Navigating the restaurant technology landscape can be daunting. There are countless solutions available to manage everything from point-of-sale and online ordering to delivery and inventory. Some solutions focus solely on one piece of your business, and others provide a comprehensive technology suite in a single system. While 81% of restaurants use a POS system, only 37% offer online ordering, and even fewer are offering delivery despite it expecting a massive 79% surge over the next five years. If delivery seems like a no brainer for your restaurant, then you definitely need a delivery-minded POS.
About as many restaurants close as open their doors every year. As a restaurant owner that wants to remain competitive, you need to ask yourself a few questions:
- How do I expect to grow my business and stay competitive?
- Does delivery make sense for my restaurant?
- If it does, should I go with a 3rd party service or manage it in house?
- Am I comfortable managing a technology patchwork of solutions that may or may not integrate well?
If your operation already offers delivery, you're already familiar with the operational challenges as well as the expanded customer base offering delivery affords you (and your bottom line). You also know that technology can make or break this piece of your operation. Beware of the "module" as many restaurant POS systems market themselves as delivery friendly when what they're really saying is they have bolted on features added as an afterthought to the overall system. A true Delivery POS keeps delivery mechanisms in mind throughout the system, from an order coming in from your website to a customer signing for payment at their doorstep.
READ: 5 Things to Consider with Third-Party Restaurant Delivery
If you don't (yet) offer delivery for your restaurant, you have a range of options to get started. A delivery minded POS is going to give you the most bang for your ROI and the least amount of headaches. You also have the option of third party services like GrubHub or DoorDash, but you'll probably experience some road bumps getting them to talk to your online ordering or your POS system.
On top of the frustrating integration experience, these services eat away at your profit margin by skimming fees from every order. However, some restaurants find success dipping their toe into the delivery space using these third party to build brand awareness and delivery clientele before transitioning to a full in-house delivery operation.
Not ready to dive into delivery quite yet? Start with online ordering. But remember, nobody wants to manage multiple systems if they don't need to. Changing prices and editing items and coupons in two places because your POS and online ordering systems don't play well together is a sure fire way to get a headache.
So, as you're navigating the restaurant technology landscape, do you need a Delivery POS? The answer is yes - if you're looking to grow your business with as little hassle as possible. The good news? It's easy to get started, and we can help!
