How To Zero In On The Best POS For Food Trucks- A Buyer's Guide for Beginners

So You're Thinking of Launching a Food Truck . . .

Lena Waithe's 2018 drama, 'The Chi', is about many things -- the intertwined lives of people living in a South Chicago neighborhood, financial inequality, crimes against Black lives . . . but most of all, it's about dreams. And that is what one of its lead protagonists, Brandon (Jason Mitchell), does for the first two seasons. He dreams.

Brandon is at a crossroads, struggling to find balance. A rich girlfriend, a tiring job as a line cook at an upscale eatery, and a constant face-off with crime. He wants change, and a self-owned business is the answer. He can't spring enough to start a restaurant, but he can manage a food truck.

We now get a ringside view of a food truck startup. The show captures it all -- how Brandon raises funds, decides the menu, his constant run-in with authorities for selling food in unauthorized zones; and most heartbreakingly, his struggle to attract customers. He eventually brings on board a social media savvy acquaintance who helps spread the word about Brandon's food truck, and his business finally takes off.

The show, extremely popular during its initial release, capitalized on the growing popularity of the food truck business, and encapsulated almost all of its finer points. It's not enough to be a good cook. It's not enough to have a fancy truck with upgraded fittings. And it's not enough to simply be excited about your business proposition.

When you're ready to get your food truck business up and running, the first step is to find a vehicle that suits your needs. Just like there are different types of food, there are different types of trucks. Once you've found the right one, you'll need to ensure it is properly equipped with a commercial kitchen and adequate storage space.

The next step after you have your truck is to obtain the requisite permits and licenses from your state or county. Again, depending on where you are, this can be a complicated process, so be sure to do your research first. And once you're up and running, one of the most important things to do is spread the word online and through social media -- making potential customers aware of your food truck's existence is key to attracting them.

It doesn't end there. Equipping your truck with the right software solutions (a Point Of Sale system, inventory management system, customer relationship system, and so on) will put you firmly on the road to success. Let's understand how these help.

What to Consider Before You Launch Your Business

Before you even think of starting a food truck business, there are several points you need to consider. You need to have a clear plan and prepare for every eventuality, good or bad. Here's what you need to think about before taking the plunge-

1. Starting a food truck requires a good bit of financial investment. You'll need to account for the vehicle's cost and outfit it with the proper equipment. Additionally, you'll need funds to cover ongoing expenses, such as rent for your parking space and ingredients for your menu items. You will also need to funnel a huge chunk of your funds into advertising and marketing. Make sure you're preparedsave enough money, or make arrangements for alternate funding before taking the plunge.
   
2. Be clear about the cuisine you want to serve. This may seem like the most obvious point, but it's important to have a food focal point. Do you want to specialize in one type of dish? Or will you offer a variety of items? A food truck serving burgers will have a completely different operational strategy than the one serving an Indian or a Korean meal box, both of which are extremely popular with food truck businesses.
   
3. Your menu items will decide the type of equipment you buy. When outfitting a food truck, you'll need to consider what type of cooking you'll be doing and what kind of menu you'll be offering. This will help you narrow down the specialized equipment you'll need, including refrigerators, freezers, fryers, pots and pans, and ovens and grills. In addition to the kitchen essentials, don't forget the smaller details that will make your food truck experience more enjoyable for customers, such as utensils, dishes, and signage.
   
4. It's better to have clarity about your target audience. Once your food truck menu is decided, it would help to know who you aim to serve. Families with young children? College students? Business professionals? Having clarity on who you want to serve will help you determine where you want to park your truck and the hours that will get you maximum footfall. Remember that your target audience may change over time, so it's important to be flexible and adjust your strategy as needed.
   
5. Obtain your permits and licenses. When you know whom you want to sell your food to, and where you'll be cooking and serving it, the next step is ensuring you have all the right permits and licenses. Without these, you could get shut down by the health department or other local authorities. To avoid legal trouble, do your research and apply for permits or licenses required by your city or county, such as a vendor's license or food safety certificates. Once you have everything in order, you can start serving up sumptuous meals.
   
6. Get software solutions for ease of operations. There are a number of software solutions that help business operations run smoothly. For instance, a point of sale system consisting of a hardware and software suite, allows your business to accept customer payments and keep track of sales. It's an essential tool for businesses of all sizes, and it can help you streamline your operations, whether you're a small business owner or a large corporation.
   

Why Does a Food Truck Need a POS System?

If you're in the food truck business, you know that your needs differ from that of stationary restaurants or online food delivery businesses. As a restaurant always on the move, you must be mindful of key factors like mobility, flexibility, and cost control.

A food truck Point Of Sale system is a software application designed specifically for businesses that require all these features. It lets you accept payments for items sold from your food truck and keeps track of inventory. This helps because you can always have control over your inventory. In addition, the truck will never run out of food, which is especially important if the truck sells popular items that tend to sell out quickly.

The best POS systems can also record orders and have data analytics features to help you make sense of your sales data. It helps to adjust your menu according to your bestselling menu items.

And the best part is that these systems can be operated from mobile devices and desktop terminals.

How Can a Small Business Scale up With a POS System?

