Bar & Restaurant POS Systems With Your Guests in Mind

You’re in the business of serving delicious food and drinks, but you’re also keen to create unforgettable guest experiences. The secret weapon to doing both missions exceedingly well? Bar and restaurant POS systems. 

Below we break down 4 service areas guests care about, and the features of bar and restaurant POS systems that assist in satisfying those needs. 

Bar & Restaurant POS Systems Make Ordering Easier

Having to constantly wave down a server or tapping feet while waiting on orders never makes for a good guest experience. That’s why the best bar and restaurant POS systems reduce ordering friction, making the next round and dessert a resounding YES from guests.  

MOBILE DEVICES

Mobile POS systems free staff up from stationary payment terminals, and empower them to service guests anywhere. These types of systems are equipped with mobile hardware—smartphones and tablets—so they can fit easily in a pocket or apron. Theoretically, a roaming server could grab a guest’s next drink order on their way to the bathroom!

Mobile POS also rids the need for paper tickets, because staff members input all ordering information into their handhelds. This makes ordering easier for guests because they can quickly relay their order to their server and be assured that it’s accurate. (No orders are susceptible to an error from bad handwriting on a scribbled ticket!) 

Guests also appreciate that servers can close them out tableside with mobile POS devices. They don’t have to wait for a bill, and then a receipt, which makes checkout a breeze, too!

MOBILE DEVICES SYNC IN THE CLOUD

Mobile devices are also cloud-based, meaning all tabs sync across all devices. This means every server can add to any tab, which allows guests to flag down any staff member if they need to request a cold glass of milk for their wings ASAP. 

This information syncing also means guests don’t have to wait as long for their orders to be delivered. As soon as a server inputs an order, the kitchen and bar staff receive it on their own devices. Eliminating the time it takes for servers to manually deliver orders on paper tickets makes guests happier and fuller. 

One of the coolest things is when you take an order and while you’re still talking to the table, the beer shows up. The customers say, “How did that happen?” That one never gets old.

Greg Anderson, General Manager @ Dry Dock Brewing Co. about his mobile POS system

QR CODES

QR code ordering entered the bar and restaurant scene as a way to socially distance while dining out, but they’ve quickly become a beloved service tool of hospitality staff nationwide. Guests reap a lot of benefits, too. 

Guests simply scan the nearest QR code to them, enabling them to view the menu, submit orders, and even close out from their own smartphones. This streamlined ordering process embodies how bar and restaurant POS systems make ordering easier because ordering power is put directly in the hands of guests!

But don’t be fooled—QR codes are not meant to replace staff with technology. In fact, when using QR codes, it’s encouraged to use a floating service model. Floating service combines traditional table service with self-service via QR codes. This means guests can enter their initial orders themselves, but the subsequent rounds can be entered by a hospitable staff member—or vice versa! 

If you’re interested in learning more about QR codes, implementing them yourself, and how they even fatten your wallet (24% higher tabs AND tips!), check out The Ultimate Guide to QR Codes in the Taproom. 

MOBILE APP

Contactless ordering entered the scene during the pandemic as a socially distanced way to transact. Nowadays, bar and restaurant POS systems lean on mobile apps for convenience-sake!

Cabarrus Brewing Co. in North Carolina utilized their POS system’s mobile app to navigate challenges surrounding in-person gatherings in 2020. Cabarrus staff members created a makeshift drive thru, and loaded customers’ items for them directly in the trunk. Payment was fast and easy via the mobile app, and guests felt comfortable keeping their windows up and their germs to themselves. 

This is yet another tool that eases the ordering process!

CARD ON FILE

As a guest, have you ever hesitated to re-open a tab, just because it was a pain to forfeit your credit card to the infamous rolodex? Guests hate the possibility of leaving behind a card, and that practice also makes checkout a slower process when they have to wait to get it back from the server. 

That’s why the best bar and restaurant POS systems offer card on file, with no rolodex necessary. Guests tabs can remain open and their credit card can stay in their wallet, making ordering and checkout easier.

