Shopify POS For Restaurants: Is It A Good Choice?

In this article, we will take an in-depth look at Shopify POS, examining its benefits and evaluating its suitability as a POS solution for restaurants.

Can You Use Shopify POS For Restaurants?

Shopify POS is a good fit for many different food and drink establishments, including small cafeterias, food trucks, independent fast-casual dining, or food start-ups to set up and open their restaurants quickly. It provides restaurant owners with robust features for an omnichannel experience that will benefit them, their staff, and their customers.

Shopify POS For Your Restaurants: Pros And Cons

Shopify POS has its strengths and weaknesses so it’s essential to weigh these factors before deciding.

Why Should You Use Shopify POS For Your Restaurant?

Shopify POS has earned the trust of many restaurant owners in the industry. Here are several compelling reasons to consider Shopify POS for your business.

A Free POS Plan For Start-ups

With Shopify POS Lite, the free version of Shopify POS included in every Shopify plan, It offers essential features, enabling independent restaurant owners to swiftly launch their start-up business without worrying about upfront costs.

As their businesses flourish, restaurant owners can upgrade to the advanced Shopify POS Pro, unlocking additional features to enhance their operations further.

Secure Payment Processing With Various Payment Methods

Restaurants need to be equipped to handle diverse payment methods. Shopify POS caters to this requirement seamlessly by supporting various payment options, including cash, credit/debit cards, mobile wallets, loyalty points, and gift cards.

The built-in payment processor, Shopify Payments, guarantees the security of payment information and business data by adhering to industry norms like Payment Data Encryption, PCI compliance, and 3D Secure compliance.

By using Shopify Payments, restaurant businesses can also benefit from the free transaction fees, thereby helping to reduce operational costs.

Seamless Ordering Omnichannel

Shopify enables restaurant businesses to create an online front with an appealing menu and design that showcases their food and drink services. The Shopify online store serves as a comprehensive back-office, seamlessly syncing with the POS system used in the physical restaurant, allowing for streamlined multi-location inventory management, menu updates, customer interactions, and much more.

Another exciting feature of Shopify POS is the “Product QR codes.” By placing QR codes on tables, customers can conveniently scan the code and self-order without flagging down a server. This streamlines the ordering process and gives customers more control and a sense of autonomy during their dining experience.

In today’s dynamic food industry, restaurants must offer multiple order options, such as takeaways and delivery. By embracing a website, restaurants can leverage the “Buy online - pick up in-store or local delivery” feature, allowing customers to place orders on your website and choose whether to pick up their food at your restaurant or have it delivered to their doorstep. However, it’s important to note that this feature is only available when you subscribe to the Shopify POS Pro.

Take Payment On-the-Go Capability

Say goodbye to the hassle of running back and forth between tables and the main POS station. Now, you can effortlessly take orders and payments right at the table or while your customers are waiting in line, as the Shopify POS app allows you to transform any mobile device into a portable point-of-sale system. It is particularly advantageous for food trucks, coffee shops, pizzerias, and restaurants that experience high customer volumes within specific periods.

Embracing mobile POS through Shopify empowers your restaurant to adapt to the evolving needs of your customers and deliver a seamless, customer-centric experience.

Boosted Customer Engagement

With Shopify POS, restaurants can create custom customer profiles and send targeted marketing messages to offer exclusive discounts and share news updates. By leveraging valuable information such as contact details, purchase history, lifetime spend, customer notes, and tags, restaurants can provide better services and create personalized marketing campaigns.

Furthermore, Shopify POS empowers restaurants to provide enticing discounts, offer gift cards, and implement custom loyalty programs, all aimed at transforming every customer into a loyal and regular patron. Additionally, splitting payments at the point of sale adds further customer convenience, ensuring a seamless and hassle-free dining experience.

Flexible Customizations

The user-friendly interface of Shopify POS simplifies the experience for restaurant owners and their staff, enabling them to minimize training time.

Restaurant owners have plenty of customization options. They can tailor their smart grid, ensuring a convenient and efficient interface for quickly taking orders, processing payments, and managing the restaurant.

Thanks to the cloud-based nature of the system, restaurant owners can customize their menus anytime from anywhere and make changes on the go. Additionally, they can enhance their menu by adding badges or stickers such as “best sellers” or “must try” to certain items, enticing customers to choose options that can lead to upsells and ultimately enhance their dining experience.

Synchronized Inventory Tracking And Detailed Reports

The data from Shopify POS is seamlessly synchronized with their online websites, providing real-time updates on vital aspects such as inventory, sales, customer information, and order details. This connection enables restaurant owners to easily manage their establishments across multiple channels and gain a comprehensive view of their restaurant’s performance.

Furthermore, Shopify POS Pro unlocks additional features that enhance the restaurant management experience. Restaurant owners opting for this version can benefit from advanced features such as demand forecasting, low-stock reports, sales suggestions, and in-depth analysis. They will be helpful tools for restaurant franchises that need to manage a high-volume inventory.

Apps Integration For Seamless Restaurant Functionality

While Shopify POS may not have dedicated features explicitly designed for restaurants, restaurant owners can still leverage the extensive library of over 8,000 apps available on the Shopify App Store to enhance their operations with specialized functionalities, including floor management, table management, and kitchen management.

High-quality First-party Hardware

The Shopify Hardware Store offers a comprehensive selection of key hardware accessories necessary for Shopify businesses to kickstart their restaurant; all are fully compatible with Shopify POS and covered by an exclusive warranty.

There’s also an option to rent hardware via Shopify’s hardware rental program for merchants based in the US or Canada. It is a cost-effective solution for food trucks, coffee trucks, or restaurants to sell at pop-up events or food festivals.

Shopify POS vs. Toast and Square For Restaurant

When selecting a point-of-sale (POS) system for your restaurant, it’s important to compare it with other options on the market. In this table, we will examine Shopify POS, Toast, and Square for restaurant side by side to help you see how they perform in key areas.

5 Tips To Use Shopify POS For Restaurants Startup Owners

As a restaurant startup owner, incorporating Shopify POS into your operations can be a game-changer. To make the most of Shopify POS, here are five valuable tips to consider:

• Set Clear Objectives: Before implementing Shopify POS, define specific goals and outcomes you want to achieve, such as improving order accuracy, increasing revenue, or expanding your online presence. This will help guide your implementation process.
• Plan and Organize: Develop a detailed implementation plan and timeline to ensure a smooth transition. Consider staff training, data migration, and hardware setup to minimize disruptions during the implementation phase.
• Train Staff: Provide comprehensive training to your staff on how to use Shopify POS effectively. Familiarize them with the features, functionalities, and workflows to ensure they can maximize the system’s potential.
• Continuously Monitor and Optimize: Regularly review reports and analytics provided by Shopify POS to gain insights into your business performance. Monitor sales trends, customer preferences, and inventory levels to identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions. You can also consider upgrading to Shopify POS Pro for more advanced features.
• Seek Support: If you encounter any technical issues or require guidance during the implementation process, reach out to Shopify’s customer support or find a professional on the Shopify Expert marketplace to assist you and provide valuable insights into your restaurant operations with Shopify POS.

Shopify POS For Restaurants: FAQs

Bottom Line

A reliable and efficient point-of-sale (POS) system is essential in the fast-paced restaurant industry. Shopify POS stands out as a comprehensive solution tailored to the unique needs of restaurants, whether it’s a small coffee shop or a bustling franchise establishment.