“Considering the brand’s growth aspirations, the cloud-based Brink POS makes it the ideal centerpiece in a standard tech stack that will help the IT team and me equip future locations more easily.”
Table Service POS Challenges
- Legacy system that lacked ability for integrations
- Unsatisfactory payment strategy
- Inability to handle increased foot traffic and order volume
Table Service POS Goals
- Ability to integrate with existing tech stack systems
- Leverage hand-held tablets
- Handle large volumes of guest orders
Table Service POS Solutions and Integrations
- PAR Solutions: Brink POS and PAR EverServ 600 counter terminals
- Integrated with: KDS (QSR Automation), Reporting(Restaurant365 Back Office) and Tablets (Touch Dynamic Tablets)
Described as the ultimate sports-watching entertainment experience, Tom’s Watch Bar, a sports bar with eight locations across the United States, will surely satisfy any fan’s thirst for an immersive sports experience, alongside top-shelf food, beverage, and service.
Guest Service Challenges
Tom’s Watch Bar workflow has relied on table servers to circulate among guests, taking food and drink orders and payment using tablet computers. For fans sitting at the bar-top, bartenders enter orders on fixed countertop terminals. Food orders are sent to 27-inch Kitchen Display System (KDS) screens, while drink orders are routed to screens at the proper drink prep station based on table location in the restaurant.
During special events such as All-Star Weekend and the Super Bowl, Tom’s Watch Bar would experience large spikes in foot traffic and order volume across several of their locations. At these times, the brand’s legacy POS, primarily at their Los Angeles location, failed to handle the increase in order volume and could not support the use of tablets.
Anticipating the growth of five locations in 2023 and wanting to avoid more of the same ordering and payment challenges, Dan Doyle, Director of Technology at Tom’s Watch Bar, sought a replacement POS that could chew through large quantities of customer orders as well as seamlessly integrate with tablets.
“Servers can instantly see menu changes, and orders are routed to the proper make-prep station. From taking an order to accepting payment, they are far more efficient using the tablet and are free to move from one table to the next in their section. ”
Brink POS Easily Integrates with Existing Tech Stack Systems
After evaluating several POS solutions, Tom’s Watch Bar chose PAR Brink POS to implement across its locations. Brink POS offered the brand a modern, cloud-based architecture with a purpose-built design that would remove the need for in-store servers, which was required by their previous legacy POS. It was the perfect fit for Tom’s Watch Bar’s table-side guest service model today and their tech stack. “Considering the brand’s growth aspirations, the cloud-based Brink POS makes it the ideal centerpiece in a standard tech stack that will help the IT team and me equip future locations more easily,” said Dan Doyle, Director of Technology at Tom’s Watch Bar.
No operator wants to undergo unnecessary technology changes, and with PAR Brink POS, Tom’s Watch Bar’s team never missed a beat. Brink POS worked seamlessly within the existing front and back-of-house systems the brand was already using. And by selecting PAR Brink POS, Dan, his technology team, and the business were able to avoid altering their technology ecosystem due to Brink POS system’s ability to integrate easily with a wide range of third-party solutions.
Readily Scales to Support Tablet Service and Large
Volumes of Guest Orders
–Now, servers no longer must take a guest’s order and walk to a stationary terminal to enter it, table-side orders can be sent directly to the prep screen in the kitchen or bar area, saving the server steps and time. The result is faster order fulfillment, quicker drink re-orders and faster table turn, which translate to higher sales, bigger tips, and satisfied, satiated fans.
With PAR Brink POS, operators no longer need the in-store server required by the previous legacy POS. This lowers the technology burden and simplifies maintenance. According to Doyle, PAR Brink handles the spikes in orders and supports the number of ordering devices needed to serve guests.
Moreover, Tom’s Watch Bar operators are hearing nothing but positivity from servers and kitchen staff using the new technology. “Servers like the more efficient ordering interface in Brink POS,” explained Doyle. “They can instantly see menu changes, and orders are routed to the proper make-prep station. From taking an order to accepting payment, they are far more efficient using the tablet and are free to move from one table to the next in their section. Rushes are less disruptive, and a spike in volume is no longer a guest service or technical headache. Bottlenecks at stations are a thing of the past.”