Short answer
To switch restaurant POS systems safely: export your data from the old system, build and test the menu in the new one, set up and test your devices, train staff on a practice service, go live on a quiet shift with the old system as backup, and check the first few days' reports carefully before cancelling the old contract.
Two to four weeks before
- Check your old contract: notice period and any exit fee.
- Export everything as CSV: menu, guests, loyalty and gift card balances, and sales history.
- Start the trial of the new POS with your real menu.
The setup afternoon
- Menu: categories, items, prices, modifiers, combos, time-based menus. Give items SKUs if you'll connect delivery apps or an online store.
- Tax and service charge: rates, inclusive or exclusive, takeaway rate.
- Tables: draw your floor plan with sections.
- Kitchen stations: assign each item to its station.
- Payments: switch on the payment methods you take.
- Staff: invite everyone with the right role and set PINs.
- Devices: install the POS on each tablet and computer, and connect printers.
- Integrations: delivery apps, online store, tax portal, accounting.
Practice service
Run a mock service with your team: real menu, fake orders. Do every awkward thing you can think of: a four-way split, a refund, a void, a complicated modifier, a delivery order, an outage (unplug the router). Fix anything that's confusing in the menu or settings.
Go-live day
- Choose your quietest service
- Have a manager free to help on the floor
- Keep the old system available, but don't use both for the same orders
- Print the outage checklist and put it by the main terminal
The first week
- Read the end-of-day report every night and compare it with cash and card totals
- Ask staff what's slowing them down, and fix it in the menu or settings
- Re-enter loyalty and gift card balances for your regulars
- Once a full week reconciles cleanly, cancel the old system
Launch checklist
| Done | Task |
|---|---|
| ☐ | Old data exported |
| ☐ | Menu built with modifiers and stations |
| ☐ | Tax, service charge and payment methods set |
| ☐ | Floor plan drawn |
| ☐ | Devices installed and printers tested |
| ☐ | Staff invited with roles and PINs |
| ☐ | Integrations connected and tested |
| ☐ | Practice service done, including an outage test |
| ☐ | Go-live service chosen and manager briefed |
| ☐ | First week reconciled |
| ☐ | Old system cancelled |
You can run the whole plan, up to go-live, on EvronDesk's 14-day free trial.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to switch POS systems?
For a single restaurant moving to a cloud POS, setup usually takes an afternoon and go-live can happen within a week, including a practice service. Groups and complex menus take longer.
What data should I export from my old POS?
Your menu with prices and modifiers, guest list and loyalty balances, gift card balances, and sales history for your records. Export everything as CSV before your old contract ends.
When is the best time to go live?
Your quietest service of the week, with a manager on the floor and the old system available as a backup for the first day.