How to Choose the Best Food Truck POS System for Your Gourmet Burger Business

What's a Food Truck POS System?

A point of sale is the avenue at a commercial establishment where customers make purchases. A point-of-sale system is a hardware and software suite that allows your business to accept customer payments and keep track of sales. It can work in different ways, depending on whether you sell online or have a physical storefront, and whether you deal with transactions via cash, credit, or digital modes. A POS system allows a business to accept customer payments and keep track of sales.

A traditional POS system is typically operated through a single desktop computer at the cash register. However, over time the POS system has evolved dramatically with technological advancements and continuous innovation. Modern POS systems are cloud-based, which means you can check out a customer wherever you are, with nothing more than an internet-enabled device, such as a tablet or phone.

Now, if you operate a food truck business, you know that your requirements are different from brick-and-mortar or even online food delivery businesses. As a quick-service restaurant constantly on the move, you must take into account a few key considerations. Flexibility, mobility and cost control should be your top priority when selecting software tools for a food truck business.

A food truck point of sale system is a specialized software application that allows you to accept payments for items sold from your food truck, and keeps track of inventory. It can record orders and it has in-built Data Analytics features to crunch your sales data. Such a POS system typically combines a payment processing center with inventory management functions. Most of these systems can be operated from any mobile device.

Components of a Food Truck POS

Choosing the right food truck point of sale will help you stir interest from potential customers and make a lasting impression on first-time guests. Point of sale systems can vary, depending on your budget. But whichever you choose to install, consider all the features it offers. As an on-the-go, fast-paced small business owner, there are a few things to note when buying a POS for your food truck business-

Payment-
Your point of sale system must allow customers to settle their dues through multiple payment options, including cash, debit or credit cards, gift vouchers, and digital payment avenues like Paypal. Also, consider the kind of credit card processing solutions your food truck POS system offers. For example, some POS systems have in-house processing capabilities, while others offer integration options with third-party processors, if you want to accept payments from companies like Google.

Hardware-
Your point of sale system will require up-front hardware investment. However, because you're getting into a mobile business, your POS must be portable, with enough flexibility with regards to where and how it functions. Therefore, research the hardware options currently offered by the manufacturers of your POS system and check whether it includes tablets like iPads, smartphones or any other handheld device. It should be compatible with iOS and Android platforms.
To save money, check if your existing devices are compatible with the POS system and figure out the peripherals needed to use them with the core terminal. Additionally, ensure that the security features work well with the devices required to carry out those tasks. For example, if you use barcodes to sell snacks, your chosen Pos system should be able to read them and work well with a barcode scanner or swipe terminal.

Menu Management and Inventory Management-
Your food truck POS system plays a vital role in your day-to-day operations, particularly when it comes to managing inventory and serving customers quickly. Any POS software worth its salt should allow you to easily update your menu to what's available in your inventory. As an entrepreneur, you need software that makes handling these changes as easy as possible. The right POS can assist you in many ways, including menu editing, item quantity tracking, inventory management, and issuing restock notifications.

Order Processing-
Just as a restaurant should have an effective short-order cook on the rolls, your food truck will need a point of sale system that can process orders quickly and efficiently. The software must communicate with peripheral devices (like receipt or ticket printers) and offers options for order modifications, split payments, taxes, and promotions.

How Can a Food Truck POS System Help Your Business?

The right point of sale system will make your business stand out in a crowd, while also helping new clients bond with your brand. In addition, investing in a POS system offers you greater control over your workflow and reputation management. Here are some of the services a POS system can provide-

Offers Mobility-
As a business that relies on movement, you need a mobile POS system to enable you to process your orders quickly. It would help if you had a way to keep track of everything moving along with you. In addition to online ordering, your mobile point of sale system should have an offline mode where customers can place orders and pay even without an internet connection. The most advanced mobile point of sale systems offers multiple device options like tablets or smartphones that let you take and deliver orders anytime, anywhere without hassle. Also, consider peripheral connections; check if you can connect to a Bluetooth printer or how easy it is to access your business's POS account from anywhere via the web.

Provides Add-ons for Sales-
A great thing about POS systems is that they come with several features that work for your business's success, including loyalty programs, customer relationship management, employee management, analytics and reporting, as well as as third party, or internal, integration options. Your business is sure to succeed if you take advantage of everything your POS system offers.

Provides Robust Customer Service-
The best POS system for a food truck business will have everything you need to set up and go. Whether it's robust customer support, such as tutorials and community forums, or hands-on support via email, phone or live messagingthe most helpful POS software provider will help ensure that every step of your business is easy to manage from Day One. Efficient POS partners also manage the setup and training process.

