Setting up a restaurant POS system

[KeiCar]

I have a friend who is opening a restaurant and to keep costs low she asked if I could setup there POS systems. I've looked online at a few and the only thing that looks proprietary is the software. The rest of the hardware for some was pretty much off-the-shelf components.

For now it looks like there will only be one main terminal so I figured it can't be too hard. Obviously you need the cpu and a touchscreen monitor, well those now come all-in-one with plenty of power to run POS software. I'll need a cash drawer and card reader (easy, those are probably all usb now anyway), modem as backup incase the DSL or cable goes down (I remember this from installing some POS systems in a retail chain -- contract job I had years ago), something about this being a requirement from Master Card or Visa or something.

Ok, getting back to hardware. You will also need a 2 receipt printers- 1 for the terminal itself to print customer receipts and 1 for the kitchen to get orders on (in addition to the waiters books). I'll probably have a 3rd printer in the office to print reports but that will be on a different system.


I can't see this being that hard. Hardware is my specialty , its the software that has me worried. The 2 are usually fine on their own, but when you try and mix complex system with complex software, there can be problems. I can just imagine now the software only playing nice with certain hardware. But alas, I figured I would ask here anyway, maybe someone has some experience with it.


(and before you say I have experience, since I did just this in a retail store, know this: EVERYTHING was pre-configured in house and sent out on location. I simply plugged in, ran config, tested and left)

[DanG]

We opened a restaurant/lounge/concession stand out at our practice facility. We've got a concession stand with popcorn, drinks, candy, etc as well as a sit down restaurant with full menu and a lounge. We have 2 tills in the concession stand that connect back to a server than runs a MySQL database. The tills are the same kind as you'd see in a gas station, touch screen, a handful of USB, RJ11/45 and serial ports. They're made by radiant systems. The cash drawer is kicked out via the RJ11. It's got an integrated 3 track card reader. The tills in the restaurant/lounge are the same ones. We use the same ones at our main location for our 50/50 system and for the merch booths. They're really solid, spill resistant, and reliable. We've got probably 40 of them total between all spots and in the 3 years we've had them, I've had 1 power supply die and 1 hard drive die. They all run XP embedded. We're using the Epson TM88 series printers, which are pretty much the industry standard.

http://www.radiantsystems.com/indust...lity/index.htm

They're the ones we use for both the software and hardware side for food, and hardware only for merch and 50/50. We use the quick service for concessions and table service for the restaurant/lounge.
You need a box on the back end that will handle the DB, and they can all run off the same network. When we put it in, the table service/quick service DB's were able to run on full SQL, but only on a 32bit version of windows. I suspect they've changed that. To each till, you will need network and power. If you go integrated debit/credit, you need a single line, if you go with stand along credit/debit, you need a second RJ45 or RJ11. Keep in mind with credit and debit you need to have a PCI compliance plan in place as well.



This is who we use, there's a hundred other guys who do the exact same thing software wise, for hardware, there's not that many makers.


I went all over the place with that info, if I missed something or you want to know more, let me know.

[EPilot]

If you want a pretty cheap system you could look at Square Register. Works really great and is dead simple to get working and support.


You can also set up cash transactions with a cash drawer and receipt printing.
The other aspect is the ability to easily collect information from customers to reward the regulars with special discounts and a personalized experience.

[oppaydick]

If you have a microwave, you can use this.absolutely useful~!!
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[ATL_Av8r]

We opened a restaurant/lounge/concession stand out at our practice facility. We've got a concession stand with popcorn, drinks, candy, etc as well as a sit down restaurant with full menu and a lounge. We have 2 tills in the concession stand that connect back to a server than runs a MySQL database. The tills are the same kind as you'd see in a gas station, touch screen, a handful of USB, RJ11/45 and serial ports. They're made by radiant systems. The cash drawer is kicked out via the RJ11. It's got an integrated 3 track card reader. The tills in the restaurant/lounge are the same ones. We use the same ones at our main location for our 50/50 system and for the merch booths. They're really solid, spill resistant, and reliable. We've got probably 40 of them total between all spots and in the 3 years we've had them, I've had 1 power supply die and 1 hard drive die. They all run XP embedded. We're using the Epson TM88 series printers, which are pretty much the industry standard.

http://www.radiantsystems.com/indust...lity/index.htm

They're the ones we use for both the software and hardware side for food, and hardware only for merch and 50/50. We use the quick service for concessions and table service for the restaurant/lounge.
You need a box on the back end that will handle the DB, and they can all run off the same network. When we put it in, the table service/quick service DB's were able to run on full SQL, but only on a 32bit version of windows. I suspect they've changed that. To each till, you will need network and power. If you go integrated debit/credit, you need a single line, if you go with stand along credit/debit, you need a second RJ45 or RJ11. Keep in mind with credit and debit you need to have a PCI compliance plan in place as well.



This is who we use, there's a hundred other guys who do the exact same thing software wise, for hardware, there's not that many makers.


I went all over the place with that info, if I missed something or you want to know more, let me know.

I highly recommend them. My company just bought them

[SAPJetta]

If you have a microwave, you can use this.absolutely useful~!!
>>>Click here for details

Don't be a *****. Click it. This looks legit

[DanG]

I highly recommend them. My company just bought them

Bought radiant?

[ATL_Av8r]

Bought radiant?

http://www.ncr.com/industries/hospitality