Don’t be left behind. As we approach 2024, it’s time to upgrade your bar business with the latest technology—the Point of Sale (POS) systems.
Whether you’re starting from scratch or just seeking an upgrade, this guide on “12 POS Systems for Bars in 2024” is tailored just for you.
When choosing the right POS system for your bar, several dynamic options stand out. Among these inevitable innovations are TouchBistro, Revel Systems Toast, and many more which don’t only ensure efficiency and productivity but go beyond to enhance customer experience.
12 POS Systems for Bars in 2024
When it comes to managing a bar, one aspect that is vital, yet often overlooked, is the Point of Sale (POS) system.
The right POS system not only keeps track of sales but can also significantly improve the speed and efficiency of bar operations. Several fantastic POS systems are specifically designed for bars that I’ve taken note of in 2024.
1. TouchBistro
TouchBistro is a favorite when talking about bar-friendly POS systems. Its intuitive user interface makes order-taking and payment processing quick and seamless. Here are some strong points:
- Versatility – I found the complete flexibility of this platform rather impressive as it functions on an iPad, making it conveniently portable.
- Inventory Management – This feature helped me keep an accurate record of my stock levels, maintain control over my inventory, and ensure smooth service by never running low.
- Reporting – TouchBistro provided me with real-time insights into profitable products via comprehensive sales reports.
- CRM capabilities – This built-in feature enhanced customer experience with personalized messaging.
- Integration support: The system integrates smoothly with various platforms for seamless transactions.
- Excellent customer support: They provide reliable support to their clients round the clock.
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2. Revel Systems
The Revel Systems POS offers a host of features perfect for bars:
- Efficient Interface: This all-in-one management platform offered me swift operations through its iPad-based interface loaded with functionalities relevant to my bar business.
- Key discount options: It gave me control over predicting future costs with quantity discounts available on specific drinks or during happy hours.
- Robust Reporting: It allowed instant access to comprehensive sales data facilitating prompt decision-making.
- Employee Management: Revel also helped manage staff scheduling and monitor employee performance efficiently which streamlined my operations further.
- Integrated Loyalty Program: Their workforce management software lets me offer unique perks to regular customers, enhancing customer retention.
- Exceptional customer support: Revel assured me of its availability 24/7 when I needed assistance.
3. Toast
Toast is another go-to POS system for many bars and deserves mention here.
- Streamlined Online Ordering: Toast provided me with the ease of integrating this POS with my website for swift online ordering.
- FOH & BOH Connectivity: It unified front-house operations like order taking and back-house operations like kitchen tasks, all in a single system which increased productivity.
- Inventory Management: A user-friendly feature that tracked each stock unit down to the last drop was essential for me to maintain smooth service at my bar.
- Customer Loyalty Programs: With Toast’s built-in program, I could retain loyal customers by rewarding them for their frequent visits.
- User-Friendly Software: The platform is quite easy to use even for someone not tech-savvy thanks to its intuitive design.
- Reliable Customer Support: They provided efficient support round-the-clock ensuring seamless operations.
4. ShopKeep
Shopkeep stands as one of the leading contenders in my selection of 12 POS Systems for Bars in 2024. This system provides an easy-to-use interface designed specifically to cater to the unique requirements of handling bar services. Let’s dive into some key features:
- User-Friendly Layout: The emphasis here is on simplicity, ensuring minimal training time for new employees.
- Inventory Management: ShopKeep keeps track of all your inventory effectively so you’re never caught off guard by shortages.
- Staff Management Features: Including employee tracking and shift management efficiently.
- Integration Capabilities: It easily integrates with different payment processors and accounting software like QuickBooks.
- Loyalty Program Management: You can introduce your loyalty program smoothly using this system. It helps you reward your loyal gang keeping them coming back to your bar!
- Offline Mode – Sometimes the Internet can act up! But don’t worry, because ShopKeep works well even offline!
5. Rezku
Next up is Rezku. As one of the most popular names across,12 POS Systems for Bars in 2024, it offers a range of features designed perfectly for handling a busy night at the bar.
- Fast Transactions: If there’s anything patrons hate more than a watered-down drink, it’s waiting! Cue fluid, fast transactions from Rezku!
