About iPad and an new POS for restaurants management

[Tonye]

Tkingart: "I can I know what browser you use and what version of browser?. Thank You.

 

[ReallyBigFeet]

I'm just saying that you made this identical post to over 6 different forums all on the same day and with almost the identical timestamp, which sounds like a pretty automated spam-bot to me. Just google Tonye + POS + restaurant and you'll see why I'm dubious.

Especially when you quote a reply made to one of your posts on another forum....

http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...ant&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a

Not to mention trying to be 'tech support' for security certificate issues for the parent company. I thought you were a restaurant operator...not a tech support guy for them?

As I said, I sit on the board of two different POS companies. Both cater to the individual restaurateur, although one is more focused on the QSR sector and the other more on small dine-in/delivery restaurants. While there are literally thousands of POS providers out there, if you are serious about making a new investment in the technology, you need to consider more than just the sex appeal of the iPad. There's support costs, accessing your data so you can use it to feed your accounting solution (even if its just Quickbooks or Excel spreadsheets), upgrade costs, training, implementation, integration with your online digital marketing strategy (if you use something like GrubHub, Takeout Technologies or others to get yourself out there), etc. Integration with your credit card terminal or cloud-based payment processor is also a big deal. And like I've pointed out elsewhere in this thread, this Lucene company isn't even PA-DSS certified. What this means is that they are NOT authorized to provide integrated credit card services at this time. They may be going through that certification, but they haven't achieved it yet which means they can't (legally) offer you credit card processing to your customers. That's a major issue unless you operate primarily a cash business. I own a restaurant (one of my side businesses) myself and I can tell you that credit cards for me are like 60% of my sales and I had to drop my last POS provider because they weren't PA-DSS certified and it was putting me in a difficult situation with my bank and customers both.

So again....what do you want to know? Are you simply focused on this single solution for your restaurant? If so, then why would even consider the 'gadget' appeal of an iPad-oriented POS solution when the devices are mission critical to your business? iPads won't hold up in the restaurant environment very long. Heck, just read the stories on here from users who bump theirs and break them all the time. You think a minimum wage foodserver is going to take care of these any better? You think they will survive a spill from a coke or a beer when they pass over the iPad sitting face up on the hostess stand? There's a reason restaurant touchscreen POS systems use resistive 5-wire technology and not capacitive touchscreens....do you know what this reason is?

Simply posting their press releases over and over here and on other forums like this one doesn't seem like you are interested in learning about how Apple products can be used in the restaurant environment. It sounds like you just want to help pimp their SEO juice to me, the kind of guerilla marketing so many small companies attempt these days.

 

[Tonye]

Yes, I have a relationship with the world of restaurants. But I have great interest in this software. In fact, I'll download the demo version now. Now, I do not need to probe further, I'll try this software.Pero, unfortunately, that version will not work at optimum level outside America, because now the market of FIRMS is just North America and not outside. You can rest assured: I will try to use the software and iPads, and I will have no need to seek more opinions. Au revoir.

Note. A further clarification: my interest is also motivated by another reason. Some governments are supporting business awareness campaigns to new technology of cloud computing. It is said that a good thing in times of crisis. I'm going to participate in the Conference organized by the Public Administration and Business Associations.

 

[Ciordia9]

[...]
As I said, I sit on the board of two different POS companies. Both cater to the individual restaurateur, although one is more focused on the QSR sector and the other more on small dine-in/delivery restaurants. While there are literally thousands of POS providers out there, if you are serious about making a new investment in the technology, you need to consider more than just the sex appeal of the iPad. There's support costs, accessing your data so you can use it to feed your accounting solution (even if its just Quickbooks or Excel spreadsheets), upgrade costs, training, implementation, integration with your online digital marketing strategy (if you use something like GrubHub, Takeout Technologies or others to get yourself out there), etc. Integration with your credit card terminal or cloud-based payment processor is also a big deal. And like I've pointed out elsewhere in this thread, this Lucene company isn't even PA-DSS certified. What this means is that they are NOT authorized to provide integrated credit card services at this time. They may be going through that certification, but they haven't achieved it yet which means they can't (legally) offer you credit card processing to your customers. That's a major issue unless you operate primarily a cash business. I own a restaurant (one of my side businesses) myself and I can tell you that credit cards for me are like 60% of my sales and I had to drop my last POS provider because they weren't PA-DSS certified and it was putting me in a difficult situation with my bank and customers both.