How to Choose the Right POS System for Your Burger Business

If you're in the business of selling burgers, you know that speed is of the essence. So your outlet should have a POS system that makes it quick and easy to make sales transactions. The key is to use an enterprise POS system that features cloud based mobile ordering, real-time analytics, inventory management and reporting functionalities. These features can help boost sales, optimize workers' shift schedules, and detect bottlenecks and errors early on. Let's take a closer look at features to look for-

Quick Order Processing-
The speed at which your POS system works will determine your profits. Take McDonald's, for example. The fast-food giant serves over 69 million customers daily in over 100 countries and sells 4500 burgers each minute, 9 million pounds of fries daily and 200 coffees every 20 seconds. The only way such massive quantities of food can be served is with a specialized QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) POS system. Fast food restaurants typically have a frantic and harried environment, so it's important to prioritize time management when developing a point of sale system. The key is to find the right fit for your restaurant that can integrate cloud as well as touchscreen technology into an easy to use platform. It will make the customer experience seamless.

Order Efficiency-
Besides payment processing and e-billing, an efficient POS system should also be able to relay order details to a kitchen display system. An ideal POS should be able to disseminate information in less than a few seconds, not only because orders tend to change, but also because customers' demands and expectations constantly vary. In the end, it will save time, ensure order accuracy, and generate repeat business.

Integrating Online Orders-
The way consumers interact with a business is changing. Online ordering is the new trend, and this can increase your customer base significantly. When choosing a POS system, make sure it integrates seamlessly with your food delivery management app or your aggregator app. This will allow you to handle online orders and in-person orders simultaneously.

Inventory Management-
Food items and beverages sell nonstop in a fast-food restaurant. It's critical to ensure enough inventory is on hand, so you don't run out of important raw material. That said, it's not possible for anyone to manually monitor stocks on such a busy schedule. This is where advanced technology comes in. A point of sale and inventory management system rolled into one informs you immediately when your inventory levels are low. It provides useful real time data to help you make inventory decisions and gives you on-the-go insights into sales, stock depletion, and other valuable information to keep your business running efficiently.

How Much do Food Truck POS Systems Cost?

If you're thinking of starting up a food truck with a limited budget, the good news is you don't have to spend a fortune on a good POS system. There are different types of systems available, ranging from $0 to $69 per month.

If you don't plan to grow your business anytime soon, a point of sale system may not be worth your investment or effort. But if you want to grow successful, and quickly, you need a POS to increase your speed of service and streamline your marketing efforts. POS systems aren't just for big corporations; in fact, there are many affordable options such as Squareup (the basic plan is free, and the advance plan starts at $60 per month) that help small businesses grow. Nowadays, businesses of all sizes use a POS system, enabling them to compete with bigger brands.

Top 3 Food Truck POS Systems for 2022

Plum One-
You should invest in a single point of sale register if you own or operate a food truck, kiosk or small restaurant. Plum One, an all-in-one POS system from Plum POS, includes the Plum Station order station base and a detachable wireless touchscreen. In addition to the touchscreen and printer, there's a cash drawer, networking equipment and an RGB display. You can integrate your new register with other products from the company, like Plum Kiosk, Plum Digital Signage and Plum Handheld. These peripherals give your staff mobility, and enable you to advertise your specials and engage your customers with loyalty rewards anywhere. Plum One can be purchased off Hubworks, an app store for restaurants at $1716 for the complete package.

SquarePOS-
Square makes it super easy to sell in person, online, over the phone or via text with a simple free app. Not only can you get your business up and running within minutes, you can begin accepting payments in seconds. No costly or complicated equipment is required, and no training necessary. In addition, there's an option to sync your online store easily through Square integrations so that e-commerce capabilities are added as you grow. This means you can accept credit card payments while on the move! So whether you're operating from a countertop at your shop or out of a pickup truck, your expanding inventory is always a tap away. The price for Square's hardware begins at $49 for the basic contactless card reader. It costs $1339 for a complete restaurant POS station kit.

ToastPOS-
Toast POS runs on touchscreen tablets and handheld devices, making it ideal for the rough-and-tumble environment of foodtrucks. The software offers a pay-as-you-go option for software and hardware, so smaller trucks can get started without upfront costs and add tools as they grow. Toast's inventory tracking feature allows businesses to efficiently manage vendors, and keeps menus fresh with items in high demand. With its advanced reporting features and analytics, Toast helps food truck operators closely monitor top menu items and identify underperforming ones.

Final Word

The needs of food truck owners have changed over time. Food trucks today need software that works in low-signal areas and hardware that can withstand the rigors of the road, like having to serve in a sudden downpour, navigating rutted roads, or having the truck jostled by pedestrians.

Fortunately, food truck POS systems now cater to this sector's unique needs. The best software for food trucks will streamline your operations by allowing you to update your menu remotely, keep track of potential new clients, and keep an eye on how well or poorly your sales are doing. It's definitely an investment worth making.