What is a restaurant point of sale system?

Commonly called POS, a point of sale system refers to the ordering and payment system used

in establishments such as cafes, restaurants, pizzerias, bars, coffee shops, food trucks, and

bakeries. These systems can be as simple as hand written tickets with a cash register, or as

advanced as iPad terminals equipped with visual menu ordering modules.

Why do I need a POS System?

Restaurant POS systems can go far beyond just taking orders and completing transactions. Your POS can improve the efficiency of your operation and double as a management platform, holding all your software needs in one place.

An advanced restaurant POS system allows you to:

• Decrease server order times with an intuitive interface

• Delight customers by offering tableside payments and emailed receipts

• Utilize extensive reports to determine hours of operation and labor costs

• Track sales and inventory levels hourly, daily, monthly, and year over year

• Increase table turns

How much of this guide do I need to read?

We’ve tried to make this guide as easy to read as possible while still covering the most important topics related to a restaurant POS. If you own a restaurant, or are opening your first one, we highly recommend that you read the whole guide. Every topic in this guide explains a different, yet equally important topic related to restaurant POS systems. This guide is available in PDF format if you’d like to take it on-the-go.

What are my restaurant POS options?

Cash Register

No Electronic Payments Accepted A cash-only POS system relies heavily on employees in order to function properly. Orders are hand-written and delivered to the kitchen where they are read by the cooks. Payments have to be cash, which can limit your customer base due to the steadily declining number of people who regularly carry cash.

A system so heavily reliant on penmanship is not typically preferred by high-volume, high revenue restaurants. Cash-register-only POS systems are most commonly found in small venues such as food trucks, coffee shops, and farmers markets. The greatest benefit to a cash register system is the cost of operating. Aside from the cost of the register, it’s free, and it’s hard to beat free.