Point of Sale (POS) systems are critical for the smooth operation of food trucks. So how do you choose the best POS for food trucks? We’ve got tips for choosing a POS system, as well as our top 5 recommendations for POS systems for food trucks.
Food trucks offer an appealing option over a brick-and-mortar space for many entrepreneurs who are looking for cost-effective ways to launch their concept and reach customers. With lower overhead costs than a traditional restaurant and an insatiable consumer market, the food truck industry is on the rise and climbing quickly. Entrepreneurs launching their food truck or established business owners looking to optimize their operations should consider the unique needs of their business when choosing back office applications to help it run smoothly.
A point of sale (POS) system is typically considered the center or hub of any restaurant’s operations. Traditional brick-and-mortar restaurants may have an on-premise POS system in which a computer and/or server is set-up on the business premises. For a food truck POS, a cloud-based system is often a better choice, if not the only choice. These types of POS systems can be connected to a multitude of different devices – from an iPad to a touch screen monitor to a handheld device.
Choosing the right system for your mobile restaurant is a critical step to ensuring your operations run smoothly and you can spend your time focused on growing revenue, not tedious back-office functions. Here are 3 tips on what to consider when choosing the best POS system for your food truck.
3 Tips for Choosing the Best POS for Your Food Truck
#1: Consider the Size, Scale & Offerings of Your Business
Not all food trucks are created equal. If you are just starting out and expect to operate one food truck with limited offerings, your needs will be far different than a food truck operator with a fleet of trucks, changing locations, and / or high-volume sales. The following elements should influence your evaluation of systems and decision-making:
- Number of trucks – if you have more than one truck, you will need a POS system with multi-location capabilities and likely a robust suite of built-in tools and app add-ons to manage the operations of your business efficiently.
- Mobility – if you expect to park your truck at a different location each day, you should consider how you will access the internet at each location. If you need to be able to accept payments and process orders without Wi-Fi, you should look for a POS system that works on cellular service.
- Volume and order flow – if you expect to offer quick service with a high volume of orders, you may need a POS system that offers hardware and devices that are rugged and can take a beating. Your system may also need more robust tools and functionality around online ordering.
Your unique business requirement and your own preferences for ease of use and the length of time for set-up should also come into play when evaluating the best food truck POS systems.
#2: Determine Invoicing Needs & Payment Processing Requirements
To efficiently track and report on revenue, your POS system should be the source of truth for all revenue streams. If you plan to offer catering via your food truck, you may need capabilities around invoicing. Large orders or catered events are typically billed via invoice with a deposit followed up by a final payment. Make sure the POS system for your food truck can accommodate these needs if you plan to offer catering.
For credit card payments – the vast majority of most food truck operations – your credit card payment processor will play a role in your profit margins. Some POS systems allow you to integrate with a payment processor of your choice while others require you to use their own processor. Determine what your preferences are before you start looking for the best food truck POS system.
Tip #3: A Good POS for Food Trucks Has Built-In Tools & App Add-Ons
Cloud-based POS systems offer a host of built-in tools to help create efficiency and profitability for your mobile restaurant. Successful restaurateurs create a “tech stack” that leverages these tools and apps together to create a full back office system that automates time-consuming and tedious functions.
Prioritize which features and functions are most important to you. Some tools may be built-in and included in the cost of the POS system, while others may have a monthly fee. Having an understanding of what’s most important can help you narrow down what you’ll need to get started. Common features and tools available to consider include:
- Marketing tools such as the ability to send customer email or text promotions, create a loyalty program, manage reviews and offer gift cards
- Inventory management tools that can track ingredient level inventory, track food costs and usage as well as manage suppliers
- Staff management functions that allow you to create schedules and analyze labor costs
- Automated back office tools such as state sales tax management
Paying sales tax is necessary for any business owner in a state or jurisdiction that collects sales tax. But managing that process can be time-consuming and stressful.
DAVO Sales Tax seamlessly integrates with the most popular POS systems to fully automate sales tax. Once your sales tax rate is properly set up in your POS, the app uses sales data from your POS to set aside the sales tax collected every day in a secure holding account. The app also files and pays the sales tax owed on time, and in full.
Our Recommendations for POS Systems for Food Trucks
While using any POS system will improve your food truck business, there are some POS systems that offer unique features for food trucks and other mobile businesses.
Automate sales tax on your food truck when you add DAVO to your POS
All of the recommended POS systems below integrate with DAVO. That means that you can fully automate your sales tax when you use one of these POS systems with DAVO. Together with DAVO, your POS can collect sales tax on every purchase, set aside sales tax money daily, and will file and pay sales tax on time and in full – guaranteed*.
*subject to conditions and limitations
Here are our recommendations for 5 POS systems we recommend for food trucks, in no particular order:
#1 Square
Square is one of the most popular POS for food trucks for a reason. With Square, you get one single platform for point of sale software, and hardware. The Square Terminal and Square Reader are two small pieces of hardware that will make it easier for customers to tap for payment – which means faster moving lines.
Square also offers advanced features, like online ordering so customers can pick up their order when it’s ready – perfect for food trucks that sell at outdoor breweries, or parks.
In addition, Square offers special invoicing options for events like weddings or corporate events, diversifying your streams of income.
#2 Toast
Toast is a POS system built for fast and on-the-go service.
One of their more unique features is their double-sided checkout screen. With one device, you get your typical POS screen, plus a guest-facing checkout screen which completely eliminates the need to constantly flip the screen towards the customer for their input. Saving those precious seconds will help you checkout more guests, faster.
Toast also supports QR code ordering so guests can pay from their phone and skip the line. Instead of shouting out names or order numbers, Toast can text guests when their food is ready.
These features are perfect for food trucks that struggle with long lines, or trucks that make food that need just a little bit of extra time to be ready.
#3 Clover
Clover is a great POS for food trucks thanks to its comprehensive marketing and customer engagement tools. With Clover, you can connect with loyal customers by letting them know where and when you’ll be parked.
You can also use Clover to send customers emails about new menu items, and special events.
#4 Epos Now
Epos Now offers all of the features that food trucks expect and need, like payments, online ordering, custom menus, and a speedy checkout product.
What sets Epos Now apart from other POS systems for food trucks is their inventory management tools. With Epo Now, you can track inventory, automatically update stock with every purchase, and automate purchase orders when stock is low.
All of this means that you can minimize waste and plan your inventory better. These features can be a game changer for food trucks that often find they sell out halfway through an event.
#5 Table Needs
Not sure you need or want to buy proprietary POS hardware for your food truck? Then Table Needs may be the perfect solution for you.
Instead of tying you down to bulky devices, Table Needs is a POS system that runs on most iOS and Android devices. That means you can use an iPad you already have, download Table Needs, and you’re ready to start taking sales on your food truck!
With their flexible software and tons of tools to help with licensing and permitting, Table Needs is one of the better POS systems for new food trucks.
The Bottom Line
Food truck operators have unique needs and requirements because of the inherent nature of a mobile restaurant with limited space and tight margins. Choosing a POS system that meets your unique needs is an important component in launching your business or optimizing your growing enterprise.
Once you’ve selected a food truck POS, make sure to build a powerhouse tech stack that includes sales tax management. DAVO Sales Tax can help you gain back valuable time to focus on the priorities that will help your business grow. With just a few minutes of setup, your sales tax process, filing, and payments are on autopilot. Give it a try and see how much time and hassle you can save.
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