- Accepts All Payment Forms: Cash or card? Doesn’t matter! Able to accept NFC payments (like ApplePay), this system is a barkeeper’s delight.
- Dynamic Menu Building: You can easily update menus or make promotional coupons in a matter of minutes. A quick menu change doesn’t have to be a big deal with Rezku.
- Real-Time Reporting and Analytics: Get detailed reports and insights about your business’ performance right at your fingertips.
- Swipe, Dip & Tap EMV Payments: With secure card processing, you’ll be able to accept modern payment methods effortlessly.
- Robust Customer Support: They provide 7-day support through phone calls, emails, or chat.
6. Lightspeed Restaurant
Lightspeed Restaurant, yet another strong candidate among the 12 POS Systems for Bars in 2024. Let’s see why:
- Online Ordering Integration: This integration allows you to accept orders directly from your website seamlessly merging digital and physical platforms.
- Delivery Management: Gets the drinks out on time! Map deliveries out in visually intuitive ways and beat the clock!
- Floor Plan Management: Arrange tables efficiently to serve customers during happy hours effectively!
- Multi-location Support: It caters well even if your bar is spread across multiple locations – centralizing control like never before.
- Tableside Ordering Features: Offers feature that lets your staff take orders directly from the table – enhancing customer experience notably!
- Advanced Billing Options: Handing separate bills after long hours at the bar seems frustrating. With Lightspeed easy splitting of bills is just a click away!
7. Clover
Clover is a game-changing POS system, packed with essential features to uplift your bar’s functionality. Here are six outstanding features to watch out for in 2024:
- Inventive Inventory Management: Clover’s POS systems enable users to keep comprehensive track of their inventory, and know what’s running low and what needs replenishing, ensuring that you never disappoint your customers due to a shortage of stock.
- Employee Management: An in-depth employee management feature allows you to schedule shifts, monitor performance, and even calculate payroll directly through the POS system.
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM): It can be tough remembering every regular customer’s favorite drink or preferred seating. Clover’s CRM feature resolves this by letting bartenders maintain detailed customer profiles which helps in increasing repeat business.
- Optimized Order Processing: Lessens the chance for error while taking orders and saves time with Clover’s quick order processing tools such as single touch order modification and bill splitting function.
- Easy Payment Methods: Wide range of payment options including Contactless NFC payments like Google Wallet or Apple Pay apart from traditional cards so no customer would hear “Sorry we don’t accept that.”
- Better Reporting: With its advanced reporting feature which offers sales breakdowns, insights about busiest hours, best sellers, etc., managing a bar is more efficient than ever before.
8. Epos Now
Another frontline on our list of best POS Systems for bars in 2024 is the renowned Epos Now system because of the following features:
- Cloud-based operations: Being cloud-based gives it an edge as it allows users to access data anytime anywhere fostering maximum business efficiency.
- Third-party integrations: Integration capabilities with numerous third-party apps like QuickBooks or Mailchimp helping businesses with accounting services or automated email campaigns mean increased ease of use for users.
- Promotion management: Feature allowing discount applicability on special occasions or happy hours, adding the potential to attract more patrons.
- Track Waste: As bars deal with a lot of perishable goods, this feature which helps in tracking wastage can improve profit margins by reducing losses.
- Table management: This feature that allows bartenders to visualize tables and their current status so booking and serving becomes easier.
- On-hand Support: 24/7 customer support ensuring help at any hour of the day.
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9. Lavu
Next in our lineup is Lavu with distinguishing attributes as follows:
- Mobile Ordering: Staff can carry iPads to take orders directly from customers saving time and reducing errors caused by manual order taking.
- Pre-loaded Menu set-up: Easy menu creation option where you can upload your entire drink list onto Lavu’s system for streamlined operations.
- Multiple Printer Setup: This feature enables bartenders, servers, or kitchen staff to print different receipts from the same order enhancing smoother workflow coordination.
- Tab Pre-Authorization: It allows pre-authorization on open tabs ensuring that a bar does not end up covering unpaid tabs if customers forget or are unable to pay when leaving.
- Loss Prevention Tools: Helps in preventing thefts and fraud attempts and also facilitates system performance audits.
- Loyalty Program Management: Feature facilitating the easy setup of loyalty programs thereby encouraging repeat business from existing patrons thus improving profits.
