A restaurant's billing counter is busier and messier than a shop's. Orders change after they are placed, the kitchen needs to know what to cook, delivery riders are waiting, and the cash drawer has to match at the end of the night. Here is what to check before you choose a POS. Compare the features alongside POS pricing factors in Pakistan so hardware and support are included in your budget.
The checklist
- Dine-in, takeaway and delivery on one screen, with table numbers for dine-in.
- Kitchen tickets that print by station: grill, pizza, drinks.
- Changes and cancellations that reach the kitchen and are recorded, not deleted.
- Stock deducted by recipe, so selling a pizza reduces cheese, dough and sauce.
- Shift closing: opening float, cash, card and wallet payments, and the expected amount in the drawer.
- Billing that continues when the internet drops, and syncs when it is back.
- Online orders from your own website arriving in the same place as counter orders.
What each order type needs
| Order type | What the POS must do | What goes wrong without it |
|---|---|---|
| Dine-in | Open a bill per table, add rounds, move and split tables | Dishes served but never billed |
| Takeaway | Take payment first and call the order by its number | The wrong bag handed to the wrong customer |
| Delivery | Hold the address, the rider and the amount to collect | Riders' cash that nobody can reconcile |
| Website or WhatsApp order | Arrive on the same screen as counter orders | Orders written on paper and lost in the rush |
Stock by recipe, and the cost of a plate
A sales report says how many biryanis left the kitchen. Only recipes say how much rice, meat and oil should have left the store with them. When each dish has a recipe, the system works out what should remain. Compare that with a real count and the shortfall has only a few explanations: waste, heavy portions or pilferage. It also shows what each plate costs to make, which is the number a menu price should start from.
Closing the night
The closing report should separate cash, card and wallet payments, and list each rider's cash on its own line, because a rider returns with money for several orders at once. Discounts, complimentary dishes and cancelled bills appear with the name of whoever approved them. The drawer is then checked against the cash figure alone.
Why online orders belong in the POS
When orders from a website or WhatsApp are written down by hand, they are the ones that get lost on a busy Friday night. At Cheesy Bite, website orders and counter sales land on the same staff dashboard, so the kitchen works from one list.
Questions to ask any POS vendor
- Can I see the closing report for one shift, with cash and card separated?
- What happens to billing if the internet goes down for an hour?
- Can head office see every branch live?
- Does it post daily sales into my accounts, or will someone re-type them?
Operix POS systems are built around these points, and connect to our ERP when you are ready for accounts and purchasing. For the bigger picture, read seven signs you have outgrown Excel, or book a demo. Running a restaurant in the Emirates? Delivery apps and VAT change the list: see restaurant POS system in Dubai.
Questions people ask
What should a restaurant POS system do?
Handle dine-in, takeaway and delivery on one screen, print kitchen tickets by station, deduct ingredients by recipe, and close each shift's cash and card so the drawer matches.
Can a restaurant POS work when the internet goes down?
It should. Billing has to continue at the counter and sync when the connection returns. Ask the vendor to switch off the internet during the demo.
Can website orders go straight into the POS?
Yes. Online orders can land on the same screen as counter sales, so the kitchen works from one list instead of a handwritten note.
Does a restaurant need an FBR-integrated POS?
Only if the tax rules require your business to integrate. Confirm with your tax adviser, and if it applies, have the integration planned into the project from the start.
