November 4, 2024
Written by: The POS Exchange Team
When it’s closing time, do your bar staff struggle to tally up tabs and process payments? Or do they seamlessly settle even the most complicated transactions, giving your customers a speedy check-out experience that impresses them? The right point-of-sale system can make all the difference in helping your bar manage the stresses of nightly operations. In this article, we'll explore the Best POS System for Restaurant and Bars to help you maximize bar efficiency and sales through a seamless POS system that simplifies operations and enhances customer satisfaction.
The insights in this article will help you understand how the right bar POS systems can improve daily operations so you can focus on providing the best experience for your customers and staff.
A bar POS system, or point of sale system, is a tool that allows you to track sales and perform other vital functions in your bar. The term POS in "bar POS" stands for point of sale, which refers to the physical place where sales occur in the bar about how much bars make. In the past, a point-of-sale system would be a cash register, sometimes with a printer or scanner. It didn't "know" the products’ costs and required the person operating to enter the purchased items' prices manually.
With the growth of bar and restaurant technology, a POS system has advanced further to do more than simply ring up items sold and print receipts. At its most complex, a POS system is an all-in-one purchasing and reporting software that enables you to work with every aspect of bar management. And that's what most bar owners and operators are looking for.
You can run your bar with old-fashioned cash registers or traditional pen and paper. But having a modern system can be a huge help to your business. A POS system can streamline the communication between different parts of your bar. It can cut down the time your staff spends on entering orders and reduce transactional errors, which are deadly to your business.
Some POS systems remove the need to struggle with a manual variance formula. They help you monitor your liquor, manage your inventory (to avoid the 86 meaning), and improve your inventory control. That way, you don't need to manually calculate how many shots are in a handle. If you are the heart and soul of your business, a good point of sale system can be the brain.
As your food and beverage business grows, there are many reasons to invest in a bar-focused POS system. They can streamline processes, thus freeing up time to keep customers happy and expand the business. Here are some of the top benefits of using a POS system built especially for bars:
A big problem in bars is when bartenders are heavy-handed when pouring drinks, which can add expenses to your business and harm my bottom line if it goes unchecked. A bar-specific POS system can help track inventory and alert you when stock is low.
If inventory runs out sooner, it could indicate a pouring problem. Many bar owners link pour spouts to their POS system to track liquor sales accurately.
Bar and restaurant POS systems can automate the ordering process, making it easy to avoid situations where you have excessive or limited inventory of popular drinks or food items. They can also help you plan for slow and busy seasons, improving cash flow and your bottom line.
A POS system designed for bar use can speed up ordering times for bartenders pouring drinks and taking orders. That means your bar can ring up more sales throughout the night. Short lines equal happy customers.
A POS system is more than a tool to ring up sales and print receipts. The leading ones have a built-in time clock and scheduling software to help you manage employees.
You can run reports to see who your top servers are and reward them with the best shifts. Many POS providers let you have multiple accounts, allowing you to set access controls and track employees as they ring up sales.
The POS Exchange brings over 20 years of restaurant expertise, serving 200,000+ merchants and processing billions annually. Our tailored POS system solutions help businesses speed up checkouts by 30%, implement dynamic pricing, and manage customer reviews while reducing overhead. Perfect for:
We offer end-to-end service, from smart consultation and interactive demos to local installation and 24/7 support.
Our mobile iPad POS systems streamline operations with features like order management, bill splitting, and inventory control. With integrations for business management tools and advanced security measures, we ensure your POS system grows with your business.
Trust our expertise to help you avoid the common pitfall that affects 38% of new business owners who choose the wrong POS system. Whether managing a busy restaurant, a local café, or operating a multi-location business, The POS Exchange delivers customized POS system solutions that tell your unique business story.
In our Clover review, we found that the platform reigns supreme as the go-to all-in-one POS system, and it’s a great choice for bar owners looking for an all-purpose, low-cost solution to steer business operations effortlessly. While Clover caters to various industries, including:
It stands out for bars, too, offering an assortment of features that meet bar setups’ unique demands. Leveraging its fast and reliable in-house payment processing, Clover goes further with distinctive offerings, such as Clover Rapid Deposit and Clover Capital, designed to streamline financial operations and foster growth. The system offers convenience for users, streamlining online pickup orders and even integrating with DoorDash to smooth out delivery services, which is essential in today’s fast-paced business environment.
