Which Resturant POS?

[NEXCOMPAC]

We are currently running Micros 3700 at our mexican resturant which has 8 terminals and a server and a backup server. The Servers both run windows 2000 pro and all the workstations have windows 95 with 128ram and HDD's. We have experienced many problems after a system upgrade wich has led us to changing our system. Well, to be fair, we found many menu sublevels a issue and real time table maintence an issue also.

Two systems we are currently looking into are R Power and more likley, the Maitre'D. From what I have been able to tell, Maitre'D has much better Management control integration with front of the house and real time access. They also have great handhelds which lack on the realeste side of the screen, but offer excelent back of the house use for management. However in defence of R Power, they are intigrated with Oderman which is firmware based handhelds using a lower frequency than the standard 802.11b/g. They claim that the range is better and the power drain is much less extending the battery life.

Any help would be great or if any vendors want to add thier two cents, I'm all ears and open to suggestions.

-NEXCOMPAC

 

[WaitronUnit]

Dinerware.

 

[NEXCOMPAC]

Let me also clairify that we have 4 revenues; Dine in, Take-out, Bar, and Catering.

 

[suchasynic]

http://www.squirrelsystems.com

management tools at the front of house are great. Lots of reports, labour costing/tracking, adding/editing items -- changing prices, modifiers -- ALL of this is from the front of house, you don't need to go to the back server to do anything.

Not sure what their handheld is really like -- I think it offers only transactional capabilities and no management capabilities, not sure.

 

[NEXCOMPAC]

Are you seriously kidding, squirrel? Im sorry you are so blind my friend....

 

[suchasynic]

Perhaps it is you that is blind? You are currently using Micros 3700 are you not?
Thanks for being so insulting BTW - this is a helping forum not a bashing/flaming forum.

I've used tons of POS systems over my years in the food service industry, both as a manager and as a server, including Micros, Squirrel, etc.. and I know which POS I prefer.

 

[suchasynic]

Further more to my previous post -- you have workstations running Windows 95 and you are telling me I'm blind?...wow

And I especially like the fact that your previous post mentions that you are all ears and open to suggestions -- LOOKS LIKE.

I have a POS Server that runs windows 2003 server with RAID, 12 DISKLESS workstations running Linux that I don't have to worry 1 bit about, SQL database, crystal reports and I'm currently perfecting exporting my daily sales to Quickbooks for import which is going to save me huge time -- squirrel is top notch in my books.

 

[markphsd]

Suchassynic

Usually you don't have to worry about bits.. it's the Bytes that hurt.

ooh, i just made a nerd joke.

Do you Use Terminal Service, or does Squirrel integrate with Linux?

Mark P.

http://www.cafecartel.com

Providing Low Cost Powerful Point of Sale Solutions.

 

[suchasynic]

LOL@the nerd joke

Squirrel intergraded linux with their product. There is an article on the process in the Linux Journal done by their programmer that did the work. Because the workstations are diskless, they have to load the linux remotely from a windows machine & I belive they use a bootp service to do this.

I belive it was the RedHat distro that they customized into Squirrel Linux.

There is no interaction with the linux in squirrel -- you don't see it, it runs in the background and does all it stuff automatically.

 

[AlohaWahini]

If you're into handhelds, check out Restaurant Manager at

http://www.actionsystems.com.

They have a patent on the software, and have a taken a really fresh approach, unlike other POS Systems.

When I went to the NRA show in Chicago a few months ago, most of the POS companies all but hid their handhelds. The approach these guys was took was so novel and well thought-out that they displayed them proudly and had a special section of their area dedicated to them.

Handhelds are where it's going, guys... and these guys got 'em.

Cheers!

 

[haef]

You might want to check out

http://www.possoftwareguide.com

This website offers a free newsletter, articles and tips to help people choose POS software and get the most from their technology.

There'a also a page where you can get a free business building ebook if you submit a review of a POS system that you have used:

http://www.possoftwareguide.com/editreview.asp

 

[pmegan]

I've got 13 restaurants and a hotel all running on Micros 3700, the hotel has 9 RVC's, and the menu levels, although a bit tricky to set up initially, run fine. The product doesn't have much in the way of real time table management though.

If this is a recent upgrade I'm assuming it was to Res 3.2 which doesn't play nice with win95 sometimes. If this is the case the workstations should have been upgraded to w2k; or even better to the WS4 terminal running CE. This terminal may be the best thing Micros has come out with in years.

That being said, even if the POS system I use, was supported on XP or 2003 or Linux or Jimmy Joes Better OS, mine would still be on 2000 server. These are production servers that can't afford the momentary downtime bugs & glitches that a desktop can, and w2k has proven itself solid enough in my book. Upgrading the OS wouldn't gain me anything but possibly bragging rights. Using the newest technology may be a selling point elsewhere, but I don't want the POS systems that run our businesses to sit on the bleeding edge of the computer industry.

Pat

 

[johnvai]

BIM pos is the key.

http://www.bimsolutions.biz

they have a very beautiful, robust and user friendly system as well as constructive management back office modules.