $items = Cart::with('food')
        ->where('user_id', $user->id)
        ->get();

    $count = $items->count();

    return view('showcart', [
        'items' => $items,
        'count' => $count,
    ]);
}

Adding to Cart

// app/Http/Controllers/CartController.php - Lines 41-59
public function store(Request $request, Food $food): RedirectResponse
{
    $request->validate([
        'quantity' => 'required|integer|min:1',
    ]);

    $user = Auth::user();
    if (! $user) {
        return redirect()->route('login')
            ->with('error', 'Debes iniciar sesión para añadir al carrito.');
    }

    // Update existing or create new cart item
    Cart::updateOrCreate(
        ['user_id' => $user->id, 'food_id' => $food->id],
        ['quantity' => $request->input('quantity')]
    );

    return redirect()->back()->with('success', 'Producto agregado al carrito.');
}

The system uses updateOrCreate to prevent duplicate items in the cart. If the item already exists, it updates the quantity instead of creating a duplicate.

Removing from Cart

// app/Http/Controllers/CartController.php - Lines 65-77
public function destroy(Cart $cart): RedirectResponse
{
    $user = Auth::user();
    // Security: only owner can remove items
    if (! $user || $cart->user_id !== $user->id) {
        abort(403, 'No autorizado.');
    }

    $cart->delete();

    return redirect()->back()->with('success', 'Item eliminado del carrito.');
}

Order Placement

Customers can place orders with delivery information.

Order Route

// routes/web.php - Line 44
Route::post('/orderconfirm', [HomeController::class, 'orderConfirm'])->name('order.confirm');

Order Workflow

Review Cart

Check all items and quantities in your cart at /cart.

Enter Details

Provide customer name, phone number, and delivery address.

Confirm Order

Submit the order - system validates all information.

Process Payment

Order is created with ‘pending’ status and total amount calculated.

Clear Cart

Successfully ordered items are removed from cart automatically.

Order Confirmation Logic

// app/Http/Controllers/HomeController.php - Lines 110-212
public function orderConfirm(Request $request)
{
    // Validate customer information
    $request->validate([
        'name' => 'required|string|max:255',
        'phone' => 'required|string|max:40',
        'address' => 'nullable|string',
    ]);

    $user = Auth::user();
    $items = $request->input('items');

    // Process order in transaction
    DB::beginTransaction();
    try {
        // Create order
        $order = Order::create([
            'user_id' => $user ? $user->id : null,
            'customer_name' => $request->name,
            'phone' => $request->phone,
            'address' => $request->address,
            'total' => 0,
            'status' => 'pending',
        ]);

        // Create order items
        $total = 0;
        foreach ($normalized as $it) {
            $orderItem = $order->items()->create([
                'food_id' => $it['food_id'] ?? null,
                'title'   => $it['title'],
                'price'   => $it['price'],
                'quantity'=> $it['quantity'],
                'subtotal'=> $it['subtotal'],
            ]);
            $total += $it['subtotal'];
        }

        $order->update(['total' => $total]);

        // Clear cart items
        if ($user) {
            $foodIds = array_filter(array_column($normalized, 'food_id'));
            if (count($foodIds) > 0) {
                Cart::where('user_id', $user->id)
                    ->whereIn('food_id', $foodIds)
                    ->delete();
            }
        }

        DB::commit();
        return redirect()->route('home')
            ->with('success', 'Orden creada correctamente. ID: ' . $order->id);
    } catch (\Throwable $e) {
        DB::rollBack();
        return redirect()->back()
            ->with('error', 'No se pudo procesar la orden. Intente de nuevo.');
    }
}

Order Data Structure

Each order includes:

Field	Type	Required	Description
user_id	integer	No	Foreign key to users (null for guests)
customer_name	string	Yes	Name for delivery
phone	string	Yes	Contact phone number
address	string	No	Delivery address
total	decimal	Yes	Total order amount (auto-calculated)
status	string	Yes	Order status (pending, confirmed, delivered)

Order Items

Each order contains multiple order items:

Field	Type	Description
order_id	integer	Foreign key to orders
food_id	integer	Foreign key to foods
title	string	Item name (snapshot)
price	decimal	Price at time of order
quantity	integer	Number of items ordered
subtotal	decimal	Price × Quantity

Order items store a snapshot of the food name and price at the time of order, so historical orders remain accurate even if menu items are updated or deleted.