Clover’s hardware solutions are as versatile as they come. They include a virtual terminal that eliminates the need for physical hardware, ideal for bars with space constraints. The system also manages invoicing intricately while allowing for secure storage of payment details and enabling recurring payments. Clover’s POS functions seem virtually limitless, impressed with:
Customer engagement is bolstered with rewards and promotional offerings to keep your patrons returning.
For bar owners seeking to enhance their online ordering service, Toast is an excellent POS system choice. While Toast caters to various restaurant types, from fine dining to cafes, it stands out particularly for bars and nightclubs and excels at streamlining online orders. Our Toast review found that its zero-commission approach to online ordering is what sets it apart.
With Toast takeout and online ordering, the company doesn’t charge restaurants a per-transaction fee (typically a percentage of the subtotal), which means bars retain more profits from online orders. It also features a dynamic throttling function, which allows your bar to “throttle” online orders during your busiest times by snoozing or adding a delay to the order time.
This means you and your staff can always keep up with demand while accepting as many online orders as your current capacity allows. Toast offers order scheduling and curbside pickup services to streamline the process and significantly elevate the customer experience. The on-demand delivery driver fleet and the specialized Toast TakeOut app make the company a front-runner in the POS domain.
Bars will find the Toast Order & Pay add-on extremely beneficial. This tool allows dine-in guests to place orders and settle bills straight from their smartphones. Through a collaboration with Google, Toast enables customers to order directly via the search engine, adding an incredibly user-friendly option for patrons and opening up a new sales avenue for bar owners. Beyond its sophisticated online ordering suite, Toast includes many POS functionalities, such as:
Backed by round-the-clock phone, email, and chat support, Toast ensures a smooth operational flow, making it the optimal choice for bars that provide an enhanced online and offline ordering experience.
Efficiency is paramount in a bar's bustling environment, and this is where Cake by Mad Mobile distinguishes itself. Our Cake review found that the platform supports a straightforward, smooth customer and staff experience. Cake is exceptionally easy to use; business owners and employees can master the system in under an hour, thus facilitating swift and smooth onboarding.
A noteworthy feature is the transparency that Cake offers to restaurant patrons. Customers can visually track their orders as they are being assembled while enjoying a seamless communication channel with the host through the guest manager function. This builds trust and elevates the customer experience through ongoing engagement and assurance. We also love the flexibility of Cake’s cloud-based architecture, which allows for remote access to the bar’s analytics from any location with an internet connection, ensuring business owners remain in the loop at all times.
Providing user-specific roles ensures that designated staff members have the necessary access to do their jobs effectively. But what truly distinguishes Cake is its readiness for any situation, including its robust offline mode. This feature ensures uninterrupted service by enabling payment acceptance even in the face of internet connectivity issues.
Cake also includes a convenient bill-splitting tool, which facilitates payments for groups. Its versatility extends to supporting online ordering, a necessity in the modern landscape. For bars that sell merchandise, Cake can manage an inventory of up to 3,000 SKUs efficiently. This POS system starts at $69 per month, which includes customer support and a terminal setup.
Square is a top option for small bars seeking a POS system that seamlessly aligns with their current business volume, budget, and needs. Our Square review covers an ecosystem where appointment scheduling integrates well within the POS system a feature that can set small bars apart. One standout attribute of Square that small bars may find particularly appealing is its lack of fees for its POS software.
Although payment processing through Square is required because the software does not work with third-party processors, that’s a small concession to make for the cost savings it offers elsewhere. Square provides a wide range of customization options. In addition to offering team management and payroll, it allows bars to engage patrons through customer loyalty programs, gift cards, and a vibrant marketing module.
