Describe your busiest service before choosing software
Start with a real trading session. List where guests order, where staff take payments, how drinks reach the bar and how food reaches the kitchen. A pub with a small dining room works differently from a venue with several bars, a beer garden and private events. Write down the points where staff currently queue, repeat information or correct mistakes.
Use that description as your buying brief. Ask suppliers to demonstrate your workflow rather than a generic demo. Count the counters and service areas, but also consider which devices need to operate simultaneously. Your aim is a setup the team can use under pressure, not the longest advertised feature list.
Test tabs and split bills in the demonstration
If you use bar tabs, ask how they are opened, identified, updated and closed. Confirm whether the specific quoted payment arrangement supports any pre-authorisation workflow you need. Try a guest moving from the bar to a table and a group splitting the bill. Include a correction and a refund in the test rather than only a straightforward sale.
Check what staff can see and who can change or remove an item. Clear permissions matter as much as speed. A demo should show the actual software and payment configuration you would receive. Do not assume every device or integration supports the same features just because the supplier uses the same product name.
Build drinks keys and food modifiers carefully
A good pub menu layout should put common drinks, sizes and combinations within easy reach without hiding less frequent choices. Test how a staff member enters a half pint, a mixer, a food substitution and a special instruction. Decide which modifiers need explicit choices and which messages should reach a preparation station.
Do not let speed replace clear information. Allergen communication remains a responsibility of the food business, with staff training and reliable procedures outside the till. Review menu names and prices before launch, then make responsibility for future updates explicit. A tidy initial menu becomes less useful if nobody owns changes after installation.
Check garden and secondary-bar connectivity
Walk the whole site, including the beer garden, upstairs rooms and any temporary service points. Identify power outlets, network coverage and where the internet connection enters the building. A device that works beside the router may behave differently behind thick walls or at the far end of outdoor seating. Test in the areas where staff will actually use it.
Ask what happens if a connection fails and which functions remain available under the quoted arrangement. Do not assume offline payment acceptance. Agree a fallback method, support contacts and a clear decision process for staff. Connectivity should be assessed before choosing the number and type of handheld devices.
Route food and drink orders to the right place
A pub serving food may need different order destinations for the bar, main kitchen and a separate preparation station. Ask for a demonstration of an order with both food and drinks. Check how course timing, late additions and cancellations appear. If you are considering a kitchen display, compare it with your current printed-ticket process.
Make instructions visible without turning every ticket into a wall of text. Discuss how staff acknowledge a change and which screen or printer remains the fallback. Do not buy extra displays simply because they look modern. Choose equipment that solves a specific communication issue in your venue and rehearse the process with kitchen staff.
Look at reporting and records
Decide which reports you need at the end of a shift and which you review weekly. Sales by item, payment reconciliation and user activity can answer different operational questions. Stock or labour tools may require additional setup, connections or subscriptions, so verify them rather than assuming they are included. Ask to export a sample report during the demonstration.
HMRC requires appropriate business and VAT records where applicable. An ePOS can support record keeping, but it does not remove your accounting responsibilities. Check the information your accountant needs, the retention arrangements and how you can obtain records if you later change systems. Avoid relying on a dashboard screenshot as your only record.
Compare the full package and train the whole team
A pub quote should identify software, Workstations, payment terminals, printers, drawers, handhelds and any kitchen displays separately. Include installation, menu work, training, support and paid connections. Check replacement and return conditions, contract length and any existing obligations. Compare the configuration you need, not simply the cheapest advertised monthly starting price.
Plan training for managers and part-time staff, not just the person buying the system. Rehearse a busy round, a food amendment, a split bill, a void and closing the day. Keep short venue-specific procedures at the service points. Make clear who can contact support and who can approve operational changes.
How Essential Payments can help
Essential Payments is an Official Shift4 Partner for UK businesses. We can review your statement and demonstrate Shift4 Dine ePOS around pub ordering, kitchen and reporting requirements. Shift4 Dine starts from £39/month; the quoted scope determines your total cost. Shift4 One is the smart card terminal, while the Workstation is the countertop hospitality ePOS device.
We cover the whole United Kingdom with installation and training planned around your team. Same-week setup is for approved applications. Free hardware is subject to eligibility and status, and transaction fees apply. Keep your existing system available until the replacement is tested and an agreed changeover plan is ready; no setup removes every possible interruption.
Sources and further reading
General information, not legal or accounting advice. Check current provider terms and official guidance for your business.