Over the past two years, we’ve seen the iPad integrated into a number of different workplaces. While most iPad in business stories focus on the freedom that the iPad offers, the story of the iPad and iPod touch in one Brooklyn restaurant illustrates that in addition to freedom and flexibility, adopting Apple’s mobile platform can save you a lot of cold hard cash.
The Brooklyn Taphouse saved thousands of dollars by going with an iPad and iPod touch point of sale system. Rather than adopting one of the major restaurant POS systems, which can run into the tens of thousands of dollars to implement, owners Hugo Salazar and Steve Escobar decided to go with an iOS restaurant system from Albuquerque-based Lavu.
The system cost about $7,000 – significantly less than the average $20,000 price tag of traditional systems.
In addition to saving money on up front costs, the system has streamlined operations at the restaurant. Wait staff use the iPod touch devices to take orders from diners that are immediately wirelessly transferred to the kitch staff. iPads perform similar duties at the bar when they’re not being used to settle trivia debates or arguments. In addition to making the front of house run better, the system also offers up to the minute inventory data and can be managed onsite or remotely. The only downside is that new customers sometimes make the mistake of assuming that waitstaff entering orders are actually texting their friends.
Handling orders at the Brooklyn Taphouse should be a walk in the park for POSLavu – the system has also been featured in episodes of Fox’s Kitchen Nightmares – the U.S. version of the popular British restaurant reality show featuring Gordon Ramsey (video from the episodes below). POSLavu’s website indicates that its system will also be featured in additional episodes in the future.
Source: TUAW
Image: Lavu