For small bars that want to master their online presence, Square offers helpful online sales and invoicing tools, with options to tailor solutions to your growing establishment. There’s also a Square mobile app for iOS and Android devices. We appreciate the company's flexibility in pairing its POS software with an iPad and other specialized POS hardware.
Our review of TouchBistro covers a well-suited POS solution for bars serving food, including full-service and quick-service establishments, clubs, and even food trucks and breweries. Leveraging its deep-rooted expertise in the restaurant industry, TouchBistro offers a tailored experience and facilitates seamless order management and payment acceptance optimized for restaurants.
Using iPads as mobile registers, TouchBistro’s mobile-optimized software improves table-side service, allowing for quick and efficient ordering and payment processes at customers’ tables. You can also choose to handle payment processing through TouchBistro Payments (in partnership with Chase) or any third-party processor.
TouchBistro’s rich ensemble of features is finely tuned for the restaurant landscape. It aids in effortless table management thanks to intuitive drag-and-drop tools and a customizable menu dashboard to cater to your establishment’s needs. The POS system takes it a notch higher with accurate ingredient-level tracking and forced modifiers, ensuring perfect adherence to each recipe.
TouchBistro’s versatility is further highlighted by its customer account management, which lets you foster customer loyalty by keeping tabs on customers’ order history and managing account balances. The system is adaptable, with optional extensions for:
To create a customized experience for your patrons. Employee management becomes a breeze with TouchBistro, which offers tools to craft detailed employee profiles, delineate roles, and monitor performance and attendance, fostering a cohesive and productive work environment. You gain a 360-degree view of your bar’s operations backed with 85 in-depth reports, giving you the insights needed to drive your business forward. TouchBistro offers round-the-clock customer support to ensure seamless operations, standing by to assist you at every step.
Lightspeed acquired Upserve in 2020 and built on its restaurant POS prowess to create Lightspeed Restaurant POS. Like many of the other specialized systems in this space, Lightspeed Restaurant has many tools and features a bar POS system should have, including:
Lightspeed stands out among its competitors in its ability to flex to any business need. You can purchase hardware through Lightspeed, use your existing hardware, or purchase used hardware elsewhere at a discounted price (just be sure to check Lightspeed’s compatibility guide, available in its online help center).
The company also allows you to choose its payment processing service, Lightspeed Payments, or use any third-party processor it supports. This tech flexibility and the software's customizability empower you to design the perfect bar POS system.
SpotOn spent 2023 making their already excellent enterprise-level POS even more accessible for small bars and restaurants. Like Toast, SpotOn relies on industry-grade hardware with excellent connectivity for stationary and handheld POS devices.
SpotOn includes even more refined mobile ordering tools that make their POS a terrific fit for bars in sports stadiums and event venues. The affordable processing rates make this system even more competitive, and user reviews are some of the highest of the systems we scored for this ranking; only Lightspeed Restaurant scored higher, and only slightly (4.43 average user rating for Lightspeed versus SpotOn’s 4.40).
MICROS is a great fit for bars and nightclubs that need time (and battle-tested) hardware in an incredibly customizable system. Oracle’s MICROS Symphony is the cloud-based version of the legacy MICROS POS. This system has longevity; it’s been an industry standard for good reason. It combines resilient hardware with robust, customizable POS functions and comprehensive cash management tools like dual cash drawer tills and high till alerts.
MICROS Simphony even tracks petty cash transactions from your tills. This system also allows you to customize button sizes and colors to create comprehensive speed ordering screens. The MICROS Simphony speed screens are the most customizable system on this list.
Lavu is a great fit for bars that want the option to pass processing fees on to customers. If you’ve been operating as a cash-only operation, this can help you affordably expand to accepting card payments. Lavu is a customizable iPad POS with several subscription options at varying price levels and contract lengths, making it a good fit for growing bars.
The cash discount settings make it suitable for bars shifting from cash-only operations and accepting credit cards. This setting allows you to offset the costs of accepting credit cards (typically a bar’s third-largest daily expense behind labor and cost of goods).
