Restaurant POS Software and Hardware

To be able to run your business to success you have to learn the basics: right location, good food and good service. These days, there’s another important consideration: in order to run your POS system, you’ll be needing a restaurant software you can rely on.

Even though physical components like the monitors and computers are the most visible, the software is the core of your POS system. Doing a careful evaluation of restaurant POS software is key to getting a system that will greatly satisfy both employees and customers.

What to look for in restaurant software
First of all, identify your needs, know exactly what task you want to be done using a software. Any reasonable restaurant software can handle checks by diner or table, track orders per server, able to move bar diners to the table, manage waiting lists and reservations, and more.

Once you’ve found that restaurant software that can meet your basic requirements, test it and see for your self how to use it. While there will always be a learning curve for your employees when you purchase a new POS system, having a restaurant software that’s easy to use can reduce the learning curve to manageable levels.

You may have a couple of your staff to accompany you in the evaluation of the software while testing its features. They’ll try out different kinds of oddball situations and changes that can cause problems with some software.

• Security – create login accounts for each employee. You should be able to limit access to some reports as well as the functions (such as comping meals) to managers, as long as you desire.
• Flexibility – waiters should be able to manipulate checks to match the whims of your patrons: easily splitting checks and tracking special orders, for example.
• Reporting – one the main advantages of restaurant software for owners and managers is the detailed reporting available. Make sure the software you choose lets you get detailed information either per check, per server, or overall, ranging from daily to annually.
• Multiple location support – if applicable, make sure the system is capable of tracking and reporting on multiple locations, including local differences in staffing and pricing.

What to look for in a hardware
Of course you’ll need to invest in restaurant POS hardware as well: computers to run the restaurant software on, touch-screen displays for servers to enter order, and printers to produce order slips for the kitchen. The software will use will dictate any special hardware requirements – the biggest hardware decision you’re going to to make is how many stations will you need.

Think you need learn more when it comes to searching for the right POS vendor? Find out more at POS-For-Restaurants.com and receive free unbiased quotes from the Restaurant POS professionals serving your area.

The author of this article is the Vice-President of Customer Relations at POS-For-Restaurants with over 20 years of restaurant POS experience meeting the automation needs of many restaurants in the U.S.

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