On the Busiest Dining Day of the Year  

Get your restaurant POS systems functioning efficiently and you can expect Mothers’ Day to be one of the most profitable days of the year. But get them wrong and you’ll not only miss out on an irreplaceable income opportunity; you may also suffer reputational damage which will adversely affect your business throughout the year.

According to 2018 figures from the National Restaurant Association, an astonishing 34% of all American adults expect to dine out on the day, and OpenTable.com has estimated that the average restaurant typically receives 3x more reservations than on a regular Sunday.

And significantly, many of these extra bookings will be for larger than usual groups and customers who are new to your restaurant.

Managing Table Turns for Guest Satisfaction and Restaurant Profit

To deliver the kind of enjoyable dining experience which all these extra guests expect and deserve is a significant challenge, and success depends above all on the proper management of your table turns.

There are of course a number of tried and tested “old-school” ways to maintain a reasonable table turnover rate, without compromising your guests’ enjoyment, most of which come under the headings of staff training or menu selection.

But to eliminate as far as possible the major choke points of waiting for food and waiting for the check, it’s vital to combine these with the use of effective POS technology.

How Modern Restaurant POS Technology Speeds Up Service

The power of modern handheld tablets has revolutionized the experience of both guests and servers, while also greatly assisting restaurant management and kitchen and bar staff.

With the right integrations, an easily portable, simple tablet can enable a server to send multiple, complex orders instantly from table to kitchen or bar, to research and advise on menu options, possible modifications and allergy issues, and to communicate these to the kitchen.

Today’s restaurant POS tablets typically feature floor plans and easy to use management tools which enable staff to monitor and speed the progress of each table through its servings without making guests feel as though they’re being rushed out of the door.

The tablets can also be used by kitchen staff to let servers know immediately when an order is ready, or when a menu item has become unavailable. So no more time need be wasted because a server has to return to a table while a guest selects an alternative dish.

And at the end of the meal, tablets make it quick and easy to calculate the check, including tip options, and to accept payments using the most up to date cards and security protocols.

Direct Ordering by Customers

Depending on the kind of restaurant and service offered, the tablets can also be used to allow orders to be placed directly by customers, either from their table, the bar, or even while waiting to be seated.

This method of operation is great for freeing up servers to spend more time with guests, but it does raise some additional challenges in terms of managing table turns, so a dress-rehearsal is advisable before using the technology on an exceptionally busy occasion such as Mothers’ Day.

You will also want to be sure that your system can continue to function even in the event of a WiFi failure.

NorthStar POS Created by Custom Business Solutions

Custom Business Solutions (CBS) has been a market leader in developing POS restaurant technology since 1994 and now offers Northstar POS, a state-of-the-art, cloud-based iPad system.

In addition to the facilitation of rapid and efficient table turns on even the busiest of days, our systems include reporting features, menu planning, sales per table and staff productivity for the long-term development and profitability of our client businesses.

Find Out More

You can find out more about our innovative POS solution by calling us on 800-551-7674 or requesting a live demo here.