Restaurant POS System- Useful Tips for Small Business Owners

What is a Restaurant POS System?

Restaurants have traditionally operated with a simple billing counter placed at one corner of the establishment, and this was used to process orders and generate bills. However, with advances in technology and the emergence of dedicated restaurant management solutions, the billing counter has now evolved to become a full-scale, integrated restaurant management solution that can be used not just for billing, but order management, kitchen management and even inventory management.

A restaurant POS system or point-of-sale system is an integrated software solution that manages sales orders, vendor orders, deliveries, takeaways, online orders, rewards programs, and payment processing. What's more, cloud-based restaurant POS systems have made it possible to manage restaurants remotely; business owners no longer need to be present on the premies at all times. They can now observe and manage the business wherever they are, accessing real time insights and reports on the go.

Why Use a POS System?

• A POS system streamlines sales order management, billing and invoicing. Sales orders and invoices are managed with much more accuracy and efficiency with the help of an automated POS system. POS software reduces the chance of missed orders and delayed servicefactors that could come in the way of quality customer service.
  
• Restaurant POS systems reduce the staff's workload. Free of having to manually pencil down orders or count inventory, they can instead focus on other jobs and improve customer service at the restaurant.
• An automated restaurant management system cuts down the need for a large staff and subsequently, reduces labor costs.
  
• Restaurant POS software offers far greater mobility to waitstaff and bartenders who can move around the floor and improve customer service. What's more, with features such as tableside ordering, restaurant businesses can make sure customers are given the experience they want.
  
• The best POS systems can handle customer relationship management, with integrated loyalty programs and gift card processing.
  
• POS systems can handle all the important functions of a restaurant, from inventory management, kitchen management, online ordering and so on. As a result, restaurant management becomes a smooth job, as all the data related to these individual functions is automatically consolidated and processed to provide unified insights on the operations.
  
• The POS system's real time reports and forecasts will give operators the insights and direction they need to turn successful. From inventory usage to sales patterns, they can dive into all important touchpoints in order to optimize their business.
  

What's Included in a Restaurant POS System?

A POS system comprises of several components. These are-

• POS software- A restaurant POS system includes POS software that takes care of all the sales points of a restaurant business, including online ordering, tableside ordering and takeaway. The POS software makes sure no order is missed, all orders are delivered at the right time and without delay, and all invoices are logged into the system for future reference.
  
• Inventory management- POS software comes with tools for inventory management. The inventory management tool directly integrates with the POS system, pulling in data from each sale, adjusting the inventory accordingly and maintaining accurate records of stocks and usage.
  
• Supply chain- Some POS systems also take care of supply chain management. This tool will streamline your purchase orders and manage your supplies according to customer demand and sales.
  
• Email marketing- Restaurant POS systems also offer customer engagement and marketing tools. With the email marketing tool, for example, businesses can directly interact with customers, sending them offers, discounts and membership perks.
  
• Loyalty program & gift card- These are other essential customer engagement tools offered by POS systems. Loyalty programs, rewards and discounts can be used to retain existing customers, while expanding the customer base at the same time.
  
• POS hardware- From handheld POS devices, to POS stations and kitchen display units, POS system service providers offer a whole range of POS hardware that make restaurant management easier. They allow servers, chefs and managers to enjoy greater mobility and flexibility to operate around the restaurant floor and provide enhanced customer service.
  

How to Choose a Restaurant POS System

• Know your business's needs. Be it a full service or quick service restaurant, all establishments have specific requirements of a POS system. Look for a POS software that meets these needs.
• Make sure the restaurant POS software you choose has a user-friendly interface that is not complicated for any staff member across the hierarchy.
• Choose a restaurant POS system that smoothly integrates with your other restaurant management systems or existing third party tech tools.
• Restaurant POS systems should be able to automate and streamline sales order management and invoicing and ensure timely delivery.
• Get a POS system that takes care of every aspect of customer support and customer engagement, including loyalty programs and gift cards. These will help you improve your customer service.
• Choose a POS system that offers a holistic set of devices to take care of your business needs both, current and future.

3 Top Restaurant POS Systems- Plum POS

Plum POS is an all-in-one, integrated restaurant management system that manages your sale systems, inventory, and customer service. Plum POS works equally well for a small business and a large enterprise with multiple outlets. With its suite of POS software tools and POS hardware, restaurant management is completely taken care of, with accuracy, efficiency and speed.

You can manage your staff, reduce labor costs, track wastage and inventory usage, put a check on malpractices and evaluate the operations in real time. Plum POS also offers customer engagement tools such as loyalty programs and gift cards to help you offer better customer service. And if you are looking to expand and diversify your sales channels, Plum POS will take care of your online ordering and delivery by integrating easily with all your delivery platforms. Its mobile app gives restaurant owners the freedom to manage their business remotely, helping them keep tabs on their operation with real time reports and forecasts.

Plum POS hardware includes POS stations, handheld mobile POS devices, self-service kiosks and kitchen display units. The Plum POS bundle comes with three pricing models- the Essential Station Bundle with one station, priced at $1,716; the Pro Station Bundle with two stations for mid-sized businesses, priced at $3,505; and the Custom System that can be configured according to your needs. This model starts at $3,505.

Toast POS System

Toast POS is a dedicated restaurant management solution that offers useful tools for online ordering, takeout and delivery, contactless payment processing, gift cards and loyalty programs. Restaurants, cafes, bars and nightclubs can use this cloud basedrestaurant management system to streamline their business operations and manage the establishment with accuracy and efficiency. The Toast mobile app allows restaurant owners the ability to access their management tools from any location.

Toast POS hardware offers integrated solutions for restaurant management. Its handheld POS devices will give your waitstaff much-needed mobility to move around the floor, support tableside ordering and provide better customer support. Its kitchen display units and POS stations help front of house and back of house teams to coordinate and work more efficiently and with speed.

Toast POS offers a free plan for small businesses called the 'Starter Plan', which includes its POS system and one hardware configuration. The 'Essentials' kit, at $165 per month, includes the POS system, online ordering, takeout and other tools. You can also get a custom plan with more features, devices and tools as per your needs, but you need to contact the company for a quptation.

Square for Restaurants

Square for Restaurants is another highly rated POS software suitable for businesses of all shapes and sizes. Be it a small business or a large chain, Square's POS system can be used to manage menus, payment processing, table reservations and recipes through one integrated solution. Square allows restaurant owners to customize their floor plan management across different sections like the bar, counters or curbside dining area.

Square provides regular reports and insights into sales, inventory, workforce and kitchen performance, giving a business scope for improvement. Square seamlessly integrates with third party software, like accounting programs, allowing the business leeway to navigate across various operations.

Square for Restaurants offers three pricing plans, including a free version that provides the basics of a POS system, online ordering and customer support. Its 'Plus' plan at $60 per month, offers advanced features like multiple location access, handheld devices, etc. A customized, premium plan with additional features, devices and tools, comes at a higher price, which can be obtained from the company.

Final Word

Restaurants have their own unique menus, recipes, inventory and operational styles. No restaurant can replicate the management style of another. It is therefore crucial to understand the unique profile and needs of your own business when selecting restaurant management software. Choose a POS system that is well suited to your business and your budget. We hope this article will help you make the right choice.