Available Features

Menu Browsing

View all dishes with categories and filters

Item Details

See ingredients, nutrition, and pricing details

Cart Management

Add, update, and remove items from cart

Order Placement

Place orders with delivery information

Category Filtering

Browse menu by food categories

Chef Profiles

View information about restaurant chefs

Customer Workflows

Browse and Order Workflow

Browse Menu

Visit homepage or /menu to see all available dishes.

Filter by Category

Use category filters to find specific types of food.

View Details

Click on items to see ingredients, calories, and full description.

Add to Cart

Select quantity and add desired items to your cart.

Review Cart

Navigate to /cart to verify all items and quantities.

Place Order

Enter delivery details and confirm your order.

Cart Management Workflow

Authenticate to enable cart functionality.

Add Multiple Items

Browse menu and add different dishes to your cart.

Review Selections

Check cart to see all items and total price.

Modify as Needed

Update quantities or remove items you no longer want.

Proceed to Checkout

When satisfied, move forward with order placement.

API Examples

Add Item to Cart

POST /cart/5
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer {token}

{
  "quantity": 2
}

View Cart

GET /cart
Authorization: Bearer {token}

Remove from Cart

DELETE /cart/12
Authorization: Bearer {token}

Place Order

POST /orderconfirm
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer {token}

{
  "name": "John Doe",
  "phone": "+1234567890",
  "address": "123 Main St, Apartment 4B",
  "items": [
    {
      "food_id": 5,
      "quantity": 2
    },
    {
      "food_id": 8,
      "quantity": 1
    }
  ]
}

Guest Ordering

The system supports guest checkout - users can place orders without creating an account, though they must still provide contact information for delivery.

For guest orders, the user_id field is set to null:

$order = Order::create([
    'user_id' => $user ? $user->id : null,  // null for guests
    'customer_name' => $request->name,
    'phone' => $request->phone,
    'address' => $request->address,
    'total' => 0,
    'status' => 'pending',
]);

Security Features

Cart Ownership Validation

The system ensures customers can only access and modify their own cart items:

if (! $user || $cart->user_id !== $user->id) {
    abort(403, 'No autorizado.');
}

Transaction Safety

Order placement uses database transactions to ensure data consistency:

DB::beginTransaction();
try {
    // Create order and items
    DB::commit();
} catch (\Throwable $e) {
    DB::rollBack();
    // Handle error
}

Input Validation

All customer inputs are validated:

Name: Required, max 255 characters
Phone: Required, max 40 characters
Address: Optional string
Quantity: Required integer, minimum 1

Best Practices

Review Before Ordering - Always check cart contents before placing order
Accurate Information - Provide correct phone and address for delivery
Clear Cart - Remove items you don’t want rather than leaving them
Check Details - Read item descriptions for allergies and preferences
Save Time - Use category filters to find items quickly
Guest Checkout - You can order without an account, but creating one provides order history

Get Started

Core Features

User Roles

Guides

​Overview

​User Authentication

​Post-Login Redirect

​Public Features

Browse Menu

View Categories

Item Details

Chef Profiles

​Public Routes

​Home Page

​Menu Browsing

​Viewing Item Details

​Shopping Cart

Add to Cart

View Cart

Update Quantity

Remove Items

​Cart Routes

​Viewing Cart

​Adding to Cart

​Removing from Cart

​Order Placement

​Order Route

​Order Workflow

​Order Confirmation Logic

​Order Data Structure

​Order Items

​Available Features

Menu Browsing

Item Details

Cart Management

Order Placement

Category Filtering

Chef Profiles

​Customer Workflows

​Browse and Order Workflow

​Cart Management Workflow

​API Examples

​Add Item to Cart

​View Cart

​Remove from Cart

​Place Order

​Guest Ordering

​Security Features

​Cart Ownership Validation

​Transaction Safety

​Input Validation

​Best Practices

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Overview

User Authentication

Post-Login Redirect

Public Features

Public Routes

Home Page

Menu Browsing

Viewing Item Details

Shopping Cart

Cart Routes

Viewing Cart

Adding to Cart

Removing from Cart

Order Placement

Order Route

Order Workflow

Order Confirmation Logic

Order Data Structure

Order Items

Available Features

Customer Workflows

Browse and Order Workflow

Cart Management Workflow

API Examples

Add Item to Cart

View Cart

Remove from Cart

Place Order

Guest Ordering

Security Features

Cart Ownership Validation

Transaction Safety

Input Validation

Best Practices