POS/Backoffice

Blue Line Barbecue · Newbie Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Posts: 85 Location: Purcell,Ok

Is a POS system really that needed. I am looking at a 50 seat place and was wondering if the POS is needed. This will be our first restaurant so we want to to keep cost low.
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jboehm · Newbie Joined: 23 Feb 2009 Posts: 33

My opinion is it depends on the volume you are doing and the diversity of your menu. One big advantage is its ability to generate reports to help you better track your sales and make informed decisions. It can also help control theft with most doubling as a time clock and can total the hours for you.

browe · Posted: Mar 10 2009 Post subject: Re: POS/Backoffice

OKBBQEA · Posted: Mar 10 2009 Post subject:

If you are going to be using Quickbooks for your accounting. I know there are cash registers out there that you can plug into and upload your sales data to your PC.

Not sure how they work but when I had my hobby/game store we considered one while opening a second location.
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Pit Boss · Posted: Mar 10 2009 Post subject:

This is a new restaurant venture (I can't remember if you have restaurant experience from reading your other thread). Personally, I'd use a cheap register, pen, and paper for at least the first year. People can talk about all the great things a POS system can do, but in reality you only have a 50 seat restaurant. It's Mom & Pop. You won't be having managers, assistant managers, general managers, or random cashiers to keep an eye on. It's just you and the misses. I think the two of you will be ok doing it the old fashioned way. Keep that money in your pocket for now...you'll likely need it.

Best of luck to you.
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RodinBangkok · Posted: Mar 10 2009 Post subject:

[quote="I think the two of you will be ok doing it the old fashioned way. Keep that money in your pocket for now...you'll likely need it.

Best of luck to you.[/quote]

Could not agree more, the information you get FROM a POS system is only as good as the information you put IN the system. And entering that info takes people and time. You will be better off having a well organized dry goods store and walk in that you can just take a quick look at to make your buy list from. A small electronic cash register would be about it to start.

Best of luck from this side of the world also!
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4LittlePigs · Posted: Mar 11 2009 Post subject:

I agree with cape. I have a Sharp programmable register that has a data card and software that I download onto my computer to set one key ringups and prices, etc. It works great. I can update prices, items, etc. on my computer and then download that on an SD card in the register. I also use quickbooks and some ready made excel spreadsheets just for restaurant operations and they work great. My register will give me hourly reads, daily at any point reads and monthly sales reads. It is all I need. I keep control of the starting cash, change cash and balance every night. My inventory is tracked with my GFS order guide and an excel spreadsheet for all the non GFS ordered stuff. Works fine for me. Personally I don't think a multi thousand dollar POS system is needed until I build a larger more elaborate restaurant where you send orders to the kitchen and have much more inventory to track. I have to run on a shoestring cause I can't afford baling wire! Rolling Eyes

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browe · Posted: Mar 11 2009 Post subject:

pafisher · BBQ Pro Joined: 08 Jan 2008 Posts: 535 Location: Pa.

ive been in the food biz for most of my adult life.i started when nobody had p.o.s. systems . i just got one last aug. and i gotta say i like it .. it took some getting used to ,but now i love it. its nice to know exactly how many of everything i sold today . you can track every slip (150 seats),, i never have to do the time cards , i can look back to any day since i've opened and see exactly what i did that day .plus a zillion other things that i dont even know how to do yet Laughing

i would say,, if your a numbers guy,or have a pretty big place ,get one ,
if your not that guy, save your money.
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4LittlePigs · Posted: Mar 11 2009 Post subject:

It's a Sharp XE-A203. It doesn't have the ability to network with a computer other than the fact you can update the info in the memory via a usb cable to the register. That's the way I update mine if I am at the restaurant. I have a laptop that I can hook right up and make changes and download. That's it as far as I know. It doesn't integrate with credit cards. I currently have a stand alone unit and process through Heartland. They are the best at what they do. Any glich in my equipment and Randy is there the next morning or that day depending on when an issue occurs. I haven't really researched on the restaurant pos systems yet. When I had the c-store I had a back office system through Amcom that was the bomb and it was totally controlled in my office and with a handheld scanner for receiving, price changes, etc. But it was designed for the c-store industry. When I get ready to build my full size raunt(nowhere near Sugar's place) I will look at installing a more automated system as I am a total computer and gadget freak. Rolling Eyes

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Pit Boss · Posted: Mar 11 2009 Post subject:

As far as inventory goes...and this is only my opinion...I can do this manually about as fast as I could trying to log onto the computer. Seriously.

Back when I managed a 300 seat bbq & seafood place I did inventory/ordering twice a week. I could spend 5 minutes going through my order guide while sitting in the office. Many items I knew off the top of my head what my inventory was. Those were the seldom used items (dry goods) that rarely changed. After that initial 5 minutes I could walk around to the different areas and take the real inventory. Fifteen minutes of that and I was done. And I didn't just write down what I needed...I actually counted what I had on hand and made a note of it PLUS made the note of how much I needed. In twenty minutes or less I was done. Not a real hassle considering how much stuff I was ordering.
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RodinBangkok · Posted: Mar 11 2009 Post subject:

Just as an additional point, you can easily turn any PC into a cash register these days. A cash drawer is about $100, and a receipt printer is around $225 (Epson makes a good one), you can add a display post for showing totals, or go with a second monitor. And there is no end to the programs available, some free others very cheap. So for those that want to start using a POS system this is another way to do it on the cheap.
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