Category Archives: POS for restaurant

Want to Redo Your Menu? Just Blame the Federal Menu-Labeling Law

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MenuboardThis year the federal menu-labeling law will go into effect; requiring restaurants with 20 or more locations to provide calorie count and nutritional information on menus and menuboards. While some restaurant owners are in panic over the pending implications, others are seeing this as a good opportunity to reevaluate their menu strategy and menuboard design.

Many establishment owners and operators believe that putting calories on their menu will cause them to lose business as their high-calorie dishes turn customers away. Many who have begun to include the soon-to-be required nutritional information are not seeing an impact on sales. Providing information like – total calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates, sugars, fiber and total protein – have impacted the mix of what is being sold. People might be intrigued to order different things, but they are not ordering less.

The electronic menuboards Pinnacle provides for their clients have the ability to post calorie counts and nutritional information for menu items. When making the necessary adjustments to your menu, Pinnacle recommends restructuring your menu look and strategy. Please read our suggestions below to optimize your menu to increase sales.

  • Increase readability and simplicity – the most important strategy for your menu is making sure consumers can find the item they want to order.
  • Include photos – at least one for each section to guide customers’ eyes toward their desired section.
  • Change the organization – the center of the menu is the hot spot, as eyes are naturally drawn there first – make sure to place the most popular items in the hot spot. Remember, vertical menuboards are easier to read that horizontal boards.
  • Color – choose colors that evoke hunger such as yellow and red. Also, alternate between light and dark backgrounds to break up your menu into easily to navigate sections.

Interested in redoing your menu? Pinnacle to can assist you in setting up your electronic menuboards. Pinnacle offers business solutions to integrate your point of sales system, accounting, credit authorization, online ordering, and inventory in a single easy to use interface that makes daily operations a seamless service from start to finish. For more information, contact Pinnacle today.

People on Facebook ‘Like’ Your Restaurant

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I think everyone is in agreement that word-of-mouth from a trusted friend is the best kind of marketing and endorsement. With almost 12 percent of the world’s population on Facebook and the average user having  150 friends (and that number is even higher in highly population cities like Miami and Orlando) it seems like a no-brainer to extend your marketing efforts to Facebook. But how do you build a following on Facebook? How do you turn your marketing efforts to focus on the social market on Facebook?

Start by building a following as customers come into your store. Have signage around the doors, bathrooms, registers, on table-toppers, and in other waiting areas directs your customers to your Facebook page. Consumers become your captive audience as you satisfy their need for distraction while they wait. Create a loyalty program on Facebook where users can build up bonus points for coupons and receive personalized birthday gifts. By installing a card-less loyalty solution, like Pinnacle’s SunDrop Mobile, merchants can build a large database and rapidly. Because SunDrop’s mobile loyalty solution is point of sale integrated, employees are guided through an automated capture process and every loyalty members ROI is captured and analyzed. SunDrop makes social connection “one click away” in their opt-in email registration process.

To market on Facebook, there a few steps and pieces of advice that can help every business participate in social marketing for free. First and foremost, your Facebook business page must provide value in order for individuals to ‘like’ your page. Remember when an individual ‘like’s something on Facebook, it is broadcasted to their friends and included in the newsfeed, posted on their personal wall, and forever plastered under interests in their about section. In order to win that proclamation of admiration, there must be a need your page nourishes. Most people will come to your Facebook page to view a menu, find contact information, and/or order online. Make sure this information and services are provided in clearly marked tabs. Also make sure any links to and from your website to your Facebook page are correct and pages load quickly.

When your Facebook fan count reaches 25, you are given the option to create a vanity URL. This is a personalized URL that should include your business name and location. This helps increase the traffic on your page by making it easier to find in search results. As your fan base continues to grow, make sure to continue to engage with fans on your wall and in comments. The more engaging your posts, the more people will see them. Make sure to check your free Facebook analytics to monitor the effectiveness of your posts. Last but not least, make sure to highlight how your company enjoys helping organizations and charities in your local community.

If you are interested in marketing online and on Facebook, check out Pinnacle’s point-of-sale social integration with their SunDrop Mobile platform. Gain the ability to have your offers and coupons broadcast on Facebook and watch is spread virally. SunDrop can be integrated directly into other software products and includes SMS text message, email and voice in addition to social media communication. Watch this YouTube video to learn all that Pinnacle’s SunDrop platform has to offer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ESdCLZFFJ_E#!

Pensacola Chefs Honor Florida’s 500-Year History at James Beard House

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Viva Florida 500In celebration of 500 years of Florida history, five of Florida’s finest chefs will prepare a historic dinner at New York’s acclaimed James Beard House on March 27th as part of Viva Florida 500. Viva Florida 500 commemorates the story of how many nationalities and diverse cultures thrived together in Florida and how their legacy continues to shape America. To learn more about Viva Florida, visit their website.

