What is a restaurant POS system?
POS stands for point of sale. In a restaurant, the POS is not just the cash register: it is where a table is opened, the order is sent to the kitchen, the bill is split and the fiscal receipt is issued.
Short answer
- A restaurant POS system is the application where the waiter opens a table and records the order.
- The order goes from the POS straight to the kitchen and bar screen or printer, split by station.
- At payment, the POS drives the electronic fiscal cash register, which issues the receipt (OUG 28/1999).
- Every sale automatically depletes ingredients from stock, based on the dish's recipe card.
- At the end of the day, the POS produces reports by dish, by waiter and by hour, with no manual work.
What a restaurant POS is made of
The components of a POS system in a restaurant with a kitchen and a bar
| Component | What it does | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Waiter terminal | Opens the table, adds dishes, sends the order | A tablet or phone, on the floor |
| Kitchen display (KDS) | Shows orders by station, with the time and elapsed minutes | A monitor in the kitchen or at the bar |
| Fiscal cash register | Issues the fiscal receipt and the Z report | At the till, connected to the ANAF system |
| Stock module | Depletes ingredients from the recipe card at every sale | In the same application, with no manual export |
| Reports | Sales by dish, by waiter and by hour; average check | In the admin panel, from any device |
What the law says
- A fiscal receipt is mandatory for every on-site payment and must be issued by an electronic fiscal cash register (OUG 28/1999).
- The POS does not replace the fiscal register: it drives it, so the bill is not keyed in a second time.
- Fiscal registers must be connected to the ANAF IT system, which periodically collects the fiscal reports.
- For business customers, the bill can be turned into an invoice; the receipt remains the document issued at payment.
Practical example
Example: table 12 orders two pasta dishes and a glass of wine. The waiter adds them on the tablet; the pasta appears on the kitchen screen, the wine on the bar screen, each with its order time.
At payment the bill is split in two, one part paid by card and one in cash, and the fiscal register issues a receipt for each. Stock drops by 240 g of pasta and 150 ml of wine, and the daily report shows sales by waiter.
Common mistakes
- Buying a POS that does not drive the fiscal register, so the bill is keyed in twice, with errors.
- Not configuring stations, so every order lands on the same screen, drinks included.
- Leaving dishes without a recipe card, so a sale depletes nothing from stock.
- Giving everyone the same void rights on the POS — cancellations become impossible to trace.
How 4restaurants.net helps
- The order taken tableside reaches the kitchen or bar screen within seconds, at the right station.
- The bill can be split by person or by item, with mixed card and cash payments on the same table.
- Every sale depletes stock from the recipe card, so inventory starts from real figures.
- Voids and comps carry a reason and an author, and reports show them apart from sales.