Restaurant POS Providers Roll Out Spring Enhancements

Providers of restaurant point-of-sale and management technology continue to enhance their offerings as restaurants remain one of the hottest markets in digital payments.

Par Technology Corp. announced its POS Spring Release early Tuesday, aimed at helping restaurants improve customer convenience and streamline operating costs. Key features include support for contactless payments and ordering options, such as Pay via SMS and QR code with PAR Pay. Also on Par’s new menu: the ability for customers to pay for in-store orders using their loyalty accounts, and to add items to open orders while in the restaurant. The features are expected to speed transactions and improve table turnover, Par says.

In addition, Par introduced Geofencing Integration for ETA on Kitchen Chits, an app that displays guest arrival estimates in real time to improve prep timing, reduce waste, and streamline pickup operations. The app, which integrates with geolocation platforms, also provides restaurants the option of tailoring pricing for when a customer requests modification to a menu item, such as an added topping or requesting a different side dish.

The app also includes improved tax-calculation capabilities, such as taxes levied by third-party delivery services such as DoorDash and Uber Eats, as well as the ability to better manage regional quantity-based tax rules. The enhancements are expected to provide more accurate tax reporting and better visibility into tax obligations, according to Par.    

PAR says it is also making it possible for restaurants to define and manage custom data, such as product codes, category tags, and tracking numbers. The data can be tailored to the restaurant’s brand and is accessible via an application programing interface. Real-time data feed reduces data syncing times by five to 10 minutes to near-real time, while improving reporting and API integration performance, Par says.

In related news, Qu Inc., a provider of restaurant POS technology, has introduced what it describes as a new “smart kitchen platform”. The platform, called the Energy and Equipment Intelligence system, provides restaurants with features to improve operations across the entire business, such as the ability for restaurants to monitor and optimize energy, which can reduce utility costs by up to 15%. Other new features include artificial intelligence to detect early warning signs of likely equipment breakdowns.

Restaurants using Qu’s technology are reporting up to a threefold return on investment in the first year through energy savings, extended equipment life, and improved product consistency, the company says.

Also on the restaurant-technology front, SpotOn Transact LLC has released tools for improved financial management and more efficient payment flows. SpotOn says it is now enabling consumers to start a tab in offline mode.