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Restaurant POS Systems

Do You Need a POS System in a Restaurant?

POS stands for Point of Sale, a system that is used throughout the restaurant and retail industry. This computerized system allows business owners to track sales, cash flow, food inventory and can help simplify your bookkeeping enormously.

Why POS Good for a Restaurant

The high volume of cash and credit cards that pass through a restaurant each day make a POS system a necessity. Not only does a POS system track every penny of your sales, but many POS programs also act as credit card processors. This makes swiping credit cards more secure for both the customer and the business. Servers are accountable for all their sales, and it is impossible to alter checks on the computer unless you have the password. This helps cut down on employee theft.

The Benefits

One benefit of a Resturant POS system is that it simplifies communications between the kitchen and the wait staff. Orders go through the computer, directly to the kitchen printer. Another benefit of a restaurant POS program is that it can track everything from food usage to the most popular menu items. Because the POS system acts as a time clock, it can also help prepare payroll. This can save you a lot of money in your bookkeeping department. Along with the daily operations of running a restaurant, a POS system can organize profit and loss statements and sales tax.

DRAWBACKS

The most obvious drawback to any POS system is that it is a computer, and subject to all the same technological whims. If it happens to crash and you don’t have a backup, then you risk losing all your data, not just sales, but profit and loss statements and payroll statements. Important stuff that the IRS may want to examine someday. So, always have a backup.

Warranty Issues

Remember all that money you saved on bookkeeping? You may end up spending it on your tech guy, to help set up the POS and perform any troubleshooting. A POS system doesn’t have the same lifespan as a good old-fashioned cash register. You will need to replace parts, update software and eventually need to replace it entirely with a new model. New POS systems come with limited warranties and tech support, but just like every other piece of equipment, the problems always seem to start after the warranty has run out.

Where to Find POS For Your Restaurants?

Contact Free Merchant Terminal Today!

Contact Us Now! Call 855-463-7242

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Choose a Point of Sale for University Dining Locations

Get The Best POS System for University Dining

Millennials have grown up with technology and convenience. Why should they expect anything else when it comes to university diners, cafeterias, or restaurants? Whether it’s a cafe or university club restaurant, the Point of Sales needs for college campuses need to cater to the needs of today’s students.

Choose a Point of Sale for University Dining, With multiple locations, a POS for university diners needs to handle diverse menus for different cultures, different nutritional needs for students, and handling thousands of students at different times of the day.

  • Does the system need stand-alone kiosks, self-service point-of-sale devices, and/or more traditional cashier-driven services?
  • Does it need to account for cash, credit, debit, and other cashless transactions?
  • Do you need it to handle different languages?

A modern tablet POS system, like Free Merchant Terminal, can handle all of that.

FEATURES TO LOOK FOR IN YOUR NEXT POS SYSTEM

If you’re considering adding or changing your campus POS solution, here are some of the features you will want to look for in your next system:

  1. Multi-language and currency conversion
  2. Ingredient inventory and cost per item tracking
  3. Custom ordering
  4. Online or offline use
  5. Bar code scanning
  6. Cash drawer management
  7. Digital, paper, electronic receipts

Choose a Point of Sale for University Dining with Full Back Office and Management Control

The POS system isn’t just for the students, though. Linking systems across campus dining locations provide an easy platform for inventory management and distribution. Here’s what a modern POS system should do to make managing university foodservice easier:

  1. Customize menu and food options
  2. Modify pricing with automatic adjustments
  3. Deliver custom alerts based on pre-set parameters
  4. Custom receipts and kitchen tickets
  5. Integrate with KDS to show what’s needed
  6. Custom access and permission settings

Your system should also be able to track inventory costs over time, calculate ingredient costs as you change menu items, and provide detailed sales reporting to help you hone your offerings. It should also track peak hours of student dining so that you can adjust staffing and operate within a budget.

Choosing the Right POS System For University Dining Starts Here!

he right POS system can streamline your university dining operations and satisfy the foodservice needs of a diverse and growing student customer base.

Contact Us Now! Call 855-463-7242

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Choose a Pizza POS System

How to choose the Right Pizza POS System

The pizza industry is one of the most cutthroat and competitive industries today. As the typical food customer has evolved, so has the pizza industry. According to Technoomic, pizza is trending at its highest level in the past four years. Think about the rise in Fast Casual establishments and how the millennial generation has influenced businesses. For god’s sake, even Dominos is offering salad options. Did you ever think you would see the day? Pizza has been around for a long time, and the industry shouldn’t expect to go anywhere anytime soon. That’s why pizzerias belong in their own category. Think about it, has the sandwich industry or breakfast industry evolved as much as the pizza industry has? Since pizza restaurants are in a category by themselves, they require their own set of technology or point of sale needs to run their business effectively and efficiently. Continue reading for a few POS features you should keep in mind when purchasing a POS system for your pizza restaurant.

1. Online Ordering

Did you know online pizza orders are 18% higher than pizza orders taken by phone? That’s huge! It’s easy to see why big pizza names like Dominos and Papa Johns have robust online ordering systems. Today, you can order a pizza in just a few easy clicks from your computer or smartphone device and it arrives at your residence within 20-30 minutes. The key aspect that people enjoy is the convenience of it. Think about if the tables were turned. You have had a long day, and cooking for yourself is out of the question, and you are not in the mood for a sit-down meal at a restaurant. What are you most likely to order online? Hopefully, it’s pizza. Online ordering systems can appear complex if you’re not the most tech-savvy. However, most POS companies who offer online ordering add-ons can help set it up with you. As a plus, the POS system is integrated so you can keep track of your online menu as you would your in-store menu.

