Restaurant POS Software

What is Restaurant POS Software?

Restaurant Point-of-Sale (POS) solutions allow waitstaff or bartenders to process orders electronically and transmit orders instantly to the kitchen. Vendors may offer software compatible with commonly used devices or provide proprietary kiosks, tablets, and other hardware. Some restaurant POS devices are self-serve. Patrons may enter meal orders or request add-ons and drinks without waitstaff. These systems may integrate with a website to provide online reservations or take-out orders.

Besides order entry and payment processing, restaurant POS systems can sync with or contain inventory management systems. A few restaurant POS options also provide workforce management features. This is usually available via integration with a restaurant management system. Some vendors provide restaurateurs with the option of buying a restaurant management system and a point-of-sale in an all-in-one solution. Most restaurant POS vendors, however, supply hardware as well as software.

Features of Restaurant POS Software

Restaurant POS typically include these core capabilities:

• Mobile device order entry and inventory tracking for servers

• Cashier or tableside payment processing (e.g.EMV card processing)

• Self-service kiosk or tabletop device for customers

• Support for online ordering, social login, delivery & pickup management

• Table management (i.e. server work assignment, order to table matching, order readiness & presentation tracking)

• Website integration

• Menu management (e.g. flag items Out of Stock, discounting & promotions or price change, happy hour, etc.)

• Employee management (e.g. table assignment) and tracking

• Inventory management & item performance tracking (e.g. best sellers, profitability)

• CRM integration, or inbuilt customer data & records

• Customer loyalty program

• Multi-site management features (e.g. sales & performance monitoring, push menu updates & inventory changes instantly)

• Software integrations (e.g. accounting, inventory, CRM, etc.)

Pricing Information

Restaurant POS price is generally presented as “price per terminal.” Additionally, cost may be determined by feature breadth, number of licensed users, and number of connected restaurants for multi-site establishments. Hardware pricing may be upfront, though many hardware restaurant POS are available on a payment plan. Hardware is often bundled and discounted when purchased with a POS software subscription. Restaurant POS software is generally cloud-based and available on subscription. The entry point is about $70 per terminal on an annual plan, however, prices may vary.. Hardware prices vary widely, with kiosks costing between $800 and several thousand dollars.