Restaurant Point of Sale

By: Efrain Lott

Do you remember the last time you ate out and were handed a handwritten bill of costs, with the total scrawled down in the bottom right hand corner? Odds are it's been awhile since that's happened. Restaurant point of sale systems have had a enormous impact on the restaurant trade, changing everything from the way orders are taken and handled to the way inventory is taken.

Before restaurant point of sale systems, when you went out to eat you sat down and gave your server your order. He or she would write down your order, obtain your drinks, and hand your open order over to the kitchen. The kitchen staff would make your food, remit your order and food back to your server, who would handle the remainder of the meal, including dessert. He or she would then total up your bill and write it at the bottom of your ticket. That was then.

With modern point of sale systems the procedure has changed. You still give your server your order, but now he or she will punch it into an electronic computer terminal equipped with a touch screen which most likely mirrors the menu. Your server will be able to transmit your open order to the kitchen, specifying any details all  from the other side of the restaurant. Your server will get a receipt, as will the kitchen staff. At the end of your meal your bill of costs is already totaled up, giving you a full record of what you ordered and how much every item costs.

Restaurant point of sale systems likewise allow for a speedy overview of the day's sales, which is extremely helpful from a management's point of view. How well did the special sell? Did people order cape wine with their steaks? What was the most popular beer at the bar? Sales information can be easily sifted and categorized, allowing management to make more informed decisions when figuring out how to run their restaurants. Billing mistakes can easily be taken care of, and inventories can be taken quickly and without the fuss of paper-and-pencil inventories. Managerial staff can even keep track of table turnover and server production, though what they do with the information is completely up to them.

Thanks to restaurant point of sale systems, the days of the hand-scrawled ticket are over, for better or for worse. Though sundry servers will add a personal touch to their check, adding a or total, we are unlikely to see the familiar green for a long time.