You might’ve heard about Harbortouch before, as it’s the POS system used on Paramount Network’s Bar Rescue. Harbortouch is a bar POS system that offers several features specifically designed for nightclubs. These include:
Harbortouch also offers software integrations, which is great for bar owners who want to use Harbortouch with other software programs. Who should use it? Nightclubs that want a bar POS system designed for their needs should consider Harbortouch.
Bars pride themselves on their unique drink selections, and every bartender has a way of making the classics. Perfecting each drink is crucial for consistency and fast service. But what happens when a customer orders a drink with a twist? Maybe they want a mojito with vodka instead of rum and basil instead of mint.
For the bar staff, customization is key. They need a bar POS system that’s easy to use, designed to handle the volume, and makes it easy to customize every drink combination your guests can dream up. A bar POS should be built to support bartenders, regardless of customization requests. For example, if a bartender forgets how to make a specific drink, a POS system built for bars will allow you to put recipes into the system. Bartenders can easily pull up the recipe within the POS as a reference.
"Oh, by the way, could we split the check?" To a bartender or server, this can be one of the more annoying customer requests. This could mean you must remember what everyone ordered, go back into the system, and print a check for each person. It might also mean your guests are about to debate about who will cover the nachos everyone shared.
When choosing a bar POS system, it’s important to find one that makes moving checks from the bar to the table and splitting them easily. Bar guests are more likely to want to divide the bill, either among locations or members of their party. With the right bar POS software, you can make this process easy for everyone.
Credit and debit card preauthorization (or "pre-auth") allows bartenders to swipe a customer's credit card, securely save that information as their bar tab, and verify that the card is real and has a preconfigured amount of funds. Why is this important? In the bar and nightclub industry, things move fast. Besides looking out for fake IDs, you might also have to look out for fake credit cards.
With preauth, you limit fake and stolen cards and the liability of large, unpaid checks due to insufficient funds or a dine-and-dash situation. You can also customize the amount you preauthorize, only allowing cards with a certain amount of $1, $50, or the exact amount on the check to be used. Because preauth only requires one tap, bartenders can speed up service, spending less time at the point of sale system and more time making drinks. It also delivers a better customer experience, as guests won’t have to worry about leaving their physical credit card with a bartender to keep a tab open. Nightclub or bar POS software with preauthorization will also immediately tokenize and encrypt customer credit card information when swiped, so no sensitive information is stored on the device. Pre-auth ability is an absolute must-have for a bar POS system and should be considered when deciding which platform to use.
A bar or nightclub's menu might change daily. Drink specials, happy hour specials, and pitcher specials, not to mention weekly inventory changes from beer and liquor vendors, make the menu a living, breathing entity. So why should you restart your system to change a menu item or physically be at the bar to enter the menu management software?
With a cloud-based bar POS system, like Toast, you can add your specials on your phone while lying on your couch at home. If you're suddenly out of a keg, you can 86 an item with the tap of a button, communicating that change to every bartender or server so they know immediately not to take orders for that beer. Easy menu management tools make your life and the lives of your staff easier. Be sure to choose a bar POS system with simple customization options.
Bartenders and servers can make a ton of money on tips. For most bartenders, tips make up a significant part of their livelihood. As a bar or restaurant owner wanting to keep your bartenders happy and put more money in their pockets, you may want to implement suggested tip percentages to help increase the value of tips your servers and bartenders get.
You can suggest tip percentages to customers on the check, terminal screen, or a handheld POS device so they don't have to do the math. Not only does this improve guest experience, but it also increases the likelihood of a guest tipping. The most popular options for suggested tip percentages are 15%, 18%, and 20%. Some also have the option to show tip suggestions in dollar amounts below a certain transaction threshold. For example, a check for less than $5 can show tip options of $1, $1.50, and $2 rather than percentages. More than anything, choosing a bar POS system that allows you to customize and set suggested tip percentages easily will make your staff and guests happier.
One of the biggest challenges for bars and nightclubs is getting customers through the door and returning for more. It becomes a lot easier with the right bar POS software. Nightclub and bar POS management software with a built-in customer relationship management (CRM) system enables you to collect guests’ contact information and detailed order history when customers pay with a debit or credit card.
