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Can a POS system for restaurant really change your business?

Point of sale systems, more commonly known as POS systems, are used extensively throughout the restaurant and retail industry to do everything from take orders and fulfill service requests to track inventory and manage employee timecards. A POS system for restaurant use is geared specifically toward the hospitality industry, with unique features that enable it to provide a customized level of service in even the busiest bar or eatery.

Comprised of both hardware and software, POS systems are customizable to the size of your organization and the volume of your locations – tracking sales, cash flow, food inventory and performing bookkeeping functions by integrating with many of the popular accounting programs. In addition, a POS system also handles all of your credit card processing, enabling wait staff to simply swipe the card, and eliminating the need for carbon copies.

Effects of POS systems on front-of-house staff

A finely-tuned POS system for restaurant often serves as the backbone of the business. Featuring touch-screen monitors, wireless peripheral devices that simplify order-taking and your choice of printers or monitors that instantly communicate orders to the kitchen, POS functionalities are proven to cut costs by economizing the time your staff has to spend running to and from the kitchen.

Impacts on back-of-house activities

Many restaurants have also found a POS system to be highly effective in running their back-of-house operations, tracking food usage and inventory levels while reporting on the most popular (and least popular) menu offerings. POS system orders are shown to result in more accurate food preparation due to the legibility and uniform appearance of the order, reducing order error. A POS system for restaurant provide the data necessary to minimize the time staff members have to spend on inventory management while ensuring you always have the freshest ingredients on-hand. POS systems provide shelf life tracking that allows you to easily monitor the expiration dates of food, another huge cost-cutter when it comes to management duties, also guaranteeing the food served to customers will be fresh.

Other extra features

Other popular features of a POS system for restaurant may include:

• Employee swipe cards, easily tracking each employee that logs into the system to reduce theft
• Daily or happy-hour customization, providing simplified one-touch ordering for daily specials
• Phone order processing for simplifying orders intended for delivery, including specific notes and directions
• Multiple payment methods billed for one receipt, easily divides the total receipt among all cards and bills
• Party-size gratuity prompting to automatically calculate the appropriate tip
• To-Go order status to assist your front of house employees with customers waiting to pick up food to go

What are the top restaurant POS brands?

Here’s a short list of those that have received consistently high reviews among restaurants and chains of all sizes.

• Aloha
• Business Plus Accounting
• MICROS
• PC America
• Point of Success (software only)