How to choose the right POS system for your restaurant

Interview with Louise Harvig Olsmar, Head of Marketing at Trivec

Trivec: Hi Louise – what do you think is the most important thing to consider when choosing a POS system?

Louise: Hi! Well, I’d say the absolute most important thing is to think about your goals. What kind of business are you running? Will it be table service, fast food, or maybe an à la carte restaurant? How many bars will you have? Do you want to be able to open more points of sale depending on the season? How do you want your guests to order and pay in the smoothest way possible? And which integrations would make your daily operations easier? All of that affects what kind of solution will work best for you.

Trivec: Is there a common mistake people make when choosing a POS system?

Louise: Yes – thinking you have to buy everything at once. We usually recommend starting small – for example, with one POS and a few payment terminals. Then it’s easy to scale up and add more products as your needs grow. Integrations that make things smoother can also be added later. That way it’s less stressful – both for your staff and your wallet.

Trivec: That’s smart! What’s your take on budgeting?

Louise: The budget should match your type of business. But the key is to see it as an investment. A good POS system can actually help increase revenue by making things more efficient. Choose a system that gives you good insights into sales, staffing, and guest behavior – ideally something that integrates with a loyalty program. It’s not just about taking payments – it’s about running your business smarter. For example, Trivec offers HandyPay, which lets you take orders and payments from the same device. With HandyPay, you can set up a sales point anywhere in your restaurant.

Trivec: What would you say is extra important when picking a POS system?

Louise: Reliability, user-friendliness, scalability, and good support. And you want to feel that help is just around the corner if something happens – especially in the evenings and on weekends when restaurants are the busiest.

Trivec: What does installation and getting started usually look like?

Louise: Once the customer has chosen their system, we help with everything. Our technicians install and customize the POS based on the restaurant’s needs. And we make sure the staff feels confident using it – it’s important to start off on the right foot from day one.

Trivec: Any final tips you want to share with restaurant owners?

Louise: Yes – don’t be afraid to use everything the POS system can offer! A lot of people only use a small portion of the features. Trivec Insights, which is a dashboard in MyTrivec, is great for keeping track of sales targets, hourly and daily sales, weather data, and your best and worst-selling products. We’re happy to show how you can work more efficiently – there’s often more to gain than you’d think.

Trivec: Great tips, Louise. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks! And don’t forget to check out our guide “How to Choose the Right POS System” – it’s available for download here!