Bar & Restaurant POS Systems Make Products Available Off-Premise

The most successful bars and restaurants capitalize on customer interest and offer their products beyond just the dining room. It’s good for business—they can collect revenue at any time, instead of just on a Friday night—and it also makes purchasing simple for customers.

ECOMMERCE

Bar and restaurant POS systems are increasingly hosting online storefronts to collect off-premise orders. Consumers that reported they order food delivery at least once a week was up to 61% in 2021, compared to 18% in 2019, and 7% of all alcohol sales are projected to come from e-commerce by 2024. 

To put it simply, we live in an increasingly virtual world where people don’t even have to leave their homes to get groceries. Making bar and restaurant goods available to order online delights guests, and makes your establishment a viable option for dinner any day of the week.

DIRECT TO CONSUMER

And in addition to enabling online orders, bar and restaurant POS systems are offering tools to get products directly to customers’ doorsteps! Direct to consumer (DtC) via shipping or delivery is how a lot of hospitality businesses are eliminating the limitations of on-premise sales:

• Capacity: Bars and restaurants, especially during a pandemic, have a limit to how many people can comfortably enjoy food and drink within it. 
• Geography: DtC lets businesses cast a wider net of customers outside of their typical neighborhood crowd.
• Hours: Offering shipping means you can satisfy someone’s craving outside of normal business hours.

Although third party services are available to assist with these efforts, some bar and restaurant POS systems are coming up with their own solutions to please guests and generate more revenue for businesses via DtC. 

ONLINE SOCIAL CONNECTION

As purchasing moves more online, guests are seeking connections with the brands they support, especially because they can’t do so as frequently in-person. Bars and restaurants that invest time and money into digital marketing have a better chance of generating genuine relationships with customers. 

Bar and restaurant POS system tools such as email marketing and social media are all great mediums to drive traffic and build your brand. 

Bar & Restaurant POS Systems Make Guests Want To Come Back

There’s a well-known principle in business that retention is more cost effective than trying to get new customers. That’s why a strategy behind smart bar and restaurant POS systems is to make guests want to return to dine and imbibe with you again!

LOYALTY PROGRAM

Loyalty programs are great marketing tools to engage guests and incentivize spending. In fact, 1 in 3 customers say restaurant loyalty programs influence their choice of where to eat out!

Here are a couple popular ways bar and restaurant POS systems prompt repeat business via loyalty programs:

• Exclusive access: Creating exclusivity via member-specific items or events makes any loyalty program enticing. This could be insider-branded schwag, limited edition products, or access to exclusive events with free food ‘n beverages! 
• Point collection and redemption: Loyalty members are rewarded with points when they spend money. Guests can then redeem points in a gift card-like fashion!

These programs not only encourage repeat business, they also give bars and restaurants a loyal community of fans.

EVENTS

Hosting events like trivia, bingo, live music, etc. is a great way to persuade guests to come back. Bar and restaurant POS systems can support these efforts by advertising for the events at the bottom of receipts or the top of digital menus. 

CHANGING MENU

Another way to entice guests to return is with a frequently updated menu. If guests always see something new on the menu, it piques their interest and makes them curious about what will be available next time. 

With the right bar and restaurant POS system, digital menus are easy to change and update. Plus, robust reporting tools make evaluating the success of new menu items straightforward. 

Bar & Restaurant POS Systems Help Portray Your Brand’s Ethos

Any chance you can tap into customers’ values, you should. Afterall, people are more likely to support businesses that align with their own morals. 

COMMUNITY-ORIENTED

Features such as donation at checkout is one way bar and restaurant POS systems assist with community-oriented initiatives. Giving guests the ability to either round up or donate whole dollar amounts makes them feel good about spending money with your business, and it also enables your bar or restaurant to make a positive impact! 

SECURITY

Bars and restaurants collect a lot of sensitive information by running so many credit cards every day. It’s imperative that your POS system keeps that information confidential for the sake of your customers (and your business!) Working with a trustworthy POS system builds trust with your guests, too. 

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Arryved is a service-forward bar and restaurant POS system that cares about your guests’ satisfaction as much as you do. Our hospitality roots and passion for customer service equip us with the knowledge to build a POS better than the rest. Get a free demo today!