How to switch POS without closing for a day

Switching POS can feel risky. Your till is how you get paid, and nobody wants to lose a day of trade finding out how a new system works.

With a bit of planning, you don’t have to. Here’s a simple way to make the change without closing your doors. If you’d like someone to do most of it for you, here’s how switching to RestoGenius works.

Gather what you need

Before you start, pull together the things your new system will need:

• Your menu and prices, including any options and specials.
• A list of your devices: tablets, printers, card terminals and kitchen screens.
• Where each printer and screen sits, and what it prints or shows.
• Your team, and who needs to use which part of the system.
• Your data, exported from your current POS if you can.

Check your current contract

Look at your agreement with your current provider. Some have notice periods or fees for leaving early. Knowing the dates helps you plan the switch.

Set it up before you need it

Build the new system alongside the old one. Load the menu, connect the devices and send a few test orders to the kitchen and the printers.

Check that every channel works: counter, tables, QR, online and delivery. It’s much easier to fix something on a quiet afternoon than mid-service.

Train in short sessions

Most staff pick up a new POS quickly. Short sessions work better than one long one.

Start with the basics: taking an order, sending it to the kitchen and taking payment. Then cover the less common tasks, like changing an order or checking the day’s sales.

Switch on a quiet shift

Pick your quietest service of the week for the first live shift. Keep the old system’s details handy for a few days, just in case you need to look something up.

Keep support close

Make sure you know who to call if something goes wrong, and when they answer. A problem on a Friday night needs help on a Friday night.

Or let someone else do it

With RestoGenius, a real person builds your menu, connects your devices, lays out your floor, moves your data across for free and walks your team through it before you open. Most venues take live orders the same day they sign up, and support is there 24/7.