What Are the POS needs of Pizza Delivery?
At its base, a pizzeria is a restaurant, but they differ from just about every other type of restaurant in a few ways. For one, the pizza market is dominated almost entirely by large chains, so family-run or small pizzerias need a way to stick out. A common way this is done is via some type of loyalty or rewards program, which is an easy way to offer customers discounts and incentive to return. A pizza delivery POS system absolutely needs to be able to handle a rewards program and process points at the time of sale.
While all restaurants offer the ability to customize or make exceptions in meals, none are quite as customizable as pizzerias. Every pizza order is different, whether it be the cheese, crust, sauce, or toppings, most pizzerias build dozens of different orders every day. Your POS system needs to be able to handle this customization and pull up the appropriate charges for different ingredients and requests.
Pizza walks the line of being both a takeout food and a dine-in food, with both types of orders coming in about even. But takeout customers have different expectations than dine-in customers, with many wanting to just place their order online. This means you POS system must be able to handle both online and in-store payments without issue.
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Benefits of a Pizza Delivery POS System
A quality pizza delivery POS system brings plenty of benefits to your pizzeria and workers. Some of these include:
- Back office functions: Pizza delivery POS systems give you the ability to generate data reports (some with information received in real time) to evaluate your business. They allow you to keep track of employee hours, inventory costs, and what’s selling to help maximize efficiency and profits.
- Customized ordering: For a pizzeria, it is very important that your POS system be able to handle custom orders. The right system allows users and customers to easily and quickly select their crust, sauce, size, and toppings. Some systems can be used with (or come with) interactive touch screens to make the process even easier.
- Online ordering: Though it may not be a primary concern for other types of restaurants, pizzerias need to have a good online ordering function in their point of sale system. Online ordering gives customers access to your restaurant from the comfort of their home, giving them another, easier way to order without increasing your labor costs.
- Order and delivery tracking: Pizzerias deal with a large amount of orders on a daily basis. A pizza delivery POS system provides a way to track these orders and their deliveries or pickups. Print and attach barcode labels to pickup orders for quick scanning when the customers arrive, track delivery statistics, and manage your drivers’ cash flow all from your POS system.
How Much do Pizza Delivery POS Systems Cost?
It is difficult to pinpoint the exact cost of any POS system, as the price depends on factors such as the amount of hardware needed, functions you require, and the size of your business. The following is a general pricing guide to give you an idea of what you can expect to pay for your pizza POS system:
- The cost of a pizza delivery POS system is, on average, between $2,000 and $6,500
- A refurbished, two-station pizza delivery POS system that includes the software, card terminal, two keyboards, two printers, two PC towers, and two touch screen monitors has an average cost of $1,500 to $2,000
- A new, single-station pizza delivery POS system that includes the software, card reader, cash drawer, one keyboard, one printer, one PC tower, and one monitor has an average cost of $2,000 to $3,000.
- A new, two station pizza delivery POS system that includes two software licenses, two card readers, two cash drawers, two customer displays, two kitchen and receipt printers, and two all-in-one PCS has an average cost of $6,500 to $7,500.
- Standalone pizza delivery POS software costs between $500 and $1,500 per terminal.
What to Look for in a Pizza Delivery POS System: A Checklist
As stated above, a pizzeria has different needs than most other restaurant types, so it requires a few things that some POS systems may not have.
- Handle high levels of customization
- Inventory tracking down to the ingredient level
- Online ordering and tracking with integrated online ordering for a single menu for both onsite and online orders
- You also need a program with some sort of integrated loyalty program. Loyalty and rewards programs are a great way for pizzerias to compete with large, corporate chains and keep customers coming back.
Don’t be afraid to turn down one company or system because they don’t meet your needs. At the end of the day, a POS system is there to improve your business.