Restaurant POS systems
Restaurant POS Systems we provide includes with Toast, Square POS, Lightspeed Restaurant and Upserve. What exactly does “restaurant POS” mean if you’ve heard the term? And how does the POS system in a restaurant operate?
Systems for restaurant point-of-sale (POS) are an essential component of any restaurant enterprise. They enable restaurant owners to create reports, manage tables, and measure sales.Â
Restaurant POS systems assist business owners in streamlining sales, cash flow, food inventory, and bookkeeping processes while also improving the customer experience. A payment gateway, order management, analytics, and table reservations are additional features.
What is Restaurant POS Software?
Restaurant POS software is an effective instrument that aids business management for restaurant operators. It lets the restaurant owner manage inventory, monitor employee activity, and analyze sales data. The restaurant owner can identify areas for improvement. Moreover, make strategic decisions base on actual data with the help of the information offered by the POS software.
Additionally, restaurant POS software frequently includes tools like payroll and personnel scheduling systems. Which can ease administrative duties and help businesses run more efficiently.
Types of Restaurant POS Systems
Cloud-Based POS Systems
Cloud-based restaurant POS systems run on remote servers, not individual workstations or devices. Since you don’t need to buy and maintain expensive hardware or software. These cloud-based systems are frequently more affordable and simpler to operate. Additionally, it is available 24/7 via an internet connection, making it convenient for managers to examine sales and staff performance reports and make adjustments to inventory. A POS system can develop into a complete restaurant management system with the arrival of cloud technologies. Because the data on the cloud server doesn’t have a backup, businesses don’t need to worry about losing important data.
Hybrid POS Systems
A hybrid point-of-sale system for restaurants combines older, offline cash register technologies with more modern, cloud-based ones. Payments and data tracking are combine into one platform by this system. Hybrid point-of-sale systems are popular in the restaurant sector.Â
What is a cloud-based Restaurant POS system?
A restaurant point of sale (POS) system is the hardware and software that restaurant owners use to manage every aspect of their business. Including taking orders, managing the floor plan and reservations, reporting on sales, performing inventory counts. Allocating staff, and pricing their menu. The point of sale system in a restaurant is typically a full restaurant management system.
The majority of the best point-of-sale (POS) systems for restaurants are cloud-based, which means that all of the information they store—including your sales data, menu prices, inventory levels, and reservations—is kept on a secure internet server.
Why does that matter? It entails that you can access and manage your restaurant from any computer, tablet, or smartphone with an internet connection. For instance, a fast food POS system might be operate on tablets in the restaurant, but you could use your smartphone to check your analytics at home.
Most restaurant POS systems have an offline mode that lets you continue working even if your internet connection is down. Additionally, your data is sent and saved to the cloud when your internet is back online.
What Are Common Restaurant POS System Features?
The majority of POS systems are competent at processing orders, accepting payments, and storing restaurant data. However, when you start to include other restaurant management features, you begin to realize the true value of a restaurant POS.
The following are some features to consider when picking your POS. A potential game-changer for your restaurant is having these features built-in and integrating them with your other restaurant software.
Kiosk ordering
By offering a simple interface for customers to place their orders in-store. Restaurant kiosks make life easier for both your customers and your staff. They must also appear professional to blend in with the decor of your restaurant. Self checkout kiosks can serve as a speedy and convenient sales tool while being wall-mount or free-standing.
Staff scheduling
Although labour management and scheduling are not typically included in most POS systems by default, the majority of them can be integrated with scheduling platforms, which can provide additional functionality. If you are not a single operator, it is necessary to schedule staff and budget for labour costs. When selecting a POS, ensure that it integrates with scheduling software, allowing you to expand your team in the future.Â
Order ingest
If you receive orders from multiple sources, it’s important that they are all in the same format and automatically entered into your POS system. It’s not ideal to have someone manually add orders from third-party marketplaces into the system as this can lead to mistakes and missing orders. Using an order ingest tool that is integrated with your POS system can collect orders from all your partners and automatically add them to your POS system to be processed like any other order.
Integrated payments
Efficiently handling payments is crucial for the success of your business. Without proper integration of your payment system into your POS, you may be losing money and operating less efficiently. Choosing a POS with a simple and clear payment scheme that enables you to accept various online payment methods can help you reduce confusion and accurately manage your budget. This way, you can ensure your kitchen runs smoothly and orders are fulfilled on time.