So again....what do you want to know? Are you simply focused on this single solution for your restaurant? If so, then why would even consider the 'gadget' appeal of an iPad-oriented POS solution when the devices are mission critical to your business? iPads won't hold up in the restaurant environment very long. Heck, just read the stories on here from users who bump theirs and break them all the time. You think a minimum wage foodserver is going to take care of these any better? You think they will survive a spill from a coke or a beer when they pass over the iPad sitting face up on the hostess stand? There's a reason restaurant touchscreen POS systems use resistive 5-wire technology and not capacitive touchscreens....do you know what this reason is?

This thread caught my eye because we're opening our first chocolate shop (think bakery if it makes it easier to think through our needs) and looking for POS systems. I come from an sys-admin/engineer background and when I look at the landscape of POS systems they make me shiver.. generally arcane architectures with very odd ways to manipulate them.

I want to source something a bit more DIY or cheaper. Lecere looked like maybe it was a fairly easy to manage and control system but I haven't demo'd them yet. Might be overkill. We already have wireless credit terminals; so finding something that meshes or can easily be validated by our own processor would be nice.

As you've said for restaurants iPad's and poor employees might make for bad mojo but for our family and those we work with we're already very careful and responsible so something iPad oriented would be more flexible to have around the shop and easy for any of us to use for manning the retail/showroom.

I'm mildly threadjacking here so I do apologize; what I want to know is has anyone done a somewhat comprehensive rating of POS options? I'd like to evaluate more than Lecere and another recommendation to us RPower.

-a

 

[josephwarnel]

I have one pos system provider called xchange-pos. It provides best pos system for restaurant management.XChange POS is synonym for easy to use affordable solution that has multiple features.XChange POS is an automated cash register designed with tools that ensure speedy sales and better customer service.This pos system are likely one best pos system provider.

Pos Software

 

[ReallyBigFeet]

I have one pos system provider called xchange-pos. It provides best pos system for restaurant management.XChange POS is synonym for easy to use affordable solution that has multiple features.XChange POS is an automated cash register designed with tools that ensure speedy sales and better customer service.This pos system are likely one best pos system provider.

Pos Software

System Requirements

Computer/Processor
Intel Pentium 4 or higher
Memory
256 MB
Hard Disk
700 MB
Operating System
Microsoft Windows XP or higher
Display
SVGA or higher resolution monitor
Peripherals
Mouse or any other pointing device
Printers
Laser, Inkjet, Thermal, Dot matrix

Tell me what this POS has to do with the iPad please?

 

[Ciordia9]

Tell me what this POS has to do with the iPad please?

That person/bot was definitely hunting for SEO points. I doubt if a human is really even there.

 

[Tourshd]

Point of Sale with iPad

I am really interested in setting up an ipad kiosk in a fast food restaurant. I would love to know who is already doing it with an ipad. I was even thinking of just using for a feedback or customer satisfaction survey near the exit, but would be best if they could even do transactions that send orders right to their computers behind the counter. I manufacture the enclosures for the ipad to be used in public spaces http://www.ipadenclosures.com, but I haven't found a partner or app that works great for POS yet that I can work with to go after larger clients. Any suggestions?

 

[Pangaea]

Firms is Great for Restaurants

Hi:

We use the Firms software from Lecere in our restaurant. It is very good and extremely stable. We do CC processing on a separate terminal right now and it is not a bottleneck int he process. We have the ordering and also the tech sheets on the wines (48 by the glass) on iPad. The use of wireless technology is great. Food orders go directly to the kitchen and drinks to the bar. People can often have their drink in front of them while the server is taking the food order and talking to the customers.

We use it at http://www.pangaeawines.com

 

[Doombringer]

I saw something like this on an episode of Kitchen Nightmares. Ramsay outfitted a restaurant with a similar POS system, where the waiters entered orders on iPod Touches. It seemed pretty slick. Personally I'd prefer the iPad -- that larger screen would have to make order-taking easier, but that's my opinion.

I imagine we'll see more of this as restaurants try to become more 'hip' by adding technology. Think about it -- it started with those "buzzer" devices that would let you know when you were ready to be seated. And yes, the technology does get customers talking... a POS system like this, with Apple devices and a faster ordering process, would get noticed. I know I would say "that's pretty cool" if my waiter took our order on an iDevice, and I'd get the impression that the establishment had their act together -- at least on the backend. It still comes down to the food and quality of service, of course.

 

[carefreecork]

I saw something like this on an episode of Kitchen Nightmares. Ramsay outfitted a restaurant with a similar POS system, where the waiters entered orders on iPod Touches. It seemed pretty slick. Personally I'd prefer the iPad -- that larger screen would have to make order-taking easier, but that's my opinion.

The POS on Kitchen Nightmares is POS Lavu - check it out in the app store and their website:

http://www.poslavu.com/