What are the buzzers at restaurants called?

The buzzers used at restaurants are called coaster pagers — flat, disc-shaped devices handed to guests so staff can alert them when their table or order is ready.

Coaster pagers get their name from their shape: roughly the size of a drink coaster, typically around 3.8 inches in diameter. When a guest's order is ready, a staff member enters the pager's ID number on a transmitter base and presses call. The pager responds with a buzz, vibration, LED flash, or a combination — depending on how the system is configured. This lets customers wait anywhere within range instead of crowding near the counter.

• Standard coaster pager dimensions: approximately 3.8 inches in diameter and 0.6 inches thick.
• Typical open-area transmitter range: up to 984 feet (300 meters) for restaurant coaster pager systems.
• Alert modes available on coaster pagers: buzz, vibration, LED flash, or stacked combinations of all three.
• Most coaster pager systems support up to 998–999 pagers per transmitter base.
• Coaster pagers typically charge in 3–4 hours and run for up to 20 hours on a full charge.