This delectable culinary event, hosted by Visit Pensacola and the Pensacola Celebrity Chefs, will bring together delicious cuisine created from the Florida’s Gulf Coast’s local fare, taking historical recipes that have been used in Florida for hundreds of years and modernizing them with the chefs’ own inventive touch. We at Pinnacle Hospitality Systems are very proud to have assisted several of the Celebrity Chefs and their restaurants. Please browse the list of Pensacola Celebrity Chefs and the mouth-watering dishes they have in store for you.

Pensacola Celebrity Chefs include:

  • Dan Dunn of H2O at the Hilton Pensacola Beach Gulf Front
  • Irv Miller of Jackson’s Steakhouse
  • Jim Shirley of the Fish House
  • Silivos of Skopelos/Nancy’s Haute Affairs
  • Frank Taylor of Global Grill

During the reception, the chefs will prepare:

  • Cracked conch and green tomato fritters with key lime mustard sauce
  • Turtle soup from local, farm-raised turtles with mirliton and bay shrimp relish
  • Pensacola Bay shrimp, rosemary and Worcestershire barbecue sauce and quick-fried artichoke bottoms
  • Tuna tacos featuring rare Gulf tuna with salsa verde, montego cheese and pickled jalapenos
  • Caramelized calico scallop skewers and crispy slab bacon with sweet peppers and spicy piccalilli jus
  • A 2007 Spanish Marques de Gelida Cava wine will be served

The tasting menu will feature:

  • Fresh Gulf red snapper with stewed collard greens and a roasted corn and red pepper beurre blanc
  • Pecan and country ham-crusted softshell crab stuffed with housemade seafood boudin blanc
  • Grilled cobia, sautéed mustard greens and field peas with preserved Florida lemons with spoonbread and smoked ham-hock sauce
  • Gulf grouper sautéed over Cantonment stone ground grit cake topped with Cedar Key clams and house-made chorizo in a chicken broth with tomatoes, jalapeno and black-eyed peas
  • Carpetbag steak with fried Apalachicola oysters inside seared slices of Snake River Farms flat iron steak atop baby greens with Maytag blue cheese cream and caramelized Vidalia onion and green chile pepper relish

Wines presented throughout the courses:

  • 2009 Napa Valley Ferrari Carrano Reserve Chardonnay
  • 2010 Napa Valley Cliff Lede Sauvignon Blanc
  • 2009 E. Guigal Cotes de Rhone Rose
  • 2009 Santa Rita Hills Stanford Pinot Noir
  • 2007 Napa Valley Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon

Dessert:

  • Warm white chocolate bread pudding with candied pecans and a fig bourbon sauce
  • Served with a 1927 Spanish Alvear Pedro Ximenez

Tickets will be on sale in February:

 

Pinnacle is proud to have assisted some of these top-rated restaurants and Pensacola Celebrity Chefs in providing unparalleled customer service. If you are searching for a POS system in Pensacola
and want to learn more about POSitouch, contact Pinnacle today by calling 1-800-771-7100.

Restaurants Mark Strongest Net Positive Sales Since 2007

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Increase in SalesThis just out from the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI): Restaurants mark strongest net positive sales since 2007.

The RPI is a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry. It consists of two components, the Current Situation Index and the Expectations Index. The RPI measures the health of the restaurant industry in relation to a state level of 100. If the index is above 100, key industry indicators are in a period of expansion. If the index values lower than 100, this signifies a period of contraction in key industry indicators.

The Current Situation Index measures current trends in four industry indicators (same-store sales, traffic, labor and capital expenditures).  These indicators have signified industry expansion with its second time in the last three months that the Current Situation Index ratings are above 100.

The Expectations Index measures restaurant operators’ six-month outlook for four industry indicators (same-store sales, employees, capital expenditures, and business conditions). For the third consecutive month the Expectations Index stood above 100 which mean operators expect a positive outlook for business conditions in the coming months.

A look at some of the promising reports:

  • Capital spending on a rise: 46% of operators said they made a capital expenditure for equipment, expansion, or remodeling during the last three months (highest in five months).
  • Strongest net positive sales since August 2007: 54% of operators reported a sales gain.
  • Stronger customer traffic: 41% of restaurant operators reported high customer traffic levels between November 2010 and November 2011
  • Same-store sales gain: 50% of restaurant operators reported positive growth for the sixth consecutive month in November.
  • Operators optimistic about sales growth in the coming months: 41% of restaurant operators expect to have higher sales in six months (compared to the same period in 2010).

For a more detailed data and analysis, visit Restaurant TrendMapper, the National Restaurant Association’s subscription-based service that provides detailed analysis of restaurant industry trends; or to view the full report online by visiting the Association’s website.

If your restaurant is seeing an increase in business and expect this trend to continue like the rest of the restaurant industry, you may need to advance your technology. To make daily operations a seamless service from start to finish, check out Pinnacle Hospitality Systems. Pinnacle offers business solutions to integrate your point of sales system, accounting, credit authorization, online ordering, and inventory in a single easy to use interface with POSitouch. For more information, contact Pinnacle today.

