There are many restaurant systems on the market. It can be hard to determine the best one for you. It’s important to understand the differences between various software solutions so you can make the right decision that will benefit you and your business for years to come.
Find The Best Restaurant System For You
The most important consideration is to determine the best system for you. It doesn’t matter how many amazing features there are if it’s drastically outside your budget. Likewise, it doesn’t benefit you to buy a feature-rich yet cheap system that is missing critical capabilities. This guide will help you find the right software with a balance between capability and affordability based on your business goals.
Now Is The Best Time To Buy A New App
Recent changes in technology have dramatically changed the industry. With rapid development of improved apps and new service models tailored to the customer, buyers today can expect to receive more bang for their buck across the board and more of the features that are important to them.
Legacy Restaurant Systems
Based on PC technology of the last 30 years, legacy restaurant systems have established themselves as the accepted standard for digital systems. Because of their high cost, many business owners have kept these systems in place for 15 years or more.
PROS
Ubiquitous in the industry, a thriving used market, familiarity for those with the experience, detailed reporting functionality, integration with industry hardware of the era, were advanced for their time.
CONS
High cost of ownership, increased cost of service, additional maintenance costs, more down time due to equipment failures, out of date technology, expensive equipment upgrades, extended learning curve, unreliable touchscreens, depend on an on-site server, detailed reporting functionality, compromised data security, costly PCI compliance.
If you need to replace an existing legacy system, are a new owner of an established business, remodeling or a tartup you can avoid the problems associated with these aging workhorses. If you’re experienced with legacy system hardware and software it may seem like it could be a good investment on the surface. However, for most business owners newer options that are worth looking at.
Rezku is designed for the restaurant industry, so it’s got all the advanced features restaurants need, from reporting to table management. And unlike many legacy systems — even the “updated” ones — Rezku is 100% EMV and PCI compliant, which means you don’t have to be a data security expert to save yourself from PCI compliance headaches.
With Rezku you can access everything for your restaurant at any time on just your smartphone. You don’t have to run down to the office when you want to run reports. And you don’t ever have to worry about a system crash and losing years of data. All your restaurant data is automatically backed up with absolutely no expiration date.
The Rezku System is a much better choice for those who are considering purchasing a legacy system or are replacing a legacy system but are concerned about losing functionality that they have become familiar with.
Android Restaurant Systems
Like Windows, Android is an open platform. It was developed by Google initially but there are thousands of variations and custom builds created by various tablet, phone and device manufacturers. Android tablets can be extremely cheap because they use a mish-mash of parts.
PROS
Cheap, portable, ability to customize, uses smartphone technology, touchscreen based, easy to use, wireless.
CONS
Varying quality standards, typically short warranty period, planned, obsolescence, numerous security holes, lack of extreme app vetting, low or no resale value, potentially unsupported hardware.
The primary reason you may consider an Android is cost. However, once you start looking at competing software companies you’ll find that just because they use Android tablets doesn’t make them a good investment, nor more affordable. Look at the complete package you’re getting, including hardware, licensing fees, support costs, etc. Consider all the upfront costs, ongoing costs and potential costs involved over a 5 year period. You’ll find that the cost difference between Android and iPad diminishes greatly, as it’s only one component in the whole system. What’s most important is getting the best restaurant system.
Apple was the first company to develop the touchscreen tablet concept. It became the iPad. Since then, the form factor has been imitated by many different Android based tablet manufacturers, but what cannot be copied is the way Apple does business.
Each iteration of the iPad uses the latest technology and innovation developed by Apple to ensure a long-lasting device that is future-proof.
Like the Mac computer a generation earlier, Apple prefers a “walled garden” approach. This gives them complete control over the quality of the hardware and the software, ensuring a greater degree of reliability, longevity and consistency of performance.
PROS
iOS-based, Apple-backed 1 year warranty, free Apple one-on-one training, Apple store support, apps vetted for security and performance, higher resale value, the industry standard for commercial use, security and data encryption, latest wireless technology, highest quality touch screens, advanced battery technology, easy-to-use.
CONS
Prices start higher, incompatibility with Android apps.
Apple stands behind their products, with one-on-one support offered for free with every new iPad. The amount of innovation and work that goes into each new version is dedication. The best reason to get an iPad restaurant app is the falling prices of iPads. Brand new, you can find iPads online for under $300. This is one of the best deals in computers right now. Some people might have a bad impression about Apple as a company or dislike using a Mac computer. Keep in mind that your iPad will be dedicated to use as your point of sale.
Not all iPad systems are created the same. The devil is in the details.
Save money, and simplify your software by choosing a serverless system. Some iPad systems still require the use of an expensive Mac computer as an on-site server. This could make it harder to comply with PCI, requires data backups and if it goes down, you’re out of luck.
From any internet connected device — like your smartphone — you can perform every back office management function, from changing the menu to pulling detailed reports. You can be at the park catching rays instead of stuck in the restaurant office with a computer.
Be aware that some tablet based restaurant software systems are really just web-pages. Everything is done through the internet, so if your internet goes down you’ve lost everything. Imagine losing the internet and you can still take orders, print and most importantly take credit card payments. If your app doesn’t let you run cards when there’s no internet then seriously, what’s the point?
| Feature List | Legacy Software | Android Software | iPad Software | Rezku Software |
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| Wireless |
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| True Offline Mode |
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| Detailed Restaurant Analytics |
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| Complete Remote Management |
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| Reduced PCI Scope |
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| Unlimited Restaurant Data |
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| Tableside Ordering |
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| Future-Proof Hardware |
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| Free Automatic Updates |
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Certified Class-8 American Vendor
Guest Innovations, Inc.
Guest Innovations has achieved the highest class certification of American Ingenuity and is verified as fully US-based.
Rezku is a trademark of Guest Innovations, Inc. “Making Restaurants More” is a service mark of Guest Innovations, Inc. iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch are the trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple, Inc. Android is a registered trademark of Google. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft. Other logos & trade names are the property of their respective owners. Use of Rezku POS and this website are subject to Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
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