As the central hub for all transactions within and data about your restaurant’s operations, a point of sale (POS) system is arguably the most critical piece of technology you’ll use at your business. Information about every customer order, inventory delivery, server tip, and more is stored in this database. Because the right POS can make or break your business, it’s no surprise that three in four restaurateurs changed their systems in the past year, according to TouchBistro’s 2023 Restaurant Industry Report.
While a POS is the most important tech in a restaurant, it shouldn’t be the only solution you rely on. An all-in-one restaurant management system combines multiple tools – like a POS, payment processing, and loyalty solution – to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts.
When these tools work together, they share data that can help you streamline restaurant operations, speed up payment processing, improve guest engagement, and identify revenue-boosting opportunities.
Here’s how.
4 WAYS A POS CAN SIMPLIFY RESTAURANT OPERATIONS
An all-in-one restaurant management system can make your restaurant easier to run – while generating more revenue – and help you delight customers.
1. STREAMLINES RESTAURANT OPERATIONS
Running a restaurant involves many moving parts. During any given minute, there are hundreds of things going on at a foodservice establishment: customers being seated, servers inputting orders, chefs preparing dishes, managers creating staff schedules, and so on. An all-in-one POS can make these day-to-day activities easier to execute in a number of ways.
One way all-in-one management systems facilitate restaurant operations is by being able to operate offline. With an old-school POS system, you have to wait for the system to go back up, or switch to manual order inputting, if the internet connection is disrupted. This creates chaos for staff and a frustrating experience for customers. Offline mode on all-in-one POS systems allows service to keep moving, even if your restaurant’s internet connection goes down.
Modern POS systems also speed up service thanks to tableside ordering capabilities. Handheld POS terminals, which make tableside ordering possible, are becoming more pervasive in the restaurant industry. In 2017 only one in four restaurants used them, but today, three in five do.
With a mobile terminal, servers can enter orders into the POS while they’re with customers, rather than having to go back to a stationary POS to put them in. Doing so results in fewer errors and faster order processing, which means kitchen staff can begin preparing dishes sooner. Digital tickets instantly appear in the kitchen and are automatically routed to the correct stations, so guests receive meals sooner and tables turnover faster.
2. SPEEDS UP THE PAYMENT PROCESSES
Convenience is critical to the dining experience. In fact, 43% of millennials go to restaurants out of convenience.
Offering diners easy ways to pay when they dine out or order is part of the convenience equation. A payments solution that’s integrated with your POS allows you to accept payments of all types – right at the table or online – and process them instantly through the POS. This integration eliminates time-consuming and error-prone double-entry.
And, because servers don’t have to go back to the POS to run cards through the system, integrated payment processing reduces table turnover time, so you can serve more customers and make more money in less time.
POS-integrated payment solutions are gaining popularity, for good reason. While only 3% of restaurants used an integrated payments solution in 2022, a whopping two in three have adopted them in 2023. The industry has also experienced a 66% adoption rate of mobile payment options. If your restaurant doesn’t offer fast, secure payments, you could fall behind the competition.
3. MAKES IT EASIER TO ENGAGE GUESTS
Regulars keep restaurants thriving. An all-in-one restaurant management system equipped with guest engagement solutions provides you with a range of tools to stay top of mind and drive repeat visits.
Loyalty solutions come with customer relationship management (CRM) tools that help you gather customers’ personal, transactional, and engagement data in the form of guest profiles. Your team can then use this data to deliver exceptional, personalized experiences.
For example, if a customer usually orders white wine, your front-of-house (FOH) team can see that detail in the guest’s profile and provide white wine suggestions. Or, if a customer’s dietary restrictions are noted in their profile, staff can point out menu options that fit their needs, without being asked.
You can also use customer data to build powerful promotions and engaging reward programs that encourage repeat visits and higher spend. Seven in 10 restaurants offer a loyalty program to incentivize business. By personalizing your offers, which 55% of restaurants do, you can build marketing campaigns that guests are more likely to interact with.
4. HELPS IDENTIFY REVENUE-BOOSTING OPPORTUNITIES
In a cash-tight industry like hospitality, every business decision is a big decision. Real-time reports, like those found on all-in-one POS systems, help you reach the right business decision faster. It’s no wonder that 31% of restaurateurs consider a system’s reporting and analytics features when evaluating a new POS. From sales to staff performance and labor costs, you get the analytics you need to take control of your restaurant’s performance.
For example, you can learn which menu items are neither profitable nor popular and swap them out for more effective options. Or, like one in three restaurateurs, you can use POS data to better predict your scheduling needs and reduce labor costs by reviewing historical staffing reports to avoid over- or under-staffing in the future.
Plus, with reports stored on the cloud, your staff can access this data from anywhere, rather than just while on-site. All your restaurant data is streamlined into a single platform in-real-time when you use a complete restaurant management system.
A traditional POS system is no longer enough for running a modern restaurant. An all-in-one restaurant management system, which integrates your POS with supplementary tools, like payment processing, loyalty, and marketing, can help streamline restaurant operations ease and do more with less. Learn more about TouchBistro’s all-in-one POS.
