Category Archives: restaurant pos

Stocking a Restaurant

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Stocking a RestaurantStocking your restaurant is possibly the biggest expense you will face when opening a new eatery. Fully stocking a restaurant without going over your budget takes some careful planning, but it can be done. These four steps to stocking a restaurant can help you reach your Grand Opening with everything you need, at a price you can afford.

Step 1:   Make a list of all needed supplies

  1. Kitchen:

The Basics of Choosing a Restaurant Theme

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The Basics of Choosing a Restaurant ThemeA key component of restaurant success is choosing a restaurant theme that will attract customers. A coherent theme can help your establishment stand out in customers’ minds, turning your restaurant from a generic eatery into a specific destination eagerly sought out by diners. You should be able to sum up your restaurant theme in a few words that convey a single distinctive character expressed through menu, décor, service, and overall ambiance. Follow the basics of choosing a restaurant theme to find the theme that is the perfect fit for your establishment.

Balance bliss and demand If you are opening a restaurant, you probably have a style of food that is your passion and specialty. Since you will be investing enormous amounts of time and energy in your restaurant, you should incorporate what you enjoy; however, you need to make sure that demand exists for your concept and style of food. Shape a restaurant theme that balances local demand with your passion – while you may have in mind a hip hangout, if you are in a family-centric area, you may find more success employing a whole family approach. The first step is to determine your market:

Demographics What is your customer base? You need to know the details of the local population: their age groups, financial range, household size, ethnic background, and job types. Use a market research company, look up census data, or consult local realtors to find this information. Check more than just local resident data; an office complex, college, mall, or other draw in the area may supply your target audience. Use this information to determine the mechanics of your restaurant:

  1. Cost
  2. Type – casual, full-service, etc.
  3. Additional services (i.e. delivery, catering)
  4. Hours of operation
  5. Bar or liquor service

Competition What type of restaurant is successful in your area? Can you offer a better version of an in-demand specialty, or add a feature to create your own niche? Frequent local establishments to learn as much as you can about their menus, price range, and customer service style. Look for unmet demands you can fulfill.

Weigh cost and benefit You may be in an area with a large demand for pizza and notice a dearth of authentic wood fired pizza shops. Should you spend thousands of dollars for a wood fired oven? Determine your startup budget, and stick to it! It will take some time to build up business for your new restaurant; if your loan payment is too large, you may go under before you have a chance to establish yourself. Figure out a theme that fits your price range now, realizing you can elaborate and expand over time to add more expensive options as your business increases.

Incorporate food trends While you want to avoid flash-in-the-pan fads, where the market for a particular product will disappear after a short time, a careful examination of food trends can help you create a successful restaurant theme. The growing trend towards healthier, locally sourced food, for example, might lead you to offer vegetarian menu choices, low-fat options, and smaller portion sizes.

Tie it all together Incorporate all these elements to find your winning restaurant theme. For example, your love of Italian food, the proximity of two colleges, a local farmers’ market, high local income range, and prevalence of Italian restaurants could lead you to open an organic Italian restaurant and pizzeria, serving craft beer and offering delivery. Keep your theme focused and easily expressed to create a distinctive impression with diners, and be willing to adjust your menu offerings and hours as you see what works in your area.

For the fullest expression of your chosen restaurant theme, turn to Pinnacle Hospitality Systems’ powerful POSitouch POS. The many user-designed features of Pinnacle’s POS for restaurants enables you to easily customize the system, while flexible menu and price functionality allows you to change items on the fly as you tailor your offerings for your specific market. If you choose to offer delivery, Pinnacle’s POSitouch Delivery Service features a powerful database and order history to ensure deliveries are correct and on time. Contact Pinnacle today at 1-800-771-7100 for more information on how Pinnacle’s top-notch POS systems can help your restaurant succeed.

Restaurant Furniture Buying Guide

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Restaurant Furniture Buying GuideOne of the most important decisions a new restaurant owner faces is the choice of furniture. Does your business plan rely on creating a comfortable retreat where customers luxuriate in multiple courses, or is quick table turnover an essential part of your strategy? The furniture you choose will play a large role in determining the success of your approach. In our last blog, we discussed the best equipment for different types of restaurants; today’s restaurant furniture buying guide takes a look at chairs, tables, and their effect on customer turnover.

Physical dimension is the first determiner of furniture choice, beginning with the shape of your dining room. While you want to make the most efficient use of your seating area, it is important to leave enough empty space that diners can travel easily between tables and enjoy their meal without feeling cramped or crowded. Add 18 to 24 inches to each table side for diners to pull out chairs, and 4 or 5 feet between tables and walls.

