The Benefits of Mobile POS for Restaurants

With restaurateurs searching for new and innovative ways to make their businesses more efficient, many are turning to technology to impact their bottom line. One of the latest technology trends gaining momentum in the restaurant industry is the use of mobile point of sale (POS) solutions. With the increased popularity of wireless networking and the decreased cost of mobile computing devices, such as tablets and smart phones, more businesses are adopting mobile solutions. In the hospitality environment, a mobile POS solution enables wait staff to perform all the basic functionality of your stationary POS system while also adding a few new benefits. A mobile POS solution enables wait staff to greatly improve efficiency by taking orders, busting lines, and processing payments tableside.

We’ll analyze the business benefits a restaurant can reap through the implementation of a mobile point of sale solution. Specifically, we will discuss how a mobile POS solution can help your business improve operational efficiency and increase revenue through faster order processing, improved order accuracy, increased productivity, greater table turnover, and more efficient customer checkout.

With the advent of mobile POS solutions, businesses can complete a variety of business processes and conduct transactions from anywhere. Mobile POS solutions are ideal for any environment in which POS functionality is needed in the field. Traditionally, most people have experienced some form of mobile POS at flea markets, farmers markets, or stadiums. Today, mobile POS is gaining momentum in various retail and hospitality environments, such as restaurants, bars, nightclubs, stadiums, trade shows, and many other POS applications where mobility is essential to providing top quality customer service. The application providing users with the quickest path to return on investment (ROI) is tableside ordering. Let’s take a closer look at how this POS application can help your restaurant.

Benefits of Mobile POS

Whether you are a single location, independent operator, or a large chain, mobile POS can provide a substantial return on investment (ROI) for your business. From streamlining order processing to improving order accuracy and boosting sales, increases in efficiency and profitability can be gained throughout your food service operations. A mobile POS solution will also enable wait staff to process payments tableside with EMV, NFC and MSR enabled devices.

1. Streamline Orders – One of the fundamental advantages of utilizing a mobile POS solution is streamlining the order taking process. With a mobile device, wait staff can take an order at the table and wirelessly transmit it to the kitchen in real-time. There is no need to wait for the server to return to the stationary POS system to enter the order. This allows food preparation to begin earlier, improving customer service by reducing wait times for items ordered.
2. Improve Order Accuracy –In many restaurant environments, there are a variety of ways food can be prepared. Add-on items, special requests, sides or other modifications are common requests that wait staff must accurately account for in the order taking process. By entering orders tableside in real-time, wait staff will improve order accuracy by eliminating lost, partial and incorrect orders. This not only reduces food waste for your establishment but also improves customer satisfaction.
3. Increase Average Ticket Size – Great customer service is essential to ensuring repeat business from your patrons. A mobile POS solution will give wait staff the ability to spend more time with patrons, improving customer service and enhancing the dining experience. It will also give servers extra time to up-sell and cross-sell profitable extras such as drinks, appetizers, sides, and desserts. This will not only result in a larger average ticket size for the restaurant, but also larger tips for wait staff.
4. Boost Table Turnover – In high volume restaurant environments, the ability to serve more patrons faster and increase table turnover is critical to success. Many restaurants struggle with customer wait times on a daily basis, particularly on weekends when most patrons prefer to enjoy a night out to dinner. As busy restaurants look for new ways to increase capacity, many have added outdoor seating. Unfortunately, the traditional POS system is not ideal for harsh, outdoor environments. Therefore, many establishments with outdoor seating require wait staff to use a terminal inside the restaurant. This is often a less than optimal solution for efficient order entry and checkout procedures. Mobile POS is an ideal and affordable option for growing restaurants that need to equip additional wait staff to process more orders.
5. Decrease Checkout Time – An additional benefit of mobile POS solutions is the efficient checkout. Checkout is the last thing a customer will remember about your restaurant. They enjoyed your delicious food and friendly wait staff. Don’t let all that be ruined by a long wait at the register. A mobile POS solution will allow wait staff to securely and efficiently process payments at the tableside, and to effectively avoid aggravating the customer in the checkout process.For savvy restaurateurs that are looking to reduce customer wait time and food waste, increase average ticket size, and expedite customer check out, implementing a mobile POS solution will not only improve the profitability of your business, but also the overall customer experience. Mobile POS provides a number of advantages for the wait staff, customer, and restaurant owner.

Mobile POS solutions can benefit a restaurant in a variety of ways throughout the life cycle of the customer visit. Mobile applications have become more prevalent thanks to the evolution of technology and the lessened concerns regarding reliability and security. Regardless of the type of restaurant, mobile POS is a growing trend that can provide tangible and immediate business benefits.