Inventory management
It’s essential to manage food costs while ensuring you have enough inventory to meet the demand you forecast for the next day.
Now, when it comes to inventory counts, there are a few ways you can approach this. There’s the tried-and-true method of literally counting the inventory and keeping track with pen and paper — but that’s prone to error. A better way is to use the built-in inventory management features in your restaurant POS. Most POS systems have inventory management capabilities to help manage food waste, variance, and beginning and ending inventory counts. This is crucial for minimising food waste while assuring you have enough inventory on-hand to fulfil orders. And it can be the key to staying in control of your restaurant’s profit margins.
Here are the most common payment methods to consider for Restaurant delivery:
In most traditional table service restaurants, a physical cash register is usually placed near the bar or entrance, and the surrounding area is considered the point of sale. At this location, customers can pay for the restaurant’s services using physical cash or electronic methods such as credit cards or smart wallets. While physical cash payments have been declining, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic due to concerns about hand-to-hand transmission, a significant number of people still prefer using it as a mode of payment and accepting it can be beneficial for your restaurant’s revenue.
- Contactless payment terminals offer speedy payments wherever your customer needs to pay: at the counter, at the drive-through and or at a self-ordering kiosk
- Apple Pay enables users of Apple products, such as iPhones, to make quick and secure payments.
- Google Pay is a mobile payment service for contactless in-app, online, and in-store purchases on Android watches, tablets, and phones.
- In-app payment allows customers to pay directly from an app by card or mobile wallet
What advantages do POS systems for Restaurant offer?
A contemporary restaurant POS system has a ton of advantages as a full restaurant management system. But the value you get from it depends on the type of restaurant you run and the features you choose for your POS system.
Power your decisions with data
When it comes to making important decisions in the restaurant industry, relying solely on intuition is not a reliable approach. To make informed decisions regarding menu item pricing, food costs, expenses, sales, staffing, tips, and inventory management, it is crucial to have access to data. POS systems can provide valuable data through various reports such as end-of-day, weekly, monthly, and annual sales reports. Analyzing this data can help restaurant owners understand peak selling times, identify their best-selling menu items, and gain insights at both high-level and granular levels. Therefore, it is essential to take advantage of these reports to make better-informed decisions in the restaurant business.
Adjust your floor plan on the fly
In the past, restaurant revenue was mainly dependent on table service sales, and having an adaptable floor plan was crucial for efficiently managing the front of the house. With the advent of cloud-based restaurant POS systems, adjustable floor plans that reflect real-time changes have become an essential tool for efficient management. These systems can help keep staff up to date on changes made to the dining room, enabling them to work efficiently. For instance, if a server moved table five to another location, the wait staff wouldn’t be confused or disrupted when delivering food to that table. Therefore, cloud-based restaurant POS systems with adjustable floor plans are valuable for keeping staff informed and ensuring smooth operations in the restaurant.
Offer takeout, delivery and order-ahead
Restaurants have undergone significant changes in their operations since the beginning of the pandemic. Traditionally, restaurants either served as many customers as possible or charged higher prices per dish to increase revenue. However, with the shutdown of table service during the COVID-19 outbreak, restaurants have been forced to follow the lead of direct-to-consumer eCommerce retailers and pivot to online sales to generate revenue.
How to Use a POS System in a Restaurant?
To use a Restaurant POS system effectively, there are several steps you should follow. Firstly, ensure that the POS system you choose has all the necessary features to run your business effectively. Different software options are available, so do some research to find the one that suits your specific needs. Once you have chosen a suitable option, set it up according to the manufacturer’s instructions and become familiar with how it works to navigate menus and enter data accurately.
It is also crucial to train your staff on how to use the POS system. Employees should know how to take orders, process payments, and access inventory lists to run daily operations efficiently. Finally, it is essential to review system reports periodically to identify any areas for improvement. By following these steps, you can effectively use a Restaurant POS system to improve your business operations.
Why Linkitsoft?
With the rise in customer demand, running a restaurant and its operations has become a difficult task. If you want to hasten the growth of your company, it is crucial to control every facet of it at once. So why wait to develop a restaurant POS system, whether you run a small local cafe or a large international chain?
Create the ideal solutions for your company during a free consultation with Linkitsoft.
