The nightlife industry has reborn. Past year was quite hard for almost every industry, so since the world is slowly getting back to normal, every business owner is trying to look for different methods to somehow increase the sales and boost the revenue. Some people may think that running a bar is way easier than any other food establishment. Perhaps the food delivery scene is out of the picture here, but a bar owner still needs to keep the inventory, manage the employees and provide an outstanding customer service. That is when a bar management software comes in! A system that will help you run your business more efficiently and smoothly!
POS Software for Bar and Restaurant – What is that?
POS system for a bar and grill or even a food truck is what every food establishment should have. Software that was designed to make your life easier. There are numerous benefits that come from a POS (point-of-sale) systems. There is no need to get that huge calendar to keep the reservations, names, phone numbers – everything is digital now. Thanks to different management software, you can easily keep track of your customers, their visits and reservations. Some systems can even create customer’s charts, and send them automated reminders or birthday wishes. CRM is great for those kinds of things, but POS will definitely help you manage your bar. Digital payment methods, dealing with payroll, inventory, managing your employees and so much more – a proper management software is literally a blessing when it comes to running your own business.
Find the Best POS System for Restaurant and Bar
A perfect POS system will definitely help you out with the inventory. There is no need to update the spreadsheet – the system will keep track of units, food inventory and what is more – many restaurants software are designed in a specific way, so that you can place orders in your system and send them straight to the vendors. Moreover, a good bar and restaurant POS system will allow you to easily split checks or move them from the bar to the table. Another great feature of most bar and restaurant POS systems is that they help you manage the menu, so that you can easily edit and customize different menus – like the one for the happy hour or Thirsty Thursday! We all know that a menu at a bar can change daily, and with a cloud-based bar POS system, you can add drink specials or edit some dishes on your phone – does not matter if you are at work or relaxing at home, but realized that you forgot to make those changes to the menu. The technology is really on your side here!
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Managing Your Employees
Payroll is one of the hardest things to do, but setting up work schedules for a couple of people? Tricky! There are those special bar and restaurant software that will do most of the work for you. What is more, there are also other features that can make your employees happy – you can introduce the suggested tip percentages, so that next time anyone who pays with a credit card will be asked to pick the amount of a tip. The most common options for suggested tip percentages are 15%, 18% and 20%. That way – your customers will have the idea that they do not have to deal with the math here, therefore they might feel generous and leave a nice tip.
If you have your own website with Upmenu.com, you can easily inform your customers about additional fees. For example, you can create a landing page that outlines the corkage fee policy or you can include information about the corkage fee in your marketing communication. This is a great way to provide customers with clear and concise information about your tips policy.
Mobile POS Hardware
Do you want to improve your bar’s reputation? Mobile POS systems that use handhelds will do some magic! With those devices, your staff members will be able to serve more guests. Accepting orders, process payments and even tipping or sending a digital email receipt – this is what a handheld bar POS system can do. It will not only provide your customers with faster and better service, but will also mean that your staff can serve even more guests. Trust us – it is a very convenient method and your customers will definitely love it. There is no need to wade through the crowd to place an order or close the tab.
The QR code feature from Upmenu.com makes it easy to provide a menu for people who might want to quickly download it. This is a great way to upsell additional products and services to potential customers since it provides them with a convenient way to view your menu and makes ordering food quick and easy.
Different Bar and Restaurant POS Systems
There are numerous different POS systems for bars and restaurants. Some of the POS vendors offer free trials. If you are interested in a particular software, you can always ask around and see if any other bar owners already have it. They will be able to tell you all the pros and cons. Many point-of-sale systems offer pretty much similar features. The price range differs though. Some systems require an initial setup, while others can be downloaded from an App store. Even though having a POS system might seem pricey – with all the installation, hardware and monthly fees – we see it as an investment, that will improve the overall workflow of your bar and enhance its performance.
Toast
Toast has been one of the most popular point-of-sale and management systems for a while now. It has many features that will not only help you run a successful business, but can also help you provide the best possible service there is! If you choose the Toast POS system for your bar, be sure to take advantage of all of its awesome features. Your bar tenders will love their jobs with the Toast POS system!
TouchBistro
Another bar and restaurant software that will make those profits go up! You can book a demo and see for yourself. The system allows you to reward your loyal customers – and we all know how everyone love freebies, right? TouchBistro will help you come up with different promotions and upgrades. You will be able to serve more guests in less time – and we all know that time is money! Entertain your customers and let them know that bill splitting or table transfers will not a problem here.
Revel Systems
Revel System POS is a solid point-of-sale system that has a great deal of useful features. The system is considered to be quite pricey and requires you to sing up a contract. It has an easy-to-navigate register user interface and a variety of back-office tools. The Revel Systems POS will definitely handle a bar and help you with managing your business.
Square
Square is another POS system that was designed to enhance the workflow of your business. You can easily keep the inventory stocked, manage the menu, see the floor plans and get friendly reminders and inventory alerts. You can run reports that will show you your bar’s performance. For your customer’s convenience – you will be able to take mobile, tableside or in line payments. Check their official website for pricing and different plan options.
Lavu POS
A proper bar management software is what your business needs, and Lavu POS and its features will definitely help you control all of your bar operations. This sophisticated point-of-sale system will generate electronical receipts, let you place orders on a touchscreen, analyze reports for inventory, labor and sales. A great system that works on iPads. It is mobile and convenient. With Lavu you can reduce the wait time and give your customers an amazing customer service experience!
BizImply
Hiring the right people is very important when running your own business. BizImply is a management software that focuses on making daily operations easier. It is targeted towards managing your employees. You can assign tasks to different staff members, keep track of their schedules, create time cards and more. Check their website for more details and their plan prices!
TapHunter
Now this software is something else! You can manage your social media accounts and keep them updated. What is more, you can use TapHunter to connect with your customers through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. The software will also let you keep track of the inventory of your bar and experiment with the menu. TapHunter believes that media presence is crucial when it comes to running a successful bar and restaurant. Check their website for pricing and different plan options.
Those were just some of the management software, that were made to improve the general work of your bar. There are many other additional apps that can help you track underage IDs or give you some new and exciting instructions for delicious cocktails.
The technology is constantly developing, so make sure to take advantage of its inventions and creations. Once you find a bar management software that suits your expectations, you will be able to see the results. Implementing new POS systems and other amenities will only make your bar run more efficiently. The nightlife scene is quite demanding. You have to provide an excellent customer service in order to retain those customers.
Feel free to look around and if you want – ask for free trials if available. You want to make sure that the POS system for your bar and restaurant will work perfectly fine with you and your employees. Running a successful bar can be easier with the right tools. Allow a bit of technology into your world and see all the profits that can be brought to your life.