Chairs Most restaurants forego using armchairs because they need to be pulled farther out from tables than armless models, and often do not fit completely under tables. You have your choice of materials and styles:

  • Wood The elegance of wood and its ability to complement many décors make it the most popular chair choice for restaurants. Styles range from utilitarian to luxurious:
  • Slat-back Features a straight seat and one or more flat, wide vertical slat supports on the back; while reasonably comfortable with a seat cover or upholstered seat cushion, bare seat models speed table turnover.
  • Windsor The distinctive splayed legs, spindle back and comfortable sculpted seat of Windsor chairs bring a classic Americana look to your restaurant; they are comfortable for dining but do not encourage extended stays.
  • Parsons With tall, upholstered backs and seats, Parsons chairs present an elegant look while inviting diners to linger for larger meals; perfect for fine dining establishments.
  • Metal The delightfully retro feel of metal chairs makes them ideal for dessert establishments, diners, and theme restaurants. They present a more polished, less inviting feel than wood furniture, discouraging lingerers.
  • Plastic Strictly utilitarian, plastic chairs are designed for use in quick-serve and kid-friendly restaurants. While not very comfortable, they offer the advantages of low-cost, durability, and ease of clean-up.

Table Tops Your choice of table tops is determined in large part by the type of establishment you are opening. While you always have the option of using concealing tablecloths, the right table top can help define the feel of your restaurant.

  • Aluminum Perfect for outdoor areas, patio settings, frozen yogurt shops, and fast food restaurants, they can withstand heavy traffic and feature easy cleanup. Cold in both temperature and atmosphere, these tops encourage quick turnaround.
  • Solid Wood The warmth and ambiance of wood table tops is recommended for fine dining restaurants, exclusive clubs, and other upscale settings. The amount of care they require discourages their use in diners, quick-serve, and family oriented restaurants.
  • Tile or Granite Inlay Distinctive styling and easy cleanup make these tops ideal for casual and ethnic dining establishments. With designs ranging from funky and original to subtle and sophisticated, inlay tables make a large contribution to the décor of a restaurant.
  • Laminate A more durable and less expensive alternative to wood tables, laminate table tops offer quick clean ups for family and quickserve restaurants. Reversible versions are available for maximum versatility.

The perfect complement to well-chosen furniture is fast, personalized service. Pinnacle Hospitality Systems’ POSitouch POS features a customer database that incorporates pictures of guests for house charges, customer profiling, and frequent dining programs to reward loyal customers. Large parties are no problem when you use Pinnacle’s best software for restaurants that sets up team service on the fly or in advance, with team tip allocation that can include members from other teams. Stay in complete control with the optional Dining Room Management module of Pinnacle’s point of sale system that allows you to design a restaurant layout and immediately know the status of all your tabletops with the touch of a screen. Contact Pinnacle today at 800-771-7100 for Pinnacle’s restaurant POS that helps you offer the best dining room experience ever!

Restaurant Equipment Buying Guide

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Restaurant Equipment Buying GuideEquipping a new restaurant is an expensive undertaking. The equipment decisions you make are going to determine how efficiently your restaurant runs for years to come, so it is important to consider all factors before making any purchases. This can seem like an overwhelming chore, but this restaurant equipment buying guide can make your life a little easier by helping you make an informed decision. While you may need paraphernalia specific to the cuisine you are offering, there is certain equipment every kitchen needs:

Refrigeration units are available in several styles:

  • Reach-in refrigerators and freezers are upright storage units available with solid or glassed doors. Bottom mounted compressor units are more efficient in hot environments; top mounted compressor fridges perform better in dusty areas and bakeries
  • Walk-in Refrigerators and Freezers are ideal for restaurants that require a large amount of cold storage, with plenty of room for boxed and bulk items, meats, alcohol, and juices. Some come with flooring while others make use of existing flooring.
  • Refrigerated Prep Tables mainly used by sandwich shops and pizza restaurants, they feature cold storage wells that keep food pans of ingredients cold and fresh. Doors or drawers below provide traditional storage.

Commercial Gas Ranges differ in heat output and energy usage:

  • Higher BTU Ranges heat food quickly with a high rate of energy consumption and have a fast heat recovery time.
  • Lower BTU Ranges heat food slower, but are more energy efficient. They have a slow heat recovery time.
  • Griddles cook multiple foods at once with even heat distribution across the entire surface. Heat can be controlled manually or thermostatically.
  • Charbroilers broil seafood, meat, and poultry quickly and efficiently.

