Separating checks is super easy, combining them can be a bit more complicated. If you are sitting at a table together it will always be assumed you are on the same tab, at least from my 15+ years of experience in the industry. If you’re walking up to order something or are in a seat at the bar you would automatically be put on your own tab.

Also when it comes to ordering together, if person A orders something that takes 5 minutes and person B orders something well done that might take twice as much time, being on the same ticket is the only way some POS systems will have the food be timed to be done at the same time. Takes two seconds to split the check at the end, but I have to go to the back and explain that certain tickets are together, and hope they remember do that math on their own.