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Opening a new pizza business can be both a rewarding and challenging experience. But as exciting as it may be, it costs money. With typically limited cash reserves, one of the biggest mistakes many new business owners make is buying ‘good enough for now.’ But when applied to the heart of the business – your POS – this is a decision many business owners come to regret.

Purchasing your first POS: Why low cost doesn’t always equate to better value
With funds tight, it can very be tempting for start-up businesses to go for the cheapest option possible. Oftentimes, new businesses make the mistake of not thinking long-term when making their equipment purchases.

While it might seem like a good idea – even a good deal at first, the problem with this strategy, is that you’ll end up paying in the long run. Yes, you need to spend your start-up cash wisely, but if you don’t examine the typical growth trajectory of well-run pizza businesses, you may undermine efficiency and revenue in the long term. Low-cost systems simply are not built for the complexities of a modern-day delivery-centric pizza world that we now live in.

Future-proof your business
One of the best sources for new business here at FoodTec is business owners who come to realize that their current POS can’t handle it, meaning all the sales, marketing, labor, payments, delivery, and inventory complexities that they now realize are critical to address if they want to maximize their margins.

The concerning part is how quickly they realize they made a mistake. Within a few months, all those situations you thought you wouldn’t have to worry about are suddenly happening on a regular basis. We have seen countless businesses grow from a single store to a thriving chain, so we know the restaurant lifecycle and we know what is next for you as you move beyond opening day. We can help get your single unit pizza restaurant up and running to compete effectively with the big guys. And, as your business grows, our Pizza POS system can easily scale with your needs, allowing multiple locations to operate independently while still being managed by the same system.

Our technology can be tailored to the specific needs of your businesses, and more importantly, leverages evolving technology trends, ensuring your investment remains valuable in the long run. Some key considerations for growth:

• Payments: This is a big one. We are payment agnostic. Many other POS companies are not. They force you to use a particular processor and they get a piece of the payment fees. Know that you will pay a lot more for those low initial fees through processing fees that won’t go down. We don’t lock you in, so you have the freedom to choose what is best for your brand.
• Central Management: Whether it is one store or 15, we can help you centrally manage your menu, orders, table reservations, delivery, and kitchen operations. When opening that one store, you may not be thinking about menu continuity between stores, different tax rates per location and roll-up reporting. But you will sooner than you think. Where do you make money? Efficiency. You will need to monitor your food costs, waste, inventory, customer feedback and staff performance to help you cut waste and drive profitability.
• Business Intelligence: With our real time business reporting, you can gain valuable insights on everything from sales tends, popular menu items, inventory, credit card transactions, and server’s sales, allowing you to evaluate performance and make informed decisions.
• Marketing: Whether its new a store or a new market, you’ll want to run coupons, email marketing, text marketing, a loyalty coupon and gift cards. All of that alone will soak up a lot of your time if you don’t have a POS that will put your marketing and sales program on auto-pilot.
  Not just a “POS”: It’s not just a cash register. Your POS is the heart of your business. Think of a hub and spokes. So that includes KDS (kitchen display systems), printers, online ordering, mobile apps, kiosks, security and loss prevention (camera systems to reduce fraud) and everything in-between – all of which work in concert with one another.
• Professional Service: We have been growing restaurant businesses for a couple of decades. We know what is coming next for you and that industry knowledge is the most valuable thing we can give you. No matter the challenge or concern, you will always be supported with FoodTec. Our professional services and support teams will make sure that your technology is configured just for your business, so you can focus on doing what you do best. But don’t just take our word for it…

“Over the past several years, FoodTec has demonstrated its commitment to Marco’s Pizza in several hundred stores.” – Jack Butorac, Marco’s Franchising LLC.

“It’s not just the software and the POS. FoodTec brings a know-how to the table that’s made us much more competitive.” Bill Kitsilis, Antonio’s Pizza.

Think Long Term
As POS systems stand today, they are practically capable of doing just about anything for your business, and automatically at that. When starting out, bet on yourself. You have the energy and the ideas to make your business a success. But you will need a POS that not only grows with you, but also drives growth – and a technology partner who knows what comes next.