Why Do I Need a hospitality POS System such as restaurant pos?

A good EPOS system for hospitality will help any business thrive and grow, providing accurate and important data to base decisions off. But a restaurant will benefit especially from an industry-focused POS System.

 

Any business records sales, but a restaurant must also be able to accept reservations and know which orders were placed from which table. Any business tracks inventory, but a restaurant must track the amount and cost of the ingredients used in each dish, in addition to the amount and cost of the orders that are placed.

 

In addition, a high-quality restaurant POS can:

 

    Help the kitchen and the servers interact quickly and easily

    Help a manager track employees’ work hours and plan their future schedules

    Log data from past weeks or months in order to create detailed reports about the restaurant’s long-term growth

    Streamline the order process from start to finish, including accepting online orders and sending email receipts

 

The bottom line: A good restaurant POS centralizes all the processes of a restaurant, bar or cafe, allowing the manager to improve on what’s working and fix what’s not. It will pay for itself and then some.

 

What are the Top Restaurant POS Software Features to Look for?

 

While the best restaurant POS systems might include a handful of unique traits, they should also accomplish an array of the following top features.

 

    Inventory Management — tracks orders and ingredients used

    Inventory Alerts — sends automatic personalized notifications when specific ingredients need to be restocked soon

    Employee Tracking — records which employee was operating which station, and at what time

    Table Service — tracks which tables will receive which orders

    Billing — accepts cash, card, and contactless payment

    Loyalty Programs — offers deals and gift cards in order to attract repeat customers

    Customer Engagement — collects and securely manages approved contact lists, such as email addresses or phone numbers, for customer marketing

    Reservations — allows workers to track meal reservations weeks or months in advance

    Online ordering — allows quick-service restaurants to let customers place orders online

 

While the features above are important to consider when picking out a POS for your restaurant, you should go beyond just the features. The best restaurant POS systems are also cost-effective, well reviewed, easy to use, and come with a professional customer support team.

Do I Need to Buy Restaurant POS Hardware Accessories?

 

While the software powering a restaurant POS is the main element of a POS system, hardware is important as well. Here are some of the best physical POS accessories that will make your daily chores more manageable.

 

    Touchscreen display — Quicker and more portable than a desktop computer for running software. iPads are most common, though other tablets or smartphones can be used as well.

    Card readers for iPad — Cash tills aren’t enough any more. Tiny card readers the size of a quarter can be plugged into an iPad’s headphone jack. They’re often sold by POS vendors and might be included in a POS package. Larger countertop versions come as “cubes” rather than portable readers.

    iPad stands and docks — A stand, typically designed to swivel so that customers can easily sign their bill, is a must. These are also usually sold by specific vendors.

    Self-Service Kiosk — A larger stand, a receipt printer, and a large card reader can all serve as a kiosk for customers to check their orders out by themselves, cutting down on employee busywork.

    Power supply — Don’t expect your iPad battery to outlast your customers: Invest in compact portable chargers.

 

Example of a Self-Service Kiosk

 

How to Choose a POS System for Your Restaurant

 

Not every restaurant POS system is equal, and even a POS that offers all the right features might not be right for your specific business. Here are a few factors to consider, some of which you won’t find on most POS websites but remain relevant to your decision.

 

    Your customers — The demographic of your audience determines what type of POS system they will embrace.

        Their age — Older customers might not understand or care about options like contactless payment or QR-code coupons.

        Their social expectations — A quick-service location might have a self-checkouts option, but a higher end restaurants would never give their servers iPads.

        Their digital adoption — Silicon Valley is packed with early adopters who want all the options, but restaurants on the Rust Belt can stick to a more compact POS with fewer features.

    Customers with disabilities — A self-serve station might seem easier than an in-person order system, but might not be an accessible option for those with poor eyesight or limited mobility.

    Your budget — Don’t overextend your business, especially if you plan to pay up front.

    Your size — A single food truck and a sprawling restaurant have differing needs: The larger your restaurant, the more important your POS communication features become.

    Future growth — As your total orders, order stations, or restaurant locations grow, the cost for your POS system will grow, even though the features it offers likely won’t. Choose a system that will be ready for your future needs.

 

Restaurant POS System Prices

 

The restaurant POS industry charges per-month costs that vary depending on the number of terminals and locations, and whether you’re only using software or need hardware as well. Typical POS prices start at between $69 – $99 per month for a single terminal.

 

Given that costs can vary so much, how can you know which POS is right for your restaurant? First, consider how your business answers the following variables:

 

    Quick service venue, mid-size business, or large layout?

    Number of POS terminals needed?

    Number of locations?

    Unique features needed?

 

Next, you’ll need to reach out to the right POS vendors for a customized quote so you can compare the prices.

Looking for the best deal? Compare Restaurant POS System price quotes in just a few clicks.

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Conclusion

 

If you're looking for the best restaurant POS software and hardware system, it's likely to be one of the ones on this page, all of which offer all the core industry-specific features needed to operate a restaurant on an hourly basis while collecting all the data any manager needs to plan for years into the future as well.

 

Once again, here's our quick look at the three POS services that rise above the rest when it comes to features, support, and pricing.

                Touchbistro Logo

 

TouchBistro

                Square POS logo

 

Square POS

                Lightspeed logo

 

Lightspeed Restaurant

Price from:          $69/month         $60/month         $69/month

Hardware:           Works with most leading brands.              Sold by Square, available separately or packaged with software. Works with most leading brands.          Sold by Lightspeed, available separately or packaged with software. Works with most leading brands.

Key features:     Floor Layout

Tableside Ordering

Loyalty Programs             Menu Customization

Layout Management

Customer Feedback        Integration Library

Kitchen Display

Menu Management

Best for:               Overall value, thanks to a range of features that covers the advanced as well as the basic features, and options for venue-specific versions.         Smaller, quick-service businesses, due to cost-effective pricing, strong brand recognition, and strong support.               Businesses in need of flexible, rare, or unique abilities, due to robust third-party integrations.

 

 

 

Once you have decided which POS service is best for your operation, there's one big step left: Gathering and contrasting custom quotes from each of the POS vendors you're willing to consider. Some may offer deals based on your operation's needs and size, but you won't know until you ask.

 

For a quick one-minute jumpstart, try TechCo’s fast and easy quote collection form, available right here.