Demo a busy 15-minute order window across every channel you use. Check menu availability, kitchen routing, delivery hand-off and how each channel's payment is reconciled at close.
Follow an order from receipt to collection
Ask a supplier to enter a counter order, a phone order with a modifier, and an online order for an item that has just sold out. Watch what reaches the kitchen and what appears on the collection screen or printout. Ask whether the EPOS updates menu availability across connected channels automatically or whether staff must do it manually.
Where delivery platforms are important, ask exactly which integrations are supported, whether they require third-party middleware, and what happens when a connector fails. A screenshot of an integration logo is not a substitute for a live demonstration.
Compare channel costs separately
Keep the EPOS subscription, online-ordering add-on, payment processing and delivery-platform charges in separate columns. Fees may differ by channel; do not calculate your total cost from the card-present rate alone. Ask how refunds, cancellations and tips are reconciled, especially when one order was paid through a delivery platform rather than your own terminal.
If you take your own online orders, ask who owns the customer data and domain, and whether there are per-order fees. For a busy kitchen, support hours and outage handling can matter more than a small difference in monthly software price.
Takeaway demo checklist
- Show a menu item running out across every connected sales channel.
- Route different product categories to the right kitchen station.
- Demonstrate collection time changes and order amendments.
- Reconcile counter, direct online and delivery-platform payments separately.
- Explain what staff do during an internet or integration outage.
Epos Now publishes a takeaway-specific POS page and EPOS Direct includes takeaway among the sectors it serves. Those sources explain their own products; independent suitability still depends on your workflow and written offer.
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Build your briefSource and further reading
EPOS Direct describes its own products; check current features, offers and terms before buying.
Providers are illustrative market examples, not a paid ranking, confirmed partner roster or product test. Check demonstrations, pricing and contract terms with each supplier.