Author: Heidi Orpilla

4 Challenges in Restaurant Technology for the Next Decade

People are constantly seeking new and delicious ways to feed themselves and their families without spending the time and effort shopping, preparing, and cleaning up after a meal. It seems like no one has time for that anymore, so restaurant entrepreneurs are filling the void with creative solutions.

“Ghost” restaurants that are only kitchens and a pickup counter are serving up delicious takeout dinners for families of two, four, or more. There are more delivery options in smaller markets, and convenience and grocery stores have been expanding their foodservice offerings with more prepared foods and heat-and-serve meals. The desire for ease and speed, combined with the expansion of take-out only options means that off-premises traffic will post stronger gains than on-premises dining. Consolidation in food manufacturing and distribution will intensify.

SMB restaurant owners can prepare for these shifts in the industry by deploying the right technology. According to The National Restaurant Association, technology will take over by 2030, so here’s what you should expect.

1. Customer Use of Mobile Payment Technology Will Become More Widespread

Mobile payments are catching on—quickly. From 2015 to 2018, the percentage of customers placing orders and paying through a smartphone app increased from 11% to 39%. Mobile represents 60% of all digital restaurant orders today.

Currently, 60% of Americans order delivery or takeout once a week, and this number is expected to climb, as the popularity of off-premises dining outpaces dine-in. Restaurant owners and managers should prepare for this increase by deploying an online ordering system or mobile app and delivery solution.

Online ordering engages the customer and gives them control over the ordering process, so they can place an order and securely process payments anytime, from anywhere. It is a win for both the customer and the restaurant: the average order placed via mobile app or online system is 20% higher, so restaurants boost their earnings while customers satisfy their cravings as quickly and easily as possible.

2. Customers Will Expect Pay-at-the-Table Solutions

Pay-at-the table solutions streamline the guest experience at the end of the meal. They eliminate the time spent after the check is brought. The diner puts his card on the table, the server takes it, processes the payment, and then brings it back. Most customers don’t give a second thought to handing their credit card to a restaurant employee so the payment can be processed, but when the server leaves with the card to swipe it at the POS terminal, it’s an opportunity for theft. Restaurant staff can run cards through a skimmer to steal the number before swiping it at the terminal to process the payment.

Mobile/tablet POS solutions that process payments tableside are a more secure and convenient alternative for employees and diners. These solutions process payments in front of patrons, so their credit card never leaves their sight. Mobile POS solutions include several enhancements for tableside payments, including on-screen signature capture using a finger or stylus for an added layer of security. Tablets secured to the table are another option that eliminates the need for the server to visit the table, so diners can pay their check and the table can be turned immediately. More table turns means more meals served, which is invaluable for a small restaurant that requires multiple table turns to make a profit.

3. 30% of Customers Say They Would Prefer to Order from a Kiosk

The self-service kiosk market will reach an estimated $30.8 billion by 2024, according to market research compiled by the National Restaurant Association, and it’s easy to see why. The average ticket size for orders placed via kiosk are larger than those taken by employees because they upsell or cross-sell on every screen and every transaction, without needing reminders or incentives.

Self-service technology engages with customers digitally, which is what people prefer. Although some people may feel better about placing their order with a live employee, most people are comfortable with, and will even seek out, self-service kiosks, which send orders to the kitchen as soon as they are entered.

The National Restaurant Association conducted a survey of 2,000 quick-service and fast casual restaurant visitors, which revealed more about how long people are willing to wait for a counterperson. If the line for an employee and kiosk were of equal length, 30% of people would choose the kiosk. The same survey noted that if the line is more than four people long, most customers would prefer to use the kiosk.

Free Self-Service Kiosk Resources

The future of many industries lies with self-service solutions. That’s why Star Micronics is offering free online ordering resources for resellers and software developers who are helping customers future-proof their businesses with self-service solutions.

Visit Self-Service Toolbox

4. Point of Sale Hardware is Constantly Evolving to Keep Up with Software Innovation

POS hardware isn’t a one-time purchase; it’s constantly evolving because there’s so much innovation in restaurant software due to changing customer preferences and the demand for convenience. Choosing hardware based on appearance or price instead of functionality and flexibility stunts your opportunity for growth and future success. Don’t limit yourself by choosing hardware that doesn’t accommodate critical modern applications.

For example, cloud-based POS solutions have gone from optional to mainstream, but this technology requires “always on” connectivity. Downtime is damaging for a small restaurant because it costs you money and can drastically reduce the likelihood that guests will return in the future.

Future-proof your hardware by choosing POS components and software offered by a company that is known for innovative and reliable hardware solutions with a record of long-term success.

Want to upgrade from a locally hosted POS setup to the cloud, but worried about connection reliability? Leveraging a solution like Star Micronics’ mC-Print3 receipt printer, with SteadyLAN®, ensures that downtime due to a poor or interrupted Wi-Fi connection is eliminated, so you can modernize your operation without worry.

Ready to Learn More about How to Prepare?

Download Restaurant Challenge eBook

April 21, 2020
Star Teams Up with Square to Offer Linerless Label Printer Support on iOS
We’re proud to announce that payments and point of sale (POS) company Square has added iOS support for our TSP654SK label printer. This new release will add even more functionality to Square’s POS solution for cafes and quick service restaurants (QSRs).

With Square’s addition of label printer support to their Point of Sale for the first time, businesses can say goodbye to writing down individual item modifiers and, instead, automatically print single item tickets to keep orders moving quickly. The support of Star’s TSP654SK will also help to reduce human error by eliminating hand written orders while printing professional, clean, and easy-to-read labels.

