Short answer
To use a restaurant POS: sign in with your PIN, open a table or new order, add items with modifiers and seat numbers, send them to the kitchen, fire later courses when the table is ready, then print or show the bill, split it if needed and take payment. At the end of the shift, count the drawer and close the day with a Z report.
The steps below follow EvronDesk, but almost every restaurant POS works the same way.
1. Sign in
On a shared terminal, tap your name and enter your four-digit PIN. Everything you do is recorded under your name, so never share your PIN or use someone else's. Clock in for your shift if your restaurant uses the POS for timesheets.
2. Start an order
- Dine-in: tap the table on the floor plan, or pick it from the table list. Set the number of guests.
- Takeaway or delivery: choose the order type at the top, and add the customer's name and phone (and address for delivery).
- Bar tab: open a tab under the guest's name or a description.
3. Add items
Tap a category, then the item. If the item has choices ("How would you like it cooked?"), the POS asks before adding it. Add optional extras the same way. Add a seat number as you go if the table might split later, and a note for anything unusual ("allergy: sesame").
Use the search box for long menus: type part of the name or the item number.
4. Send to the kitchen
Tap Send. Each item goes to its station's screen or printer. For multi-course meals, assign mains to course 2 so they wait. When the starters are cleared, tap Fire to send the next course.
5. Make changes
- Add more items: open the order again and send again. Only the new items go to the kitchen.
- Remove an item before it's sent: tap minus.
- Remove an item after it's sent: void it with a reason. This usually needs a manager's PIN.
- Move or merge: move the order to another table or merge two tables.
6. Present the bill and split it
Print the bill or show it on the screen. To split:
- Evenly between a number of guests
- By seat, using the seats you added while ordering
- By item, putting items on each guest's check
- By amount, for "I'll pay 40 and she'll pay the rest"
7. Take payment
Choose the payment type: cash (the POS shows change due), card (take it on the card terminal first, then record it), wallet, gift card or store credit. Add a tip if the guest gives one. Print, email or text the receipt.
8. Refunds
Find the paid order in Orders, tap Refund, choose the items or an amount, the reason, and whether to put the stock back. Refunds normally need a manager.
9. End of shift and end of day
Count your drawer on the cash screen. The POS shows what it expected, so any over or short is visible straight away. The manager closes the day and prints the Z report.
A one-hour training plan
Run this before your new POS goes live, or with each new starter.
| Minutes | Activity |
|---|---|
| 0–10 | Sign in with PIN, clock in, tour of the screens |
| 10–25 | Practice orders: dine-in with modifiers and seats, takeaway, bar tab |
| 25–35 | Send, hold and fire; watch the kitchen screen |
| 35–45 | Split bills four ways; take cash, card and gift card |
| 45–50 | Void and refund with a manager |
| 50–55 | What to do when the internet drops (keep going) |
| 55–60 | Clock out; managers: cash-up and Z report |
Tip from the floor
Run training during your free trial, before you go live, so practice orders never mix with real sales. For new starters later, practise on a quiet afternoon with a manager standing by to void the test orders.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to learn a restaurant POS?
With a modern touchscreen POS, most servers and cashiers are comfortable after one shift. Managers need an extra hour or two for refunds, cash-up, reports and settings.
What should POS training cover?
Signing in, opening a table or order, adding items and modifiers, sending to the kitchen, holding and firing courses, splitting bills, taking each payment type, voids and refunds, and closing out. Managers also need cash-up, the Z report and menu changes.
How do I stop staff misusing the POS?
Give everyone their own PIN, set roles so only managers can void or refund, set a discount limit, and review the activity log each week.