Life on-campus is not easy for students. After all, attending classes, working part-time shifts at the local café and finishing homework can leave students drained and looking for a bite to eat. On-campus restaurants need to offer options that are fast, affordable and most of all nearby. As a result, University dining areas often resemble the Food Court you typically see at shopping malls. Standing out from the crowd is not easy for quick-service food providers dealing with university crowds. However, there is a key factor for delivering easy, fast and filling meals to students on-the-go.
Old School vs. New School
The first factor to keep in mind is that millennials have been raised with technology. They have grown to rely on the convenience that it delivers. So, when it comes to the hunger game, they’ll expect a technology-related solution to solve their hunger problem. Whether it’s a cafe or university club restaurant, the Point of Sales structure on college campuses needs to cater to the requirements of today’s students.
It can be a complex environment. With multiple locations, a POS for university diners needs to handle diverse menus for different cultures. They also must adhere to different nutritional needs for students, and handling students at different times of the day. Does the system need stand-alone kiosks, self-service point-of-sale devices? Does it need to account for cash, credit, debit, and other cashless transactions? Do you need it to handle different languages?
A typical POS system, like many you see today at shops and restaurants, falls short of being the complete solution for restaurant operations. Firstly, many POS systems lack the centralized controls and unified dashboard that a more complete business management tool, such as an rOS (restaurant operating system) would offer. If you’re considering adding or upgrading your campus POS solution to an rOS, here are some of the features you will want to ensure it provides.
• Customer Loyalty
• Online Ordering
• Scheduling
• Kiosk
• Call Center
• Central Kitchen
• Inventory Management
• Payroll Management
Switching to an rOS to maximize on-campus restaurants eatery isn’t just for the students, though. Linking an rOS across multiple campus dining locations provides an easy platform for inventory management and distribution. This translates to savings in both time and money as bulk discounts can be exploited.
Choosing an rOS® over a POS for On-Campus Restaurants
A fully equipped rOS® solution can streamline your university dining operations and satisfy the food service needs of a diverse and growing student customer base. A system like Linga rOS® can not only support the modern university campus but has been selected as a training tool for college hospitality career programs. Traditional POS systems were adequate, but with a growing need to adapt to technology and manage a business from one centralized place, the rOS® is the new standard.
