Point of Sales, or POS (as they have to be come to known) are dedicated computer terminals or handheld devices that let retailers or businesses to integrate their sales to customers and consumers. In the past, the only option was to use manual systems in which sales employee would use paper and pen to note down order, or calculate sales. The computers have made it very easy now.
POS for Restaurants
For restaurants, noting down the orders of customers is extremely important. Unlike retail, where the customer has brought his or her groceries to the sales counter, the customer order starts from the Point of Sales. With a POS, restaurants are able to connect up and down their supply chain. As the customer orders from a menu, the staff can enter the requests on the POS terminal and the data will be relayed to the kitchen staff. With the order data now with the chefs, they can start preparing the food.
POS offer other advantages too. As the order is placed and the kitchen starts to get busy, the system can also integrate the food store, noting down how much of the ingredients will be used to serve the order. If the quantity in the store falls below a minimum point, it can alert the restaurant manager to place order fill up the pantry. Modern restaurants can also have the supplier integrated into the POS so that the computer can place an order without any intervention of humans.
Apart from the food aspect, POS can also be used to streamline a number of different areas. The software of the terminals can be used to keep a track on the type of food and order that is placed the most, letting managers decide on how much of raw materials to keep in stock. This information is also very useful when it comes to predicting sales and any relevant promotions and discounts.
The POS systems also allow managers to keep in check the cash, sales flows, employees, customer data and much others. In all, POS systems are a must for any restaurant today.
The Best POS Systems
Today, there are a number of different POS systems available, each offering features without which it is becoming difficult for restaurants to function effectively. Here are the Best Restaurant POS systems we have checked out so you don’t have to go and experiment with:
TouchBistro
In less than a decade, TouchBistro has made its mark in the restaurant POS industry. The company has offices in 6 different countries and offers services to over 100. The company’s software is a flexible system that allows for various options such as bill splitting, merging seats and cash management. TouchBistro costs at around USD 200 per outlet as setup fee for the hardware, while it only charges USD 69 per month for software services. Integrated card payment service is also included, which is charged according to the preferred payment system.
Upserve
Upserve is another POS that can help restaurants handle their complete ordering and financial books. The Upserve software and computers are designed to integrate all types of working and data, allowing streamlining of operations, increased productivity and decrease costs. Formerly known as Breadcrumb, the software allows to combine sales, payment systems, inventory and even reservations. There are no hardware costs, but has a monthly rent of USD 99 per location and charges at 2.5% per transaction.
Toast
Toast is a cloud based POS that not only offers a computer based terminal, but also gives an option of using the system on a handheld device. This means that restaurants can let waiters walk right up to their patrons and customers can give orders directly. This has an added advantage of allowing waiters to interact with the customers for that extra personal feel. Toast, like any other POS, has payment and payroll options embedded. Toast offers rental software at USD 89 per month and charges 1.6% per transaction.
Cake
Cake POS strives to give the best experience to restaurant customers by decreasing the wait time, faster table turns and shorter lines. The software also gives users the benefit of treating every client like a VIP guest through its high quality of service, including table and wait list management. Clients can also order from Cake users through their online integration. Cake POS is not cheap, with a 2 or 3 year hardware contract and ISD 138 per month software charges. But the higher quality and an excellent customer supports makes up for much more.
Shopkeep
Simple, smart and intuitive user interface is what defines Shopkeep. The POS system gives a turnkey solution with its hardware support. Each restaurant is visited by dedicated experts who analyze the requirements and give the owners a custom made setup. With integrated card payment system, Shopkeep supports all major credit and debit cards. The hardware and software combo of the POS start at USD 899 with custom quotes for the monthly software support.
POS systems have come a long way from simple spreadsheets being used on computers to input and manage data. Today, any good restaurant cannot afford to run profitability and good customer services without these.
