Picking an appropriate point-of-sale system

Nov. 29, 2012 – Restaurant operators
are often surprised to learn that the popular POS systems that are used
in other quick-service and dine-in restaurants don’t translate to their
pizza and delivery concepts.

Nov. 29, 2012 – Restaurant operators are often surprised to learn that the popular POS systems that are used in other quick-service and dine-in restaurants don’t translate to their pizza and delivery concepts. Operational differences – from create-your-own pizzas and dynamic coupons to web and mobile ordering and delivery dispatch – add a complexity most restaurant POS software can’t handle.

For Rascal House Pizza, choosing a point-of-sale application that was a poor fit for their concept was a costly mistake. The system they chose was working successfully in other restaurants, and included an add-on pizza module that appeared to work well. But when the dust settled after their installation, it was painfully clear that their shiny, new POS wasn’t built to handle their menu and their pricing.

Rascal House made a tough decision, completely retrofitting their four stores with a new, pizza-specific point-of-sale system only a few short months after purchasing their old one. Almost immediately, owners Mike and Niko Frangos noticed major improvements. The benefit helped validate the difficult the money lost in the original purchase.

Why is a pizza-specific POS system so critical? It comes down to fundamental operational differences. Phone orders, web orders, delivery, pick, and delayed orders add layers of wrinkles to the “typical” transaction. In a pizzeria, menu items are built on the fly, with create-your-own-pizzas, half-orders, and often complex coupons and deals. Most leading restaurant point-of-sale systems are incapable of handling all these differences.

In a guide to the critical point of sale requirements for pizza restaurants, four primary factors for consideration are outlined:

1. The unique menu selections of a pizzeria.
2. The operations processes behind pizza delivery.
3. The practical and technical requirements of phone ordering, online ordering, and customer database marketing.
4. The complexities of pizza inventory.

Before you make a decision on the right point-of-sale software for your operations, be sure you understand the pitfalls. Download this free guide: Pizza Point of Sale: Right the First Time to help you make your decision.

Carmen Vogel-McCombie is a marketing and trade show
coordinator at SpeedLine Solutions, Inc., and a contributing editor to On Point: The
Restaurant Technology Blog.