Evaluation of Restaurant Technologies
Visit a restaurant that uses a POS system and answer the 10 questions.
- Who is the POS vendor (e.g. Digital Dining, Micros, Aloha, etc.)?
- What type of terminals (e.g., keyboard, touchscreen, handhelds, tablets, self-service kiosks, fingerprint/RFID and credit/debit card readers, etc.) are used? Describe the menu layouts (e.g., menu board or touch-screen driven, organization, menu-item tracking, etc.) and keys (preset, ingredient, cooking/modifiers, allergen and nutritional, etc.)
- Describe the ordering system (onsite and online if applicable). Are food orders processed in a timely manner? How do servers know when orders are ready?
- How are customers notified when tables are ready?
- Describe and evaluate the POS terminal configuration (e.g., impact on server productivity and customer service).
- What types of printers are used for printing kitchen orders and guest receipts?
- What systems are interfaced to the POS system (e.g., gift card, loyalty program, Internet reservations, time and attendance, table management, inventory, etc.)?
- Describe the payment system.
- Describe two reports generated by the system and how they are used?
- Identify potential applications/technologies that could significantly improve operational performance.