The essence of a good restaurant POS System
All things considered, restaurant profitability is the prime consideration for every owner. And while POS Systems vary in scope and functionality, it’s imperative to match capacity with need. Regardless of the restaurant size, features and functionality should address the fundamentals.
- helping the restaurant team interact efficiently
- allowing managers to track work hours/schedules
- logging historical data vs. long-term growth
- streamlining the ordering process start to finish
- accepting regular online orders and phone orders
Why your restaurant needs a reliable system
In today’s competitive business climate, every restaurant wants to thrive and grow. This is where a high-end POS System can help by delivering valuable operations data that you can use to fine-tune your operation. You can even monitor the exact cost of ingredients cooked up in every dish. Clearly, not every restaurant POS System is created equal, so you need to pick and choose the one that offers the features that best meet your needs. Customer demographics should play a big role. Your budget should also dictate the type of system. And finally, consider the size of your business.
Some of the best POS systems on the market
TouchBistro POS is considered the “best all-around” restaurant system. With a very versatile interface, it’s feature-rich (over 200 features), accompanied by good support and a good price.
Square POS is the best option for quick-service restaurants. A well-established brand name, the system accommodates such businesses as bar lounges, bakeries, coffee shops, even food trucks.
Lightspeed POS is iPad compatible and is considered one of the most flexible systems. You can easily plugin “third-party” APPS for added features like staff scheduling and loyalty programs.
Upserve POS (originally Breadcrumb POS) offers features that others don’t have – like offline functions; online order managing; bill-splitting options; and tracking of sales and inventory
Toast POS supports Android devices (doesn’t support iOS). The features include a user-friendly interface; analytics reports; loyalty programs; inventory tracking; and layout management.
Internet downtime can cause “bottleneck” issues
It’s not an unfamiliar scenario – your restaurant is full, waiters are taking orders, customers are waiting – and the Internet connection goes down. If you’re operating on a cloud-based POS system you’re in deep trouble. Without the Internet, there’s not much that can function properly. Internet downtime is a recipe for lost productivity and lost restaurant profitability. Even with the best system in place, if you do not have a 100% guarantee that your Internet provider won’t go down, you are in trouble. When it happens, all the powerful POS features are fully compromised until you’re back online. The best approach with a cloud-based POS structure is a reliable backup system to override any Internet interruption. That’s why it pays to invest in backup technology that will guarantee 100% connection time – a technology that maintains your Internet connection even during an outage.
