POS recommendation for a small bar
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Can anyone recommend a decent POS software for a bar with a single register?
I am looking for something that can:
- Run on Windows or possibly just browser based - not looking for iPad or Android App (screens are too small)
- Keeps track of tabs
- Happy Hour/Specials option
- Accept Credit Cards
- End of day reports
A nice looking interface wouldn't hurt either. Some of the open source options are pretty brutal looking.
Appreciate any feedback. Thanks!
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Meets some of the requirements, I am a huge fan of toast, but obviously might be overkill for this situation. I have been to a local bar with only one register, and they used it. https://pos.toasttab.com/
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@syko24 said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
Run on Windows or possibly just browser based - not looking for iPad or Android App (screens are too small)
This is a horrible requirement. I've never seen staff have problem with a tablet based system due to the form factor.
How could it be too small? And if that is truly a problem, I have seen systems with oversized tablets. Used one to day as a customer when I took my wife's car to the carwash.
I have a client looking to move from some old shitty Windows based POS to something tablet based in fact.
https://www.republicofit.com/topic/19543/anyone-heard-of-rezku-pos -
@SmithErick said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
Meets some of the requirements, I am a huge fan of toast, but obviously might be overkill for this situation. I have been to a local bar with only one register, and they used it. https://pos.toasttab.com/
Yeah I've looked at Toast as well as a bunch of similar POS products (Lavu, Loyverse, Cake). My problem with some of those products are you have to purchase their hardware and/or use them as the credit card processor. Kind of feel like it's all vendor lock in at that point.
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@JaredBusch said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
@syko24 said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
Run on Windows or possibly just browser based - not looking for iPad or Android App (screens are too small)
This is a horrible requirement. I've never seen staff have problem with a tablet based system due to the form factor.
How could it be too small? And if that is truly a problem, I have seen systems with oversized tablets. Used one to day as a customer when I took my wife's car to the carwash.
I have a client looking to move from some old shitty Windows based POS to something tablet based in fact.
https://www.republicofit.com/topic/19543/anyone-heard-of-rezku-posI agree that there are larger sized Android tablets that could work. I have also looked at some of the Android emulators like BlueStacks.com . The reason I had said Windows was a requirement was because the two owners (both in their 70s) are familiar with Windows. Plus they want to use hardware they already own. It's called shit we got
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@JaredBusch - I came across Rezku too. It looks like a good product but no pricing on their site.
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I think the option we may go with is ehopper.com as it can be used in your browser, android, or ipad.
I was also looking at aronium.com which is a free Windows POS software. It has a lot of potential but no merchant services options yet.
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@syko24 said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
The reason I had said Windows was a requirement was because the two owners (both in their 70s) are familiar with Windows.
This is reason enough to never want Windows lol They'll be tinkering like crazy and installing all kinds of crap on their POS terminals.
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@SmithErick said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
Meets some of the requirements, I am a huge fan of toast, but obviously might be overkill for this situation. I have been to a local bar with only one register, and they used it. https://pos.toasttab.com/
Gasp
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@syko24 said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
@JaredBusch said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
@syko24 said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
Run on Windows or possibly just browser based - not looking for iPad or Android App (screens are too small)
This is a horrible requirement. I've never seen staff have problem with a tablet based system due to the form factor.
How could it be too small? And if that is truly a problem, I have seen systems with oversized tablets. Used one to day as a customer when I took my wife's car to the carwash.
I have a client looking to move from some old shitty Windows based POS to something tablet based in fact.
https://www.republicofit.com/topic/19543/anyone-heard-of-rezku-posI agree that there are larger sized Android tablets that could work. I have also looked at some of the Android emulators like BlueStacks.com . The reason I had said Windows was a requirement was because the two owners (both in their 70s) are familiar with Windows. Plus they want to use hardware they already own. It's called shit we got
.using shit you own could easily end up costing you more than just buying an ipad. The interface on those tablet based solutions is generally brain dead simple. The question is - is the back end available to be updated using a browser on another, more typical computer?
I would think you would want the POS to be as stable as possible - forcing Windows on there certainly doesn't give the feeling of stability - plus it's overkill for a POS single purpose system.
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@syko24 said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
@SmithErick said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
Meets some of the requirements, I am a huge fan of toast, but obviously might be overkill for this situation. I have been to a local bar with only one register, and they used it. https://pos.toasttab.com/
Yeah I've looked at Toast as well as a bunch of similar POS products (Lavu, Loyverse, Cake). My problem with some of those products are you have to purchase their hardware and/or use them as the credit card processor. Kind of feel like it's all vendor lock in at that point.
Toast is notorious for this - YOU have to use their Processor.
Now, in almost any POS company you have to use their hardware - we do not support third party hardware on Aloha, however our HR POS (Mobile Bytes) is IPad based (I know you said now) which supports any of the newer versions of IPAD.
You want windows based?
