Today, however, the restaurant point of sale is often referred to as the restaurant point of service,is the place where the customer transaction is completed. In a restaurant environment, the POS acts as a hub where servers enter orders that are then printed in the kitchen.
Every restaurant POS system allows food and beverage operators to process orders and maintain financial control of their business, through cash management and integration with payment service providers. The POS is the best way for the front and back of house to communicate guest needs.
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, 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 in the computer unless you have the password. This helps cut down on employee theft.
Due to the modernization of ePOS systems and new and improved features they offer, there are now many different systems that work well for different types of businesses. New restaurant POS software features include: gift card management, online ordering, customer loyalty programs, table management, tip management, ordering automation and more.
Deploying Cloud-Based Restaurant POS Systems
Until recently, restaurant POS systems were often managed on premises. On-premises solutions require a lot of upfront investment, including expensive computer servers to run the system, and they can also be costly to maintain on an ongoing basis; resources are needed to manage the POS software updates, upgrades, and security patches that need to be scheduled and installed manually by on site staff.
Cloud-based POS hardware systems are substantially less expensive, portable and easier to use. POS systems such as Square are customer-facing and guests are able to swipe their own credit card and add the tip.