Restaurant POS Software

Balancing between front-desk and back-end operations is crucial in the restaurant business. Point-of-sale (POS) is an important juncture between the two; process inefficiency at this point can negatively impact a restaurant’s profitability. 

In the buyers guide, we discuss about restaurant POS software and how it can enhance a restaurant’s operations. 

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• What is restaurant POS software?

• What are the deployment options for restaurant POS software?

• What are some common features of restaurant POS software?

What is restaurant POS software?

Restaurant POS software is a tool that allows restaurants to manage their sales processes, including billing and invoicing, receipt printing, and sales and service tax calculation.

The software has several advantages over a traditional billing register, and is a cost effective option for all kinds and sizes of food & beverages service businesses.

POS software solutions have gained a lot of popularity in recent years because a centralized tool for managing sales transactions adds a major advantage for easy and accurate billing in restaurants.

What are the deployment options for restaurant POS software?

Deployment options for restaurant POS software vary between on-premise and cloud-based, with the latter being the preferred choice in recent times. 

On-premise deployment is usually the more expensive option,wherein you’ll be required to procure necessary hosting infrastructure, software licenses, and set up the network in case you use multiple devices. It also requires the configuration of the software to your menu and inventory plan, and updates and maintenance on a regular basis are required. 

Cloud-based restaurant POS solutions have lower upfront costs because you don’t need to invest in hosting infrastructure. Another advantage of this deployment option is that the software (including upgrades) is managed by the vendor. 

Since POS software is a critical tool for restaurant operations and spans multiple activities and processes in the overall management of restaurants, it’s best to ask vendors some key questions to fully understand products before you make a decision.Here are some recommended questions:

○     Is support provided over phone/email/onsite?

○     Does it integrate with mobile food ordering apps? Is there any extra cost involved? 

What are some common features of restaurant POS software?

When evaluating restaurant POS software, it's important to look for the below mentioned common features.

Order management: Restaurant POS software provides a single platform for managing all customer orders. The software helps track and maintain a record of every order on a single screen.

Order management screen in Sapaad

Split checks: The feature allows restaurants to split checks between customers with just a few clicks.

Split check option in Brigade POS

Sales reporting and analytics: The feature allows generating sales reports for a specified time period. Some solutions also include analytics capabilities, such as forecasting sales based on previous sales data.

Sales reporting dashboard in CAKE

Billing: It enables restaurants generate itemized bills with a single click, from a kiosk or any compatible device. 

Bill generation screen in Upserve POS

Table management: This feature enables single-click table reservations, and efficient management of restaurant traffic and convenient order flow to and from kitchens to improve customer experience.

Table management in Rezku POS 

Back to restaurant POS software directory

Note: The applications selected in this article are examples to show a feature in context and are not intended as endorsements or recommendations. They have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable at the time of publication.