The Different Types of POS for Restaurants

2023/06/23

Most people think of a POS for restaurants as just a simple cash register for customer transactions. When the cashier punches in a certain order, takes a customer’s payment, and bids their goodbyes, that is all there is for a restaurant POS. But nowadays, a POS for restaurants is a lot more than that! 

It can go beyond payments. It can help improve sales, improve customer experience, and help make better decisions about the restaurant business in general. 

A POS for restaurants is not just a standalone equipment that facilitates the restaurant’s daily operations, but it also promotes long-term growth for the company. POS for restaurant systems is made to work seamlessly and scale with your restaurant, providing solutions that matter like online reservations and online ordering. This gives the restaurant a competitive advantage over those that do not have a modernized retail and restaurant POS.

But first, what is a POS for Restaurant? 

A restaurant POS, or point of sale, is a system of hardware and software that integrates and works together to take care of restaurant transactions. There are POS systems that are used in food and beverage businesses, as well as other types of businesses like retail. It is therefore important to employ the right POS system that is designed specifically for your needs. A restaurant definitely needs a POS for restaurants while retail stores would operate more efficiently with a POS retail.

As far as restaurants are concerned, their operations differ from retail stores. A waiter uses a POS for a restaurant to input a customer’s order, and that data is quickly disseminated to the kitchen. 

The order may then be declared as served immediately or remain open until the end of the customer’s meal. It all depends on the kind of restaurant. Because of this, most POS for restaurants have iPads or other mobile devices which can be used by the wait staff to take orders. 

However, a modern POS for restaurants is capable of so much more than accepting payments and taking orders. It can do the following: increase sales, improve customer experience and help make informed business decisions and strategies. In general, a POS for restaurants makes running a restaurant business much easier because it can do the following:

  • inventory management
  • menu management
  • online ordering
  • automatic offers of loyalty perks to customers
  • quick payment processing

When choosing the best POS for restaurant systems, you need to determine the needs of your restaurant first before anything else. While there are free plans being offered by some POS for restaurant system providers, good POS for restaurant systems can be pricey, so it is crucial to know the common types of POS for restaurants:

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BIR-accredited easyPOS is your all-in-one solution to manage your sales, inventory, and customer data in real time!

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BIR-accredited easyPOS is your all-in-one solution to manage your sales, inventory, and customer data in real time!

Click to Learn More.

1. Traditional

This is the most common POS for restaurants. But its features can be complex and difficult to operate. At times, it takes a designated restaurant employee to take care of it, which is time-consuming and tedious. This traditional POS for restaurants is commonly used by table service restaurants.

2. Touchscreen

It is a POS for restaurant system that uses a modern POS terminal that is fast, efficient, and more accurate. Most POS for restaurant systems that have a touchscreen has the ability to track inventory, do online ordering, and automated customer order management. One example of touchscreen POS for restaurants is the use of iPad POS systems. It has a digital menu board and can accept online payments. Touchscreen POS for restaurant systems can streamline orders, hence making things more convenient. Also, it is more precise and mistakes are minimized. 

3. Dedicated Server POS for Restaurant System

Dedicated server restaurant POS systems are the most expensive, require the most maintenance, and require the help of IT personnel. This particular POS for restaurant systems offers the most features and customization options which is why it is commonly used in restaurants offering customization options in the menu. A dedicated server is highly customizable and scalable, thus providing a better customer experience.

4. Cloud-Based POS for Restaurant System

These are cheaper and easier to set up and basically stores data in the cloud, making it accessible from anywhere, anytime. Cloud-based POS for restaurant  systems is helpful because it can provide real-time reports, and aids in inventory management, table management, and most especially customer relationship management. However, cloud-based POS for restaurants needs an internet connection to operate and work properly. The downside is that if the internet connection is down, the system will not function.

5. Mobile POS for Restaurants System

These are the most convenient because it is portable and can be used anywhere, but they may not have all the features in the other systems. A mobile POS system provides the many features that a cloud-based POS for restaurant systems and is even handier because it is portable.


If you are having difficulty finding the best  POS for a restaurant system that caters to your specific needs, you could consult with Human Incubator, Inc.

For a free demo click: https://human-incubator.com/easy-pos/

EasyPOS Logo

BIR-accredited easyPOS is your all-in-one solution to manage your sales, inventory, and customer data in real time!

Click to Learn More.
EasyPOS Logo

BIR-accredited easyPOS is your all-in-one solution to manage your sales, inventory, and customer data in real time!

Click to Learn More.

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