Whether you’re just starting out as a restaurateur, or you’re refining your current systems to improve your front of house operations, there are a few things you’ll need to think about.
For instance: How will you take reservations? How will you keep track of orders? How will you keep track of, and manage, each table? Plus, what will you do about bar tabs?
That’s a lot of questions, all of which need answers…
Step One: Decide on a Floor Plan
When you’re just getting started, have a think about what your busy periods are, or what you think they will be. Will you have a big lunch rush, or are you more of an evening destination? Will you be accepting reservations and running a waitlist at the same time?
All of these business decisions will affect your operations. They will affect how you staff your venue and how you set up your floor to accommodate guests.
Once you’ve answered each of these questions, you’ll be able to develop a floor plan that will suit your needs.
Step Two: Invest in Appropriate Technology
There are a number of hospitality pos solutions available, which aren’t just limited to technology that finalises sales. Good POS technology like Vectron Hotel and Restaurant POS provide venues with marketing, stock control, back office and table management and reservation modules or integrations.
These management tools can be customised to suit your individual restaurant, café, or bar, and can be set up to reflect your specific floor plan. With this one handy tool you can balance reservations and waitlists, while also managing walk ins and managing your flow according to your unique traffic patterns.
If that wasn’t already enough, table management system can create combinations of tables that can be pushed together and will assign tables based on availability – so you don’t even have to think about what to do!
You can even adjust the settings to work around any large bookings you have, or for special occasions.
Step Three: Have Someone Oversee All Operations
If you’re using a table management tool, make sure there is someone monitoring it, and ensuring the floor is running according to its suggestions.
Your front of house manager should be able to do this, while also monitoring everything else on the floor.
To keep up-to-date with the latest point of sale technology, follow Vectron on Facebook, or contact one of our friendly staff members to learn more about our pos solutions in Melbourne today!