A good POS system helps make a good first impression. It fulfils orders efficiently, ensures you are never out of ingredients, and crunches customer data to help you serve them better. It's also a key component in helping new clients connect with your brand. These finer prints will make you stand out from the competition.

Investing in an efficient POS system gives you more control over your workflow and how you manage your business' reputation. Here's what a POS system can do for you as your business grows-

Offers mobility- A mobile POS system allows you to move around, enabling you to venture out of your truck to process orders quickly and efficiently. In addition to processing on-site orders, it also facilitates online ordering. And if you're in a no- or low-network zone, your mobile point of sale system can work offline, allowing customers to place orders and pay without an internet connection. Some of the most advanced mobile point of sale systems even offer multiple device options like tablets or smartphones that let you take and deliver orders anytime, anywhere.

Provides multiple features to drive growth- POS systems are a bit like a chef's knife set. They come with many different tools that can help your business, like loyalty programs, customer relationship management, employee management, analytics, and reporting, as well as third party or internal integration options. If you take advantage of everything that your POS system offers, there's no way your business won't succeed.

Tracks inventory- As a food truck owner, you rely on your POS system to help you with several important day-to-day tasks, and inventory management is one of them. A good POS system makes it easy to update your menu to reflect what's available in your inventory. As an entrepreneur, you need software that makes handling these changes as easy as possible. The right POS takes care of menu editing, item quantity tracking, inventory management, and issues restock notifications. These aspects are critical for any operation, but especially important for food truck businesses that have limited storage space.

Helps with sales analysis- A point of sale (POS) system can help a small business keep track of what's selling and when to restock. As a food truck business grows, acquiring additional trucks or stands, a POS system can help manage that growth by tracking sales across all locations in real time. This scaleable solution ensures that every customer is served promptly and menu items are always in stock, no matter how big the operation grows.

What to Look For in a Food Truck POS System

If you have a food truck business, it's important to know that time is of the essence. You can't let the line grow too long, 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 issues early on. Make sure your food truck POS system covers the following bases-

1. Your point of sale system should offer customers a variety of payment options, such as cash, debit or credit cards, gift vouchers, and digital payment avenues like Paypal. You should 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.
   
2. Many point of sale systems require an initial investment in hardware. However, because you are running a mobile business, your POS must be portable, with enough flexibility to function in different locations. Research the hardware options offered by the manufacturers of your POS system and check whether they include tablets like iPads, smartphones, or any other handheld device. The POS system 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 it.
   
3. Food trucks are busy, crowded places, where time management is the need of the hour. Speedy order processing is integral to a food truck's success, and a POS system that can keep up with the fast pace can help notch up profits.
4. It's important to find a point of sale system that integrates cloud and touchscreen technology into a single easy to use platform. This will make the customer experience seamless.
5. Oder efficiency is key for any food truck business. A good POS system should be able to process payments and generate e-bills and relay order details correctly to the kitchen. Ideally, this information should be disseminated in a matter of seconds. This is important because orders tend to change, and customers' demands and expectations constantly evolve. An efficient POS system will ultimately save time, ensure order accuracy, and generate repeat business.

Can a Small Business Afford a POS System?

When it comes to starting up a food truck on a budget, one of the best things you can do is invest in a good POS system. You don't have to spend a fortune if you decide to get one. There are different types of systems available and they charge as little as $0 to $69 per month in software license fee.

However, the hardware can be costly. The hardware, which usually includes cash registers and mobile devices, is a one-time expense that may cost anywhere between $150 and $1999. Some software companies offer annual hardware-software bundle plans, which helps reduce the burden of paying a substantial amount outright for hardware. By working with companies with flexible payment plans, food truck owners can help ease the financial burden of starting a new business.

Top 3 POS Systems For Food Trucks

PlumOne-
If you own a food truck, you know that having a great POS register can make all the difference. The Plum One register from Plum POS comes with a detachable wireless touchscreen, a printer, cash drawer, networking equipment, and an RGB display. Plus, it's easy to integrate with other Plum products like Plum Kiosk, Plum Digital Signage, and Plum Handheld. These peripherals give you the mobility you need to take orders and advertise specials anywhere in or around your Food Truck. And with loyalty rewards, you can engage your customers and keep them coming back for more. Plum One's entire package is available on PlumPos.com for $1901.98.

Toast POS-
Toast POS is a restaurant tablet application that runs on touchscreen devices, such as tablet computers and handhelds. Toast's pay-as-you-go option makes it possible for a Small Business to get started without making a large upfront investment. Additionally, it offers an inventory tracking feature that helps businesses keep menus fresh with items that are in high demand.The software makes it easy to manage vendors and track inventory. It also offers advanced reporting features and analytics that help food truck operators closely monitor top menu items and identify underperforming ones. Toast POS's starter kit is available at free of cost. It is ideal for single location. The standard price for hardware is $799.

Square POS-
Square is a free mobile app that makes it easy to sell food quickly, efficiently and securely. You can sell food on the go through Square's contactless card reader, and accept payments via Apple Pay, Android Pay, or cash. No expensive equipment is required, no training is necessary and there's an option to sync your online store easily through one-click integrations so that e-commerce capabilities are added as you grow. This means you can accept credit card payments while on the move. The price for Square's hardware begins at $49 for the basic contactless card reader. The complete Square for restaurant POS station kit costs $1339.