10. Talech
Talech is a feature-rich POS system designed to streamline business operations and improve efficiency.
- Simplified Ordering: The foremost feature of Talech is its simplified ordering system. This allows bartenders to easily track tables, split bills, and monitor outstanding tabs with just a few taps.
- Extensive Inventory Management: Another notable aspect of Talech is its comprehensive inventory management. It tracks all ingredients and beverages down to the drop, prevents theft or misuse, and alerts you when stock levels are low.
- Employee Management: With Talech’s employee management features, you can track labor costs, monitor performance, and clock in/out times in real-time.
- Data Analytics: Understanding your bar’s performance becomes easy with Talech’s data analytics tools. They provide insights into sales trends, popular items, and customer behavior that can guide decision-making.
- Customer Loyalty Program: To keep customers coming back for more, Talech comes equipped with a customer loyalty program tool that helps establish rewarding relationships based on your customers’ spending habits.
- Order Up Integration: Lastly, the Order Up integration in Talech allows online orders straight from your website or from popular delivery apps such as Uber Eats or DoorDash.
11. SpotOn Transact LLC
SpotOn Transact LLC is another brand that provides comprehensive POS solutions for bars.
- Rapid firing and ticket transferring: This system allows the staff to quickly transfer tickets from one person to another. It aids in speeding up service times and ensuring orders are correct.
- Seamless Payment Processing: With secure payment processing, SpotOn Transact LLC guarantees safe transactions. It can accept all types of payments, ranging from credit cards to contactless methods like Apple Pay and Google Wallet.
- Split Payments: SpotOn makes it simple for customers to split their bills. Whether they want to split it evenly or item by item, this system can handle it all.
- Table Mapping: The system includes a feature for visual table mapping. It generates a layout of your bar, making it easy for servers to know which tables are available or occupied.
- Loyalty Programs and Marketing Tools: This POS also incorporates loyalty programs and marketing tools, allowing you to establish personal connections with your customers by offering personalized deals.
- Online Reservation Management: Lastly, SpotOn offers online reservation management that lets you maintain a smooth flow of business by managing bookings efficiently.
12. Harbortouch
Harbortouch is another top contender in the POS systems available for bars.
- Customizable Layouts: Harbortouch’s system allows you to create customizable layouts to suit the needs of your bar. This ensures each bartender and server can easily navigate the system.
- Multiple Payment Options: It offers multiple payment options for customer convenience. From cash transactions to credit cards, everything can be managed efficiently.
- Extensive Reporting Capabilities: Harbortouch provides an extensive range of reporting options that allow you to analyze sales data, track inventory, and monitor staff performance among other things.
- Robust Employee Management: The employee management feature lets you control access rights, track hours worked, calculate labor costs, and more.
- Table-Side Ordering: The table-side ordering feature allows your servers to take orders directly at the table using handheld devices, ensuring precision and speedy service.
- 24/7 Customer Support: Lastly, their round-the-clock customer support means any issues can be quickly addressed without disrupting business operations.
FAQs
What is the best POS system for a bar?
Considering features, efficiency, and user reviews, TouchBistro, Revel Systems, and Toast are among the 12 POS systems for Bars in 2024 that I recommend.
What is a POS system in a bar?
A Point of Sale (POS) system in a bar is used to process orders, track sales and inventory, manage staff shifts along with dealing with other tasks related to customer service and management.
How much does a bar POS system cost?
The cost of a Bar POS System varies widely depending on its features and provider. It can range anywhere from $50 per month to thousands of dollars yearly. It’s always advised to choose one as per your budget and requirements.
What are the three types of POS?
The three main types of point-of-sale systems include Retail POS systems designed for storefronts or physical sale points; Restaurant POS systems customized for food-service institutions; and Mobile or Portable solutions suitable where mobility is key.
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Conclusion
Choosing the right point of sale (POS) system for your bar can make an immense difference in the smooth running of your establishment.
From managing inventories to tracking sales and orders – each POS system mentioned here has unique features that can cater to your business needs.
Whether you choose TouchBistro for its detailed reporting, Revel Systems for its robust functionality, or Bastion Rezku because of its simplicity, it’s about picking one that best fits your operation.
In 2024, these 12 POS systems for bars are a worthy investment to ensure seamless service, increased efficiency, and enhanced customer experience.