It can be intimidating for a small business manager to think about all the point of sale (POS) components you need. With numerous choices in the market, which is the best POS system for restaurants? Read on to find out essential POS system features, from online ordering to front-of-house to get yourself a perfect vendor management strategy!
1. Ability to order online
Online shopping turned from a “nice-to-have” option to a “must-have” in just a few short years. In fact, online food delivery sales are projected to grow to $220 billion by 2023 (and comprise 40% of total restaurant sales). And don’t forget about ordering online for in-store pick-up, too. Either way, you cut it. Online ordering isn’t just for chains; This is for small businesses.
Make sure to look for a POS system with online ordering capabilities. Some software may include this feature, or you may be able to use a printer equipped with cloud printing technology (such as RMPro) to print third-party online orders from services such as DoorDash, GrubHub, Uber Eats, and others can.
2. Mobile Payment Acceptance
Just as online orders are booming, so are mobile payments. Simply put, mobile payments are those that are made on mobile devices such as smartphones and smartwatches. Consumers use their digital wallets to pay for their goods instead of cash or credit/debit cards.
For accepting mobile payments, your POS system must be equipped to handle NFC (or near field communication) payments, which are made from a mobile device (or contactless card) two inches or less from an NFC-equipped card reader; for example, Apple Pay, Google Pay.
3. Back-of-House Communications
We all have experienced this at least once: You find a restaurant that serves delicious food but has a crappy workflow that leaves you waiting for your meal. Avoid this restaurant by choosing a system that provides top-notch communication between the front of the house and the back of the house. It looks like a POS that communicates seamlessly with restaurant kitchen KDS (kitchen display equipment) and kitchen ticket printers through technology such as CloudPRINT. When the orders are placed, they are immediately sent to the cook with complete details. Say goodbye to long wait times and wrong orders with proper communication!
Front Management
This directly translates to higher revenue. Navigating a large party means happy customers that become your brand ambassadors. Obviously, front-of-house management is important, and the right POS system for a small restaurant can help with those efforts. Look for a POS system that has click-and-drag layout builders and the ability to see table times and when tables are due to turn.
Menu and Order Management
Menus change, and customers’ tastes vary. Your POS can help you navigate this. The right POS system can help you organize your menus in a way that speeds up the checkout process. It lets you make real-time updates from anywhere and apply them to each of your locations.
When it comes to taking orders, restaurant POS systems can help you modify your customer’s orders to suit their exact tastes instantly. Do you have any special discount ideas in mind? POS systems can even allow you to create happy hours and more in mere seconds.
Marketing Capabilities
People love small restaurants because of their personal touch. Take advantage of POS technology to take that personal touch to a whole new level! POS systems can include marketing features for small businesses like:
Detailed customer profile so you can send customized offers
loyalty/reward program
White-label websites and apps that facilitate branding of your restaurant
Custom Receipt Marketing
Detailed Reporting
If POS systems have one thing, it’s data, and you can make use of it by choosing a POS system that provides detailed reporting.
Reporting may include:
- Live data and daily statistics
- sales by payment type
- sales by category
- Sales in different shifts
- sales by item
Integration
About now, you might be wondering that the best POS systems for a restaurant include many different technologies. There are software, hardware, and third-party services such as food delivery. This leads us to the next (and possibly most important) aspect of the POS system: its integration.
Save valuable time (and avoid headaches), but choose a POS system that integrates with your existing software and hardware. For example, if you already have RMPro printers, choose POS software that integrates with RMPro. Or, if you want to use a particular POS software, make sure it’s integrated with the POS so that you can set up your system out-of-the-box.
Technical Support
Support is crucial and not only when something breaks! Choose a POS system and vendors that:
- offer pre-sales support to help you identify the right solution for your needs
- installation support and training
- easily accessible post-sales support (such as online help centers and live chat)