Every aspect of the restaurant industry has changed during COVID-19, even its technology. Advanced Point of Sale systems now run restaurants all over the country. Trends indicate that POS will stay on this track for a long time.
Here’s what the industry can expect to see out of POS trends.
Photo by Mark OFlynn on Unsplash
1. POS in More Businesses
With the pandemic finally ending, more people see the value in upgrading their systems. Previous to COVID-19, restaurants were much warier of new tech. They worried whether their customers and staff could smoothly adapt. They wondered if the cost of investment would ever match ROI. However since the pandemic caused a massive sweep in restaurants digitizing their processes, it’s now status quo for new businesses to open with top-of-the-line equipment from the start.
Restaurants aren’t the only businesses in hospitality that noticed these upsides. You’re more likely to see smarter Point of Sales in coffee shops, bars, and all kinds of places besides fine dining. POS capable of more than a standard register is commonplace in a post-pandemic world.
2. Widening to New Consumers
Flexibility has been key this year. Coronavirus regulations shift as swiftly as customer preferences, so the businesses that thrive are the ones that adapt. For many restaurants, that meant turning to entirely new customer touchpoints. Delivery and takeout largely replaced face-time with your guests. Now everyone is comfortable with these channels. Thus some habits will remain long after the world reopens.
What generates business? Self-service options are extremely popular. Even when people move off the apps to dine-in seating, restaurants can incorporate digitization even there. For example, QR codes enable customers to pull up the menu, order, and pay right from their seats and on their phones. More and more restaurants are also choosing to invest in a Kiosk, especially considering the labor shortage that currently has a stranglehold on businesses. Digitization helps them contend with more foot traffic as things open back up.
Still, these changes aren’t all good news. They may experience slight delays because they need more regular sanitation, for example. Temperature checks, and collecting info at the door in case of contact tracing, takes a lot of time. Don’t let that deter you though: Restaurants actually benefit from gathering this information. Use it to build out your customer profiles and develop a stronger understanding of your best patrons’ habits and preferences. This will strengthen marketing campaigns and ultimately pull in more money, too!
3. A POS for the Whole Restaurant
As we mentioned above, Point of Sales aren’t just cash registers anymore. Now they do so much more. The POS system powered by eatOS, for example, covers your commercial kitchen, servers, online orders and everywhere else you need to run your business. From tablets that submit orders tableside, to a branded mobile app made just for you, restaurants can streamline their operation from order to checkout.