Tracks tabs (how would naming by credit card sound to you?)
happy hours/specials?
Credit cards (with your choice of Processor?)
End of day reports?(daily sales, labor, full end of day?)Aloha would be an amazing fit, it's extremely easy to use. Now the only issue is , it legacy so you have to have a server, and then the POS terminals,
where are you located?
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@WrCombs said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
Aloha would be an amazing fit, it's extremely easy to use. Now the only issue is , it legacy so you have to have a server, and then the POS terminals,
Did you ever tell us if the 'server' was only providing file and print services to the clients, because if it's anything more than that, it likely legally requires Windows Server license (and associated CALs).
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@Dashrender said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
@WrCombs said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
Aloha would be an amazing fit, it's extremely easy to use. Now the only issue is , it legacy so you have to have a server, and then the POS terminals,
Did you ever tell us if the 'server' was only providing file and print services to the clients, because if it's anything more than that, it likely legally requires Windows Server license (and associated CALs).
This has been worked out between Microsoft and NCR/POS dealers since Aloha was started.
as I've learned recently in discussions online with other POS providers. -
@Dashrender said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
@WrCombs said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
Aloha would be an amazing fit, it's extremely easy to use. Now the only issue is , it legacy so you have to have a server, and then the POS terminals,
Did you ever tell us if the 'server' was only providing file and print services to the clients, because if it's anything more than that, it likely legally requires Windows Server license (and associated CALs).
But to answer the question - The server shares files from back to front.
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@WrCombs said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
@Dashrender said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
@WrCombs said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
Aloha would be an amazing fit, it's extremely easy to use. Now the only issue is , it legacy so you have to have a server, and then the POS terminals,
Did you ever tell us if the 'server' was only providing file and print services to the clients, because if it's anything more than that, it likely legally requires Windows Server license (and associated CALs).
This has been worked out between Microsoft and NCR/POS dealers since Aloha was started.
as I've learned recently in discussions online with other POS providers.Is that in writing somewhere? Somewhere Official?
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@bnrstnr said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
@syko24 said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
The reason I had said Windows was a requirement was because the two owners (both in their 70s) are familiar with Windows.
This is reason enough to never want Windows lol They'll be tinkering like crazy and installing all kinds of crap on their POS terminals.
They wouldn't see Windows, They'd see the Software for the POS only if the POS was working correctly.
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@WrCombs said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
@Dashrender said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
@WrCombs said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
Aloha would be an amazing fit, it's extremely easy to use. Now the only issue is , it legacy so you have to have a server, and then the POS terminals,
Did you ever tell us if the 'server' was only providing file and print services to the clients, because if it's anything more than that, it likely legally requires Windows Server license (and associated CALs).
But to answer the question - The server shares files from back to front.
This isn't really an answer - shares them how? via SMB? via a DB? etc.
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@Dashrender said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
@WrCombs said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
@Dashrender said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
@WrCombs said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
Aloha would be an amazing fit, it's extremely easy to use. Now the only issue is , it legacy so you have to have a server, and then the POS terminals,
Did you ever tell us if the 'server' was only providing file and print services to the clients, because if it's anything more than that, it likely legally requires Windows Server license (and associated CALs).
This has been worked out between Microsoft and NCR/POS dealers since Aloha was started.
as I've learned recently in discussions online with other POS providers.Is that in writing somewhere? Somewhere Official?
To my knowledge, yes.
With NCR (the Owner of Aloha) -
@WrCombs said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
@Dashrender said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
@WrCombs said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
@Dashrender said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
@WrCombs said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
Aloha would be an amazing fit, it's extremely easy to use. Now the only issue is , it legacy so you have to have a server, and then the POS terminals,
Did you ever tell us if the 'server' was only providing file and print services to the clients, because if it's anything more than that, it likely legally requires Windows Server license (and associated CALs).
This has been worked out between Microsoft and NCR/POS dealers since Aloha was started.
as I've learned recently in discussions online with other POS providers.Is that in writing somewhere? Somewhere Official?
To my knowledge, yes.
With NCR (the Owner of Aloha)Well that doesn't get the customer who's using it off the hook... that information should be provided that documentation when they purchase aloha - unless it's a rental only type situation, then perhaps, the liability would solely be upon NCR.
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@Dashrender said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
@WrCombs said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
@Dashrender said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
@WrCombs said in POS recommendation for a small bar:
Aloha would be an amazing fit, it's extremely easy to use. Now the only issue is , it legacy so you have to have a server, and then the POS terminals,
Did you ever tell us if the 'server' was only providing file and print services to the clients, because if it's anything more than that, it likely legally requires Windows Server license (and associated CALs).
But to answer the question - The server shares files from back to front.
This isn't really an answer - shares them how? via SMB? via a DB? etc.
older versions use SMB
newer versions use DB (MySQL Dbs) to store and then it uploads to the front of house trhough SMB ( I believe)
