Blog Reading Time: 2.5 Minutes
Food Trucks are all the rage right now and for good reason. The cost of operating a food truck is a fraction of what it takes to open a traditional restaurant, the menu can be much simpler with greater focus being put on a handful of really good items rather than spread out over lots of items, staffing needs are smaller, and it's easier to get your truck into a prime location, no need to buy that downtown corner bistro or waterfront location with heavy foot traffic.
However one of the main challenges for Food Trucks or Traditional Restaurants is an efficient and easy to use restaurant point of sale system. You want the system and restaurant software to be easy to use but also contain all the features that you need to really run an efficient business. For instance, there are a lot of basic point of sale software applications for your iPad, they can take an order, they can handle payment, and print or email a receipt. Great for getting in business fast! However when you compare basic iPad apps to something like Aldelo which has the ability to do resource tracking they often fall short. Not only does Aldelo ring up the sale, but it also knows that for the 300 burgers you sold last night you used up 30% of your hamburger patties, 300 to-go-containers, 2 tubs of mayo, 50% of your buns, etc. It has the ability to break down a sale to more than just an item sold and seamlessly manage the supply chain. This improved functionality lets you focus on making great food and less on puzzling through the books.
That being said any software is only as good as the data that is put into it. If you don't set up the menu items properly, or don't even put items in at all and just do the shortcut $5 item, $1 item, etc. then when you go back to look at your sales data it won't be that useful. Do your customers prefer elk burgers to beef burgers or are you seeing an increase in vegetarians asking for Boca patties? Do you run out of Horchata every single day by 5 pm? That is the kind of data that can help grow your business and help you to send your customers home satisfied.
On the hardware side tablets made for point of sale like the new Elo Tablet are going to be more robust than typical iPads. These new devices feature options like built-in card readers, hand straps, environmental water and dust seal, and swap-able batteries. Elo's new tablet is basically a consumer level tablet with all the accessories for point of sale included and then taken to the next level of durability. If you are looking for something more rugged than an iPad definitely try it out.
As of this blog, POSGuys doesn't have a pre-configured POS System specifically for food trucks as food trucks are still relatively new, come in a ton of varieties, and the mobile POS System requirements differ to a pretty significant degree. Our sales staff would be happy to work with you on developing a Custom POS System for your exact needs and the capabilities of your truck (WiFi, Power Requirements, Space Requirements, Payment Options, etc.) Please give us a call at 1-855-POS-GUYS and a systems integrator will help you find the right setup for your truck.
Blog Reading Time: 2.5 Minutes
Food Trucks are all the rage right now and for good reason. The cost of operating a food truck is a fraction of what it takes to open a traditional restaurant, the menu can be much simpler with greater focus being put on a handful of really good items rather than spread out over lots of items, staffing needs are smaller, and it's easier to get your truck into a prime location, no need to buy that downtown corner bistro or waterfront location with heavy foot traffic.
However one of the main challenges for Food Trucks or Traditional Restaurants is an efficient and easy to use restaurant point of sale system. You want the system and restaurant software to be easy to use but also contain all the features that you need to really run an efficient business. For instance, there are a lot of basic point of sale software applications for your iPad, they can take an order, they can handle payment, and print or email a receipt. Great for getting in business fast! However when you compare basic iPad apps to something like Aldelo which has the ability to do resource tracking they often fall short. Not only does Aldelo ring up the sale, but it also knows that for the 300 burgers you sold last night you used up 30% of your hamburger patties, 300 to-go-containers, 2 tubs of mayo, 50% of your buns, etc. It has the ability to break down a sale to more than just an item sold and seamlessly manage the supply chain. This improved functionality lets you focus on making great food and less on puzzling through the books.
That being said any software is only as good as the data that is put into it. If you don't set up the menu items properly, or don't even put items in at all and just do the shortcut $5 item, $1 item, etc. then when you go back to look at your sales data it won't be that useful. Do your customers prefer elk burgers to beef burgers or are you seeing an increase in vegetarians asking for Boca patties? Do you run out of Horchata every single day by 5 pm? That is the kind of data that can help grow your business and help you to send your customers home satisfied.
On the hardware side tablets made for point of sale like the new Elo Tablet are going to be more robust than typical iPads. These new devices feature options like built-in card readers, hand straps, environmental water and dust seal, and swap-able batteries. Elo's new tablet is basically a consumer level tablet with all the accessories for point of sale included and then taken to the next level of durability. If you are looking for something more rugged than an iPad definitely try it out.
As of this blog, POSGuys doesn't have a pre-configured POS System specifically for food trucks as food trucks are still relatively new, come in a ton of varieties, and the mobile POS System requirements differ to a pretty significant degree. Our sales staff would be happy to work with you on developing a Custom POS System for your exact needs and the capabilities of your truck (WiFi, Power Requirements, Space Requirements, Payment Options, etc.) Please give us a call at 1-855-POS-GUYS and a systems integrator will help you find the right setup for your truck.