The point of sale (POS) system is an essential part of any restaurant. Without a high-functioning POS, the waitstaff, kitchen, and management teams all struggle to do their jobs. If you have ever walked into a restaurant and seen a panicked member of the waitstaff apologizing because the computer is down (or, if you have been that waiter), you know how important the POS is.
But what features are essential for your POS system — and which ones are vanity tools that you are less likely to use? Know what to look for in your restaurant technology. Here are five key features for your restaurant and bar POS.
1. Kitchen communication.
When a member of your waitstaff puts in an order, the ticket should automatically be sent to the kitchen. Digital POS systems can cut down on communication mistakes between your servers and cooks. For example, your line cook won’t have to read the scrawled handwriting of a server to understand that one diner is allergic to onions. Everything will be displayed in digital format for all parties to see.
This Kitchen Display System (KDS) can also help managers resolve disputes between both teams. You can see whether the server forgot to add the customer request to the ticket or if the issue occurred when the line cook forgot to read it.
2. Inventory tracking.
When your kitchen and bar run out of key items, it creates a poor customer experience. Who wants to order a mojito when your bar is out of mint or lime? The experience can get even worse when your servers and bar staff have to keep checking for ingredients until they find enough for the customer.
A bar POS system can prevent these inventory issues. Before the bar opens, you can review your inventory and see what you are running low on. You can also track ingredient consumption to see what items you should buy more of and which ones are going bad before use.
With the right bar and pub POS, your staff can spend more time upselling customers and serving food while spending less time checking for inventory.
3. Sales reporting.
A quality POS system for bars and restaurants can also help you track your sales and better accommodate customers. By tracking your sales numbers, you can see how profitable your business is; however, you can also look at key items to see if they are selling as they should. Which menu items are ignored and can be removed? Which items are the most popular? These are all questions you can answer with your reporting.
Sales reporting can also help you with staffing. For example, if you had 300 customers during a brunch rush last Mother’s Day, you can look at your reports and know to schedule heavily on the upcoming holiday to keep up with customer demand.
4. Payment processing.
A payment processing system that connects all of your point of sale information is a key part of running your restaurant. Payment processing makes it easy for customers to pay in one place rather than waiting for a paper bill. It also allows you to track the interaction from the minute customers sit down until they walk out the door.
Modern technology makes it easy for you to run your business with one system. You don’t need a dozen apps to keep your restaurant open.
5. Employee organization.
Busy shifts in the restaurant or hospitality industries can get hectic. That’s why it is imperative that your staff knows exactly what they’re supposed to be doing, when to do it, and who to report to. With employee management tools integrated right into the POS, you can effectively manage schedules and assign permissions to different members of your staff to make sure that the dinner rush will be managed as smoothly as possible.
Before investing in any restaurant or bar POS system, learn about the features and what these programs are capable of. It might be worth the cost to buy a more advanced system, but you don’t want to pay for apps you never use. Know which features are the most important for running your business effectively.
