Product guides 7 min read
How to choose a POS system for your restaurant
A practical checklist for owners: the workflows to test, the hardware questions to ask and the payment details that are easy to miss.
By the Smile Software team
Most restaurant owners choose a POS from a demo. Demos are designed to look smooth, and they rarely show the moments that decide whether a system works for you: a table of eight splitting the bill, a dish that runs out mid-service, or the Wi-Fi dropping on a Saturday night. This guide is a list of things to test before you sign anything.
Start with your service, not the feature list
Write down how a typical table moves through your restaurant, from arrival to payment. Note who touches the order and where information is passed by voice or paper. That map is your test script.
- How are tables seated and tracked?
- Are courses fired by the server or the kitchen?
- How are modifications and allergies communicated?
- How do guests usually pay, and do they split?
Test the hard moments
Ask the vendor to run these scenarios live, on the hardware you would use:
- Split a bill by seat, then by item, then by an uneven amount.
- Move a table mid-meal and merge two tables.
- Mark an item as sold out while orders are open.
- Disconnect the internet and keep taking orders.
- Refund one item from a paid bill.
If any of these needs a workaround, ask how often it will happen in your business. Something that happens twice a night is a deal-breaker; something that happens twice a year may be fine.
Ask direct questions about payments
The POS usually does not process payments itself. A payment provider does, and the POS integrates with it. Ask which providers are supported in your country, which terminal models are supported with each, and whether the amount is sent to the terminal automatically or has to be typed in. Ask who you sign the payment contract with, and whether you can change provider later without changing POS.
Check the reports you actually need
Ask to see the end-of-day report, a sales-by-item report and a staff report with real-looking data. If you need a spreadsheet to answer basic questions, the reporting is not good enough.
Understand the obligations
In France, software that records cash transactions is subject to specific anti-fraud requirements. Ask the vendor how they address them and confirm with your accountant. Also ask where your data is stored and how you can export it if you leave.
Pilot before you commit
If possible, run the system for a week in parallel with your current setup, or at your quietest site first. Real service will reveal more than any demo.
The best POS is the one your team stops noticing because it never gets in the way.
