Important Point of Sale Features for Your Hospitality Venue

It can be overwhelming for new business owners when researching the best Point of Sale (POS) system for your hospitality venue, which is why we have outlined important features to enhance efficiency, improve customer service, and streamline your operations.

Here’s a list of top features to look for when choosing the right POS system:

Order Management

A good POS system should allow servers to quickly enter orders with minimal steps, which is crucial in a fast-paced environment. It should be easy to modify orders, add special instructions, ie. “no onions”, and send updates to the kitchen instantly. The ability to split checks easily among customers, whether by item or amount, makes it simpler for both staff and guests.

Inventory Management

A POS system should automatically track inventory levels as items are sold and alert you when stocks are low. For restaurants with complex menus as an example, look for a POS that can track ingredients and give insights into food cost and waste. Automated alerts when supplies are running low help maintain smooth operations and prevent stockouts.

Sales & Reporting Analytics

Access to detailed real-time sales data, including total revenue, sales by item, and sales by staff member, helps with decision-making. Look for a POS that offers customisable reports, allowing you to focus on specific metrics (e.g., peak hours, customer spending patterns). The ability to track sales, inventory, and customer behavior in real time enables timely adjustments and optimisations.

Employee Management

Some POS systems offer built-in scheduling rostering tools to help you create shifts, track hours worked, and prevent scheduling conflicts. A good POS should support accurate tip allocation for servers and easily handle tip-out systems. Customise access for different employees, ensuring cashiers have different permissions than managers or kitchen staff.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Build customer profiles that track preferences, past orders, and special requests, which can be used to personalise service. Some POS systems integrate with loyalty programs, allowing customers to earn points or rewards based on their purchases. An integrated CRM to your POS like me&u Connect can also help with running promotions, sending newsletters, SMS alerts, or reminders to customers.

POS and Payment Bundle

Look for a POS provider who can deliver a combined POS and Payments Bundle solution to streamline transactions, reduce wait times and enhance the overall customer satisfaction.

Researching the best payment provider could literally save you thousands of dollars in fees annually. The POS should support a variety of contactless payment methods, including credit/debit cards, mobile payments (Apple Pay, Google Pay).

Mobile POS Capabilities

Mobile POS devices allow servers to take orders directly at the table and send them straight to the kitchen, speeding up service. Mobile POS systems can also be used to process payments at the table, reducing wait times for customers. In addition to traditional POS terminals, mobile POS systems offer flexibility for different restaurant layouts and operations.

Kitchen Display System (KDS) Integration

The POS should integrate seamlessly with the kitchen display system (KDS), ensuring orders are transmitted accurately and quickly to the kitchen. Some systems allow you to customise the display for different stations, which is particularly helpful for larger venue types, ensuring orders are routed correctly to the appropriate team, ie. upstairs bar.

Online Ordering & Delivery Integration

The ability to take orders online (for pickup, delivery, or dine-in) directly through your POS system helps streamline your workflow and prevents errors from third-party delivery platforms. Integration with third-party delivery services, ie. Uber Eats allowing orders to be automatically pushed into the POS, keeping everything centralised.

Table Management & Reservation Integration

Some POS systems include a reservation tool to help manage bookings, reduce double-booking, and optimize table assignments. A table management feature allows hosts and servers to view real-time status updates (e.g., table availability, waitlists) to improve the guest experience. Keep track of special requests or preferences for regular customers (e.g., dietary restrictions, favorite table), which can enhance customer loyalty.

Support & Training

Choose a POS provider that offers reliable customer support with a variety of touchpoints, ideally 24/7, in case you face technical issues during peak hours. Ensure the POS system offers ample training resources (video tutorials, user manuals, etc.) to help you and your staff get up to speed quickly. The more touchpoints for support the better, ideally phone, webchat, and on-site support.