2. Menu Customization

It’s important you give your customers options. The typical cheese pizza just doesn’t cut it these days. Healthy, organic food options are trending right now. Millennials especially want something different. What’s better than finding a POS system that allows you to customize the pie by the slice? It doesn’t sound fun for the kitchen, but it gives your customers more options and sets you apart from the competition. What about different sauces? What about different crust options? When you appeal to every type of customer, you bring in more business.

3. Delivery Management

Today, when most people think of food delivery, the first thing they think of is pizza. The pizza wasn’t the first meal that inspired food delivery systems, but defiantly was the reason for delivery evolution. With delivery, you have to think about timing, keeping your delivery drivers in line, and making sure the customer’s menu item gets to them in perfect condition. It seems like a lot, but a point of sale system built with the pizza in mind can manage all of this for you, plus some. From tracking your delivery drivers’ locations to routing your drivers on the fastest routes, a good POS system can make your delivery operations

4. Comprehensive Sales Reporting

There is a lot of moving parts when it comes to running a successful pizza establishment. Fortunately, there are also a lot of moving companies that can offer help.  In order to be successful, it’s important to look at what happens from the time the pizza is ordered to when it reaches the table. You will want to identify which types of pizza, toppings, etc. are selling the most versus which ones aren’t. If you have an integrated online ordering system, you can compare and analyze your sales to what’s happening in-store. If there are menu items that are not selling online but are selling in-store, it’s an easy process of removing them from a quality point of sale system.

5. Inventory

Whether you are serving the picky cheese only customer or the customer who wants a pie with 20 different toppings, a good pizza always has a lot of ingredients in it. As the main cost for any restaurant, a POS system that has inventory management can be crucial to the success of a restaurant. Whether you’re serving a few pies a day, or your Papa John’s serving thousands, not calculating your inventory costs correctly can cost your pizza establishment hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. Your goal should be to use every ingredient you pay for. It can seem overwhelming if you think about doing it manually, but if you decide to automate it, you can save a lot in money and you will surely see a decrease in food waste

6. Loyalty

Customers are dying for a piece of the pie, and loyalty participation is what pizza powerhouses are making a killing with. Dominos and Papa Johns are pioneering and creating a new meaning for customer loyalty, and they aren’t making it difficult either. They both are constantly creating and implementing new loyalty programs, and most are pretty basic that even the local Mom and Pop could implement. Their secret is only listening to what the customer wants and giving it to them. The result is a huge payout and a killer customer experience.

Your POS Solution Is Free Merchant Terminal For You Pizza POS Needs!

You are probably asking yourself, aren’t these features important for other restaurant types? The answer is yes, but a POS system that caters to these features and is pizza specific makes things only so much better. Not all POS systems are created equal and not all come with customizable menu options specific to pizza, loyalty programs with pizza specific programs, a robust inventory management system, and delivery management capabilities. You should never buy a POS software because you were told it worked in many restaurants nationwide. What types of restaurants is the better question? It’s important you find a POS system that works for your pizza restaurant. A POS system is an investment in your business, and pizza specific features can only mold and grow your restaurant to bigger and better things.

Contact Free Merchant Terminal Today!

Contact Us Now! Call 855-463-724

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iPad-based POS System

POS systems have evolved tremendously over the years. Most restaurants are no longer using just a cash register to manage their sales and operations. It is more effective to use a complete POS system that also incorporates such features as customer loyalty programs, inventory management, and KDS integration. An iPad-based POS system makes managing these features easier than ever. They are designed to simplify restaurant management, increase efficiency, and allow staff more time with customers. Here are a few reasons restaurants should consider switching to an iPad-based POS system.

Apple brand

According to an annual study by Forbes, Apple tops the list as the most valuable brand in the world for the seventh straight year. When it comes to a POS system, Apple takes the cake. Apple POS systems are known to be the fastest running, most stable, easiest to use interface, and the best support and warranty program. Businesses know Apple products are reliable and constantly improving.

Mobility

Mobility has become a competitive advantage within the customer experience of a restaurant. iPad POS wins over traditional POS systems when it comes to mobility. The largest iPad on the market is only 1.53 pounds, making it the perfect hardware to quickly move about your restaurant. By comparison, legacy or traditional POS systems are much larger, bulky and outdated. The greater mobility brings more speed to a quick-service restaurant, and full-service restaurants can bring mobile payments right to the table.

Lower Cost

Traditional POS systems can be a major investment for restaurants. iPad POS systems are known to be a more affordable option, with lowering costs for initial hardware and POS system upgrades. According to American Express, most restaurants that have switched from a traditional POS system to an iPad POS system have saved thousands.

No Downtime

It can be an extreme inconvenience for customers if your system goes down and you can’t process transactions. You could lose out on potential sales and your reputation could suffer. Not to mention, a traditional POS system comes with the fear of permanent data loss. An iPad POS system can provide an offline mode, continuing to process transactions and syncing new data to the cloud when your systems come back online.

Easy to Learn

The restaurant industry is known for its high turnover, and employee training can be a headache. Most people have touched or interacted with an iPad whether it was for fun or working in another industry. The iPad’s intuitive interface makes it easy to learn. As a result, businesses spend less time training new employees.

Security

Today’s POS systems manage most or all of a restaurant’s sales and operations. It’s important that a system with such responsibility be secure for both the restaurant and its customers. A cybersecurity breach of customer credit card info can put a restaurant at great financial and reputational risk. Still, to this day, small restaurants and huge chains are getting hacked via their POS system. Apple iOS has one of the best security systems for handheld devices, including data encryption and the ability to work with EMV chip card readers. The employee permissions and PIN requirements in an iPad-based POS can give the restaurant owner control over who has access to discrete functions of the system.

Call Now Free Merchant Terminal For Your iPad POS System!