This information can create a contact list to notify customers via email about upcoming promotions and events without hiring a promoter or marketing professional. By storing customer data, you can identify and reach out to your biggest spenders for high-value nights, such as New Year’s Eve, and invite them to book tables before anyone else.
A great bar POS system also allows nightclub owners and managers to see exactly how their business performs in real time from anywhere. Cloud-based POS solutions that offer enterprise reporting give owners and managers secure access to detailed sales, inventory, and labor reports across all of their businesses or segmented for each location.
You can even drill down into reports to see more in-depth information, such as a specific employee’s productivity or the sales of a particular menu item. Suppose you already own multiple businesses or plan to expand in the future. In that case, this feature will prove invaluable to you as you look to manage and understand your various operations and how each contributes to your bottom line.
When staff members spend more time with your guests, your bar or nightclub’s efficiency and reputation drastically improve. Mobile POS systems eliminate the clunky technology between staff and guests. Equipping your bar and table service programs with these handheld devices will allow your staff to provide guests with the best possible service. Using handheld bar POS systems, employees can quickly and effortlessly accept orders, process payments, and complete transactions while interacting with guests.
The handheld POS interface lets Customers tip, sign, and request text or email receipts. This means you’ll be able to serve more guests in a shorter time, all while your staff members spend more time interacting with their guests and VIPs instead of maneuvering back and forth through the crowd to access a central payment terminal. In a fast-paced and beer-filled environment, durable hardware is needed. Great POS handhelds are made with:
With 24-hour battery life and lightning-fast processing, they’re ready when you are. When choosing a bar POS system, ensure it can withstand the rigor of your restaurant while providing a sleek, modern look that blends into your bar rather than standing out.
Many POS systems allow owners to customize user access permissions to control the information their employees can view and the actions they can complete. There are two primary ways to control user permissions:
Allow business owners to set specific default configurations for all their employees based on their roles. For example, you can set up job-based permissions so that your bartenders and servers cannot provide voids and comps without a manager's approval.
Are configured and assigned to specific employees. Suppose one of your bartenders is being trained for a management position, and you want to provide them access to your labor reports. You can do so without assigning default permission to all of my bartenders. This lets you know that your data is secure and that your staff members can only perform actions you have approved.
Approximately 95% of all businesses experience theft at some point. Employee theft at bars and nightclubs is exceptionally high due to the large volume of cash flow. In addition to helping owners and operators detect theft through detailed sales and inventory reporting, some bar and nightclub POS systems also offer cash drawer management. These systems offer functionality like tracking multiple cash drawers separately, tying specific cash drawers to individual employees, and even implementing blind closeout capabilities.
Blind closeout requires employees to reconcile cash at the end of their shift without notifying them of the amount they are expected to return. This feature makes close-of-day tasks far less time-consuming for managers while providing employee accountability and financial security.
Liquor costs in the restaurant and bar industry are typically 18-20% of total liquor sales. And the more you can optimize your liquor cost percentage, the more money your business will make. With real-time restaurant inventory software, you can track your:
You know what to reorder and when without spending long hours updating a spreadsheet. Tracking a bar's inventory has advantages, such as noticing situations where bartenders are over-pouring or giving away too many free drinks. Inventory variance reports compare your actual inventory to my theoretical inventory so you can diagnose where your variances are waste, over-pouring, and theft and start improving processes and training.
The POS Exchange brings over 20 years of restaurant expertise, serving 200,000+ merchants and processing billions annually. Our tailored POS system solutions help businesses speed up checkouts by 30%, implement dynamic pricing, and manage customer reviews while reducing overhead. Perfect for:
We offer end-to-end service, from smart consultation and interactive demos to local installation and 24/7 support. Our mobile iPad POS systems streamline operations with features like:
With integrations for business management tools and advanced security measures, we ensure your POS system grows with your business. Trust our expertise to help you avoid the common pitfall that affects 38% of new business owners who choose the wrong POS system. The POS Exchange delivers customized POS system solutions that tell your unique business story whether you're managing:
Book a free demo with POS exchange to learn about our customized POS system solutions today.
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