Commercial Convection Ovens are available as gas or electric models to suit every kitchen’s needs:

  • Half-Size suitable for light-duty applications such as appetizers, cookies, and pastries; utilize with half-size sheet pans.
  • Full-Size perfect for high-volume restaurants serving up to 250 servings per meal; they hold full-size sheet pans. Sizes run from 36” to 42” wide and 36” to 40” deep.
  • Bakery-depth for bakers, high-volume caterers, hotels, and large-scale food service applications, these units require extra floor space. Hold 22 to 28 full-size sheet pans or 44 to 56 half-size sheet pans, with sizes from 40″ to 75″ wide and 42″ to 54″ deep.

Commercial Dishwashers vary by capacity and sanitation methods:

  • Door-type also called pass-through, pull-down hood or stationary rack dishwashers, these units are best for establishments that serve up to 250 meals during peak hours; can wash up to 80 dish racks per hour with either a high temperature or chemical sanitizing machine to kill bacteria during the final rinse phase.
  • Conveyor also known as rack conveyors, they pull dishware-washing racks through the wash cycle on a chain conveyor, with one, two or three separate tanks. Best for large establishments that serve 250 to 1500 meals during peak hours, these machines can wash up to 400 racks in an hour. Generally use hot water to sanitize dishes, but some low temperature, chemical sanitizing models are available.

Commercial Food Processors can handle different ingredients and functions:

  • Blixer  is a combination mixer and blender; in addition to the normal chopping and grinding features of a food processor, they offer emulsifying and liquefying options that blend sauces and soups with minimal aeration.
  • Bowl mixers chop and grind; primarily for small amounts of ingredients like garlic and herbs.
  • Combination models feature a variety of cutting blades; they offer normal chopping and grinding functions plus slicing, shredding, julienne, and kneading dough.
  • Vertical cutter mixers feature a continuous feed chute and a large capacity stainless steel bowl, a variety of blade attachments. They process larger volumes than a standard bowl mixer.

Another equipment decision that will have a long-term impact on your restaurant is the point of sale system you choose. Pinnacle Hospitality Systems’ Dinerware complete POS system has turn-key solutions for every type of restaurant. With unprecedented performance, speed and reliability, Pinnacle’s top restaurant POS employs the latest technology with a simple user interface designed by a seasoned restaurateur to provide an easy-to-use, cost efficient system. Contact Pinnacle today at 800-771-7100 to find out why Dinerware’s POS for restaurants will be your best restaurant equipment buying decision!

Opening a Restaurant Costs

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Opening a Restaurant CostsWe have all seen it happen; a new restaurant opens with a winning concept, superb cuisine, and a popular location – yet it still fails. According to experts, the cause most likely is one of under funding. Start-up costs have a way of ballooning, and can sink a business before it even gets a chance to open. How much opening a restaurant costs is determined by many factors; there are ways a frugal businessperson can keep costs low to help ensure a restaurant’s success. If an expense can wait, put it off until your restaurant is turning a profit.

  1. Facilities Costs vary widely, depending on whether you will be leasing or buying your facility. While construction costs can add up quickly on new buildings, taking over a unit from a similar business can drastically lower your outlay. You will need signage so customers can find your restaurant.
  2. Equipment New building costs can run as high as $500,000 for ventilation systems, refrigeration and cooking appliances, and bar equipment. If your space is already outfitted for a restaurant, you will just need to take care of upgrades and any equipment specific to your cuisine. You will need to obtain furniture, linens, furnishings, and pots, pans, dishes, glasses, utensils, cutlery, and storage containers.
  3. Food and Drink Your bar and wine cellar will need to be stocked before you open. Have about a week’s worth of food and staples to get you started. Experts suggest starting with a limited number of menu options – you can always add more, but this helps avoid losing money from food wastage.
  4. Marketing and Advertising You need to invest in print and radio ads, flyers to distribute locally, and grand opening signage to start building a customer base before you open. Social media is a very effective, low cost option to raise interest in your restaurant.
  5. Reserve Some experts recommend reserving 10% of your start-up budget for unforeseen expenses so you are not caught short at a critical time. An alternative is to establish a line of credit that you can tap if necessary.
  6. Miscellaneous
  • Licenses and Permits
  • Insurance- property, general liability, liquor liability, and Workers’ Compensation
  • Accounting (software or company)
  • Telephone system and internet
  • Staff uniforms
  • Menus

7. Point of Sale System Pinnacle Hospitality Systems POSitouch point of sale system helps lower your operational costs while keeping you firmly in charge of your restaurant. Pinnacle’s POS for restaurants eliminates the need for third party terminals and additional phone lines with its integrated credit authorization software. Each touch screen terminal can process credit authorization, eliminating bottlenecks  that can occur at stand-alone credit machines, and terminals can be used for other POS functions while the transaction is processing. Split dial and direct deposit functionality are both available. Pinnacle reduces tendering mistakes and increases cash accountability by tying credit card information to the guest check.

