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Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/580366
www.cheersonline.com 37 October 2015 • table status. What's more, restaurants can use the system to store guest information and reward them for loyalty, transforming customers into brand ambassadors. Founded in 2005, Lightspeed has a tiered offering that scales up based on the size of the restaurant. Small, with one register and two printers, costs $59 a month on a 14-month agreement, or $69 a month on a month-to-month basis. Medium, with three registers, four printers and API access, is priced at $102 a month on a 14-month agreement, or $119 a month on a month-to-month basis. Large (seven registers, unlimited printers, API access) costs $205 a month on a 14-month agreement, or $239 a month on a month-to-month basis. "Tableside tablets will continue to grow more interactive, as some now feature games and advertisements for restaurant specials," says Dasilva. "Technology for high-end restaurants, however, is just beginning to gain more popularity." A fi ne-dining restaurant may not warm to the idea of iPad replacing waitstaff, he says, "but the technology can be used on the back end to completely streamline the diner's experience." MAN VS. MACHINE Casual dining chain Olive Garden said this past April that it will roll out Ziosk tablets at its more than 800 restaurants by the end of 2015. Ruby Tuesday began testing tabletop tablets from Dallas-based Ziosk in September. The tablet and encrypted credit-card reader sits on each table and enables guests to see menu items, play games, view news and entertainment, order food and beverages and pay on demand. As more restaurants incorporate some form of tablet technology, Ravelo says, "many will allow the guest to control their entire ordering and payment experience; many will chose to empower the server with effi ciency tools; and some will completely automate the process," Berglund of Red Cedar Spirits thinks most restaurants will end up transitioning to tablet menu ordering. "It is much easier to customize and use, and much more portable than traditional POS computer stations and software," he says. Implementation is fairly smooth as well, although Greer at The Ledford House admites that "my older waitresses didn't want any sort of computer anywhere near them, and thought the new POS tablet ordering system was an instrument of the devil when we fi rst got it." But now even the older staffers have embraced it, because the technology is simple to use and it makes their jobs easier, he says. Not that he, or most operators, expect to replace staff with tablet altogether. "I will still want my servers to provide personal and exceptional service to my customers," Geer says. "I won't want customers to enter their orders directly into tablets themselves, but I believe tablets in the hands of our staff will continue to make restaurant operations smoother, more effi cient and more enjoyable for customers." Maura Keller is a freelance writer based in the Minneapolis area. Lightspeed enables mobile tableside ordering and table-to-kitchen integrat- ed workfl ow using an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch. CUSTOM FIT Since bar and restaurant workfl ows vary based on concept, size location and so on, operators have to fi nd a point-of-sale system that meets their unique needs. Many systems offer customization options to suit an establishment's requirements. For example, users of the First Data's Clover POS system can customize their experience with the Clover App Market, which has more than 100 apps. These include Homebase, which manages employee scheduling and customer age verifi cation, which makes it easy for employees to check age requirements before selling alcohol or cigarettes. Some apps enhance the checkout experience for customers, says Mark Schulze, head of the Clover App Market. For instance, the Fortune Cookie app adds a fortune quote to guest receipts. For bartenders, there's Bar Tab Auths, which lets a bartender know if a credit card has enough funds without charging a specifi c amount. TouchBistro, a wireless, iPad-based POS system, also offers customization for fl oor layouts, allowing changes to seating plans on the fl y based on the confi guration of the day. Its customization program also includes menu items, daily specials, tax setting, serving staff data and security setting relevant to different roles. And with the MenuPad POS system, nearly every feature of the software can be turned on or off, or confi gured in multiple ways, says Chris Ravelo, vice president of operations at MenuPad. "The app confi guration is controlled on our cloud-based MenuApp control panel, which is accessible from any Internet connected device."—MK