What Is WPCafe MCP? #
WPCafe MCP is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that connects AI assistants — such as Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor — to any WordPress site running the WPCafe restaurant plugin. Once connected, you can manage reservations, food orders, menus, locations, QR codes, discounts, and analytics simply by chatting with your AI assistant in plain language.
Instead of clicking through the WordPress admin panel, you type a request like “show me today’s pending reservations” and the AI fetches live data from your restaurant site and acts on it — securely, using your own WordPress credentials.
Why Use It? #
- Save time: check orders, confirm reservations, and update statuses in seconds — no dashboard digging.
- Ask in plain language: no reports to build. Ask “what sold best this week?” and get an instant answer.
- Manage from anywhere: any MCP-compatible AI client becomes a control panel for your restaurant.
- Stay secure: it uses WordPress Application Passwords and respects your existing user roles and permissions.
Who Is It For? #
- Restaurant owners and managers who run their site on WordPress + WPCafe and want faster daily operations.
- Multi-location businesses that need quick, cross-branch answers on reservations and sales.
- Agencies and developers who manage WPCafe sites for clients and want AI-assisted administration.
How to Set Up WPCafe MCP #
Setup takes about 5 minutes. You need: a WordPress site with the WPCafe plugin active, an Administrator or Shop Manager account, Node.js 18 or later on your computer, and an MCP-compatible AI client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, or VS Code).
Step 1: Create a WordPress Application Password
- Log in to WordPress Admin and go to Users → Profile.
- Scroll to “Application Passwords”, enter a name (e.g., “WPCafe MCP”), and click Add New Application Password.
- Copy the generated password immediately and store it somewhere safe — it is shown only once.
Step 2: Add WPCafe MCP to Your AI Client
For Claude Desktop, open your claude_desktop_config.json file and add the block below (Cursor and VS Code use the same structure in their MCP settings):
{
"mcpServers": {
"wpcafe": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "github:themewinter/wpcafe-mcp"],
"env": {
"WPCAFE_SITE_URL": "https://yoursite.com",
"WPCAFE_USERNAME": "your-admin-username",
"WPCAFE_APP_PASSWORD": "xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx"
}
}
}
}Replace the site URL, username, and application password with your own values, then restart your AI client.
Step 3: Test the Connection
Ask your AI assistant something simple, such as “List my WPCafe locations” or “Show today’s reservations.” If it returns live data from your site, you are connected. If not, double-check your site URL (HTTPS is required for production sites) and credentials.
What Can You Do with WPCafe MCP? #
WPCafe MCP exposes every major feature of the WPCafe admin panel as AI-callable tools:
| Category | What you can do |
| Reservations | List, create, update, cancel, or delete table reservations; check available time slots and seating capacity. |
| Food Orders | View WooCommerce food orders, check order details, and update order status (pending, processing, completed). |
| Menu & Products | Browse menu items, product details, and food categories. |
| Locations | Add, edit, or remove restaurant branches and locations. |
| QR Codes | Create and manage scan-to-order QR codes for tables. |
| Dashboard & Analytics | Get sales overviews, reservation stats, and top-selling products. |
| Settings & Modules | Read or update WPCafe settings and toggle extensions on or off. |
| Pro Features | Manage seat plans, discounts, receipts, and time-limited products (requires WPCafe Pro). |
Real-World Examples #
Here are everyday prompts restaurant teams actually use. Type them exactly as written — the AI picks the right WPCafe tool automatically.
Sales & Menu Insights
“What are today’s best-selling menu items?”
Returns your top-selling products for the day, so you know what to promote or restock before the evening rush.
“Give me a dashboard overview for this month — orders, revenue, and reservations.”
Pulls a full snapshot of monthly performance in one answer.
Reservations
“Show me all pending reservations for today.”
Lists every unconfirmed booking so you can confirm or follow up quickly.
“Create a reservation for John Smith ([email protected]) tomorrow at 7:00 PM for 4 guests.”
Books the table instantly — no forms to fill in.
“Do we have capacity for a party of 10 this Friday at 8 PM?”
Checks available time slots and seating capacity before you say yes to a caller.
Food Orders
“List all food orders with status “processing”.”
Shows the live kitchen queue at a glance.
“Mark order #1042 as completed.”
Updates the WooCommerce order status without opening the dashboard.
Operations & Promotions
“Create a QR code for table 12 that links to our menu.”
Generates a scan-to-order QR code for dine-in customers.
“Set up a 10% discount for weekend orders.”
Creates the promotion in seconds (requires WPCafe Pro).
Frequently Asked Questions #
Is WPCafe MCP free?
Yes. The MCP server is open source under the GPL-2.0-or-later license — the same license as the WPCafe plugin. Core features work with free WPCafe; seat plans, discounts, receipts, and timed products require WPCafe Pro.
Which AI assistants work with WPCafe MCP?
Any MCP-compatible client, including Claude Desktop, Cursor, and VS Code. ChatGPT works through clients that support MCP connections.
Do I need coding skills to use it?
No. Setup is a one-time copy-paste of a small configuration block. After that, everything is plain-language chat.
Is it safe to give an AI access to my restaurant site?
Access is controlled by WordPress itself. WPCafe MCP authenticates with an Application Password tied to your user account and respects WordPress capability checks — the AI can only do what your account is allowed to do. Credentials are never cached, and HTTPS is required for production sites.
How do I revoke access?
Delete the Application Password in your WordPress profile (Users → Profile → Application Passwords). Access stops immediately — no other cleanup needed.
Which user roles can connect?
Administrator or Shop Manager. Use a Shop Manager account if you want restaurant management access without full site administration rights.
Can the AI accidentally delete my data?
The AI only acts when you ask it to, and destructive actions (like deleting reservations) still pass through WordPress permission checks. For extra safety, connect with a role that has only the capabilities you need.
Conclusion #
WPCafe MCP turns your AI assistant into a hands-on restaurant manager for your WordPress site. It removes the friction of dashboard navigation: reservations, orders, menus, QR codes, discounts, and analytics all become one question away. Setup is a five-minute, copy-paste job, and security stays exactly where it belongs — inside WordPress roles and Application Passwords.
Ready to start? Install WPCafe on your WordPress site, add the MCP server to Claude Desktop or Cursor using the steps above, and ask your first question: “What are today’s best-selling menu items?”
Repository: github.com/xs-mahbub/wpcafe-mcp
