“Prior to the point of sale system, cash was king,” explains Clark Wolf, a New York-based food and restaurant consultant.  “Since it was not an entirely reported income industry, that meant showing profit wasn’t that important.  Technology completely reinvented the restaurant business, he says.

For the restaurateur, the benefits of a POS system are numerous, says Wolf.  “It means you can find out who’s eating at your restaurant in a another city, and that competitive ordering can be dome without ever picking up the phone.

One POS enhancement that Wolf says is underutilized is hand-held ordering systems, a technology that has been at work in European restaurants for a number of years.  “They are an untapped resource,” he says.  Handheld POS terminals allow servers to input customer orders and print bills right at the table.

Wolf and Psyllos both have advice for the business owner considering in a new technology. 

The rule of thumb, says Wolf, is that the margin of savings has to be larger than the cost.  “Any technology that has a solid history of helping restaurants increase profits and efficiency is worth investigating,” he says.