Pinnacle Hospitality Systems Assists with Another Broken Egg Eggspansion

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Photo of Broken Egg Café Owner Ron E. Green

Leaving his lucrative position as a NASA engineer for the Department of Defense, Ron E.Green had zero restaurant experience when he opened The Broken Egg Café in Mandeville, Louisiana. Green’s goal was to service what he felt was an underserved and under explored segment in the restaurant market by offering breakfast, brunch and lunch of exceptional quality.

These charming cafés are decorated in French country flair and serve up delectable meals with upscale taste and affordable prices. Taking old-style country fair and adding a new-age spin, diners get to experience dishes like seared ahi tuna benedict with avocado hollandaise, bananas foster french toast, crabcake crostinis and blackberry grits. Wanting to be known for their great service, Green left no stone unturned as he looked for chefs, crash-courses and new technology to raise the bar of excellence.

As Green’s eggspansion spreads across the United States, each of the following 18 units know as Another Broken Egg Café, he looked to shorten his guests’ wait time and ways to expedite food faster to increase the amount of meals served each day. Fortunately, Pinnacle’s POS system for restaurants helped make communication between servers and the kitchen faster and more efficient.  Utilizing the POSitouch system and other expediting processes in the kitchen, Broken Egg Cafés went from around 250 meals a day to 500 to 600 meals a day in all of their restaurants. Pinnacle’s POS software system allowed servers to quickly and easily separate checks, send orders to the kitchen, authorize credit cards, keep track of inventory and much more. All of us at Pinnacle Hospitality Systems wish Another Broken Egg luck with their continued eggspansion! If you are interested in Pinnacle and POSitouch, please visit our website for more information.

Pinnacle Outfits Swashbuckling Restaurant & Bar with POSitouch POS

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Ever since Johnny Depp assumed his role as the infamous Jack Sparrow in the first Pirates of the Caribbean remake in 2003, pirate mania has taken a hold of America. Something about those rum-loving swashbucklers is intoxicating in itself, with non-stop adventures and epic battles at sea. This timeless pirate popularity served as inspiration for Pirate’s Well restaurant and bar in Lake Park, Florida. Passionate pirate lovers from all over flock to this kitschy pub for great food, unbeatable happy hour specials and superb service.

Expect tasty American fare perfect for pairing with classic American beers. Start with an order of Ye’ fried pickle chips and try the delicious Me Beauties Chicken Samich; or, if you’re in the mood for one of Pirate’s “hidden treasures fresh from me galley,” consider the Kraken 8-ounce filet mignon. Come on Tuesday for $0.25 pitchers from 9 p.m. to close, or the best “in the biz” happy hour Sunday, Monday, Wednesday or Thursday, where hospitality professionals enjoy 50 percent off everything until 3 a.m. With specials like these, it’s no wonder Pirate’s Well has developed such a dedicated following. Patrons love the friendly and quick service, made possible in part by the restaurant POS system from Pinnacle Hospitality Systems. With POSitouch, servers can expedite the ordering process, ensuring order accuracy and streamlining overall operations. In addition to facilitating fast service, the Pinnacle POS system allows managers to track inventory and sales.

If it’s excellent service, quality food and great happy hour specials with a pirate-themed backdrop you seek, look no further than Pirate’s Well. If you are a bar or restaurant owner and are interested in a restaurant POS in Florida, contact Pinnacle Hospitality Systems today at 1-800-771-7100.

Hone in on Loss Prevention with POSitouch

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Pinnacle Hospitality Systems provides smart software solutions for restaurants throughout Florida. Casual dining establishments like Cabana Shores Tiki Bar & Grill in Palm Shores have been using Pinnacle’s products for years. Cabana Shores was voted Brevard’s #1 Tiki Bar and Grill, offering a wide selection of delicious Caribbean and American food with happy hour specials and live music entertainment. The menu offers all the classics of American cuisine with burgers, wings and wraps, along with Caribbean flavors like the “Suicide Chicken” – blackened chicken sautéed with onions and bell peppers in teriyaki sauce. Mouthwatering fresh grilled fish and steaks keep customers coming back for more. With a full beer and wine menu and daily specials, it’s no wonder both locals and tourists are attracted to the fun Tiki bar in Central Florida.

Cabana Shores relies on POSitouch restaurant POS systems, especially during busy lunch and dinner rush hours. Servers use the restaurant POS system to send orders to the kitchen quickly and efficiently. They can split multiple checks and process credit card transactions on the computer POS system. Most importantly, POSitouch puts restaurant owners at ease by honing in on loss prevention. With a software system that tracks every single sale, all transactions are accounted for – meaning higher profit margins for business owners. POSitouch offers advantages that no traditional cash register can. Restaurant owners have trusted in solutions provided by Pinnacle Hospitality Systems for over 20 years.

To learn more about Pinnacle Hospitality Systems and our full line of restaurant software and hardware, call 1-800-771-7100.