Pinnacle’s powerful POSitouch POS system saves you the expense of hiring an accountant by seamlessly integrating with QuickBooks. Easy to setup and even easier to use, with no file import/export routines; you simply select the date from the screen and send it directly into QuickBooks. You can easily transfer your POSitouch sales journal, house charges and purchase orders to QuickBooks.

Build your business with Pinnacle’s MercuryLoyalty, a seamless, all-in-one loyalty solution featuring social media integration to help you increase your customer base. Automated online enrollment process and automated marketing make it simple for anyone to run marketing promotions. Rich and intuitive campaign analysis allows you to measure your ROI.

Pinnacle Hospitality Systems is committed to helping restaurants succeed. Pinnacle can help you manage your business efficiently and profitably, with proven computer hardware and software designed for the hospitality industry, and unmatched business consulting and accounting resources. Contact Pinnacle today at 1-800-771-7100 to get your restaurant off to a profitable start!

 

Opening a Restaurant Checklist

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Opening a Restaurant ChecklistOpening a new restaurant is an exciting but hectic process – one that requires planning, perseverance, and a strict attention to detail. Many critical tasks need to be accomplished prior to opening day. To help ensure your opening goes smoothly, Pinnacle Hospitality Systems offers this Opening a Restaurant Checklist:

  1.  Formalize and register your company Decide which company structure is best for you - a limited liability company, corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship, and register with the state.
  2. Obtain licenses and permits Typically a restaurant needs a general business license, food service establishment permit, food safety permit, and an alcohol beverage license. If you are opening a food truck, you will also need permits for the cities and counties where you operate.
  3. Establish banking Open business account, payroll account, credit card deposit acct’s, lines of credit, etc.
  4. Become insured Make sure you have coverage for all possible areas of exposure – obtain property, general liability, liquor liability, and Workers’ Compensation insurance.
  5. Set up vendors Establish credit and schedule deliveries
  6. Market your restaurant  Start marketing your restaurant well in advance of  opening day – advertise in local phone books, use direct mail, deliver menus to businesses and offices in the area, and contact local newspapers and radio stations about running a story that features your business
  7. Finalize your menus Create lunch, dinner, delivery, and drink menus with prices; figure menu cost and portion guide; standardize your recipes so your dishes can be consistently recreated
  8. Establish procedures and manuals Create employee manuals that clearly define chain of command, dress code, duties, pre-shift and closing procedures, etc.
  9. Hire and train your staff Hire a full staff, file all “new hire” paperwork (tax forms, etc.), train them well, and have their schedules set before opening. Do a dry run or “soft opening” the week before you open.
  10. Choose Pinnacle for your POS system. Pinnacle’s flexible Restaurant POS Systems can make every aspect of your business easier!

Pinnacle Hospitality Systems’ point of sale systems are designed to make daily operations effortless for all types of restaurants, with Windows based, open architecture software that is simple to maintain, expand, and use for daily operations. Pinnacle’s restaurant business software offers the flexibility to grow with your business, working on a single inexpensive computer while having the ability to handle a virtually unlimited number of terminals. With easy-to-use, cost efficient computer based POS systems that provide unprecedented performance, speed and reliability, Pinnacle will put you firmly in control of your hospitality business for years to come. Contact Pinnacle at 1-800-771-7100 for more information on how Pinnacle can help your business get off to a bright start!

Restaurant Holiday Marketing Tips

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Restaurant Holiday Marketing TipsThe holiday season is in full swing, bringing myriad ways to promote your restaurant. Are you making the most of this opportunity? This holiday shopping season is predicted to see an increase in foot traffic, with people spending more time in malls and visiting more stores; this could be a real boon for the restaurant industry. Make sure hungry shoppers think of your restaurant when they need a break from the holiday hunt! Try using some or all of these tips to draw in seasonal shoppers:

  • Holiday-themed offerings Join in the holiday spirit with seasonal treats! Special holiday entrees, desserts, and beverages make the perfect break for exhausted shoppers.
  • Holiday promotions Shoppers are hunting for good bargains at this time of year- draw them in with limited time offers, special events, and holiday shopping happy hours. Continue reading “Restaurant Holiday Marketing Tips” »