Star Micronics TSP654SK linerless label printer allows for easily repositionable thermal labels that can stick to virtually any surface, and can be removed and reapplied, leaving behind no residue. The labels can stay with and track an order through the entire preparation process, improving takeout order accuracy and eliminating the cost of additional print-outs.

At Star, we take great pride in our partnership with Square and we are excited to provide more robust solutions for their sellers, giving them the ability to more accurately fulfill and track orders using a simple labeling solution.

Benefits of Linerless Labels

Since linerless labels do not use a silicone liner, they eliminate the negative environmental impact of alternative labels and help cut back on in-house waste, thus continuing Star Micronics’ Global Green Initiative which encompasses manufacturing products that provide minimal impact on our environment.

Linerless labels are a welcomed addition for QSR applications including fulfilling takeout and delivery orders. The labels can be used for custom items within an order or the entire order by attaching it to the order container. Linerless labels can stay with and track an order through the entire preparation process, improving order accuracy and a business’s bottom line.

About the Star Label PrinterThe TSP654SK is the ideal linerless label printer! Explore some of its features below:
- 80mm support
- High reliability at a low cost
- “Drop-In and Print” paper loading
- Reliable guillotine auto-cutter
- Small footprint
- Swappable communication interface
- Serial, Ethernet, parallel, or USB
- Optional vertical stand
Download Datasheet

Other Square-Integrated Solutions

Our partnership with Square includes many more POS solutions. Find some of our other popular integrations below:

Value Series Cash Drawers

Durable steel construction
13” x 13” and 16” x 16” sizes
Black or white coated finish
Cash till options: 4 bill / 5 coin, 3 bill / 5 coin for Canadian currency

mPOP™

Compact and sleek design
Printer – cash drawer – scanner – device stand
Compatible with iOS, Android, and Windows
Two cash drawer options: vertical bill (4 bill and 6 or 8 adjustable coin slots) and flat bill (4 bill and 4 or 6 adjustable coin slots)

TSP143III

High-speed printing (250mm/s)
Easy setup across all models
Lightning connection for simultaneous charging and data transfer
Compatible with Star Micronics Cloud Services

Want to Take a Closer Look at the New Star Label Printer?

Learn More

Free iOS Resources

It can be tough to find truly Apple-compatible hardware for point of sale use. Star Micronics offers the largest range of Apple compatible printing products and Apple certified POS hardware. Developer friendly, Star was the first provider of SDK for iOS and is currently the only provider that offers iOS development support for scales, cash drawers, and kiosk printers. Help your customers future-proof their Apple POS solutions with Star Micronics.

Visit iOS Toolbox
April 15, 2020
How to Plan for an Effortless POS Deployment
These days, while the state of business and the world at large comes with a lot of uncertainty, one thing that is sure to be a constant in the future is mobile point of sale (mPOS). Many business owners may have some downtime on their hands and it’s natural for them to plan for when their doors reopen. A modern POS that’s ready for the future may be a part of those plans.

You can help your customers hit the ground running by having a healthy knowledge of what it takes to plan for an effortless POS deployment. Every business has specifics needs, and POS is certainly not “one size fits all,” but in today’s blog post we’ll explore the fundamentals of how to offer your customers a solution that will work for them well into the future.

POS Deployment Step 1: The Meat and Potatoes

First, you must consider the “meat and potatoes” of the POS deployment. What does this include, you might wonder? Hardware, software, and scalability are all good concerns to keep in the front and center of your mind as you help customers plan POS deployments.

Hardware Considerations:

Printer: A good starting point is to make note of which kind of POS printer(s) your customer needs. Is a desktop thermal receipt printer required? Or maybe an impact kitchen printer? Or mobile printers, for on-the-go transactions? From there, you can assess and compare printer options, keeping in mind connectivity, reliability, print speed, aesthetics, and more.

Cash Drawer: All cash drawers might seem similar, but they’re not. An important question to ask yourself is what size of cash drawer your customer needs – do they experience a lot of cash transactions, or mostly credit card and mobile payments? From there, it’s important to consider how many bills and coins they’d like to store in their till, as well as if they need to store checks/coupons, which would require a cash drawer with media slots, and if they plan on supporting a POS terminal or tablet POS on top of the drawer, which would require a drawer with added built-in strength. Design should also be on your list of considerations – your goal is to have your customer’s cash drawer seamlessly and cohesively fit in with the rest of the POS.

Peripherals/Accessories: Once the printer and cash drawer are squared away, it’s time to plan for peripherals and accessories. If your client is opting for a tablet POS, be sure to offer a stand that has both a clean design and useful features like universal VESA mounting so it can accommodate any tablet and the ability to rotate to capture customer signatures. For many businesses, a customer display is also important to prominently display an order’s total price and scanners are a must for ringing up products. If your customer is a cannabis dispensary, jeweler, grocery/deli, frozen yogurt shop, or even a farmer’s market stall, it’s important to offer POS scales that are legal for trade, easy to connect with other POS components, and portable.

Software Considerations: Do a deep dive into your customer’s daily functions and goals for what they want to do in the future. For example, while a good place to start is modernizing a retailer’s main POS terminal, does the customer also want to complete transactions and look up inventory while on the sales floor? Or if your client is a restaurant, in addition to a POS and kitchen printer, would they like to incorporate online ordering or self-service kiosk technology into their establishment? Make sure you offer software that can handle it all and provide an easy, one-source solution for the customer.

Scalability: An important factor to consider when planning both POS hardware and software initiatives is scalability. Does your customer operate just one store? Or perhaps a handful of stores? Or maybe even an entire franchise? Be sure to select hardware and software that is easily scalable, no matter what size business you’re assisting.

POS Deployment Step 2: Affordability

An inevitably important factor in your customer’s POS deployment considerations is price – and who can blame them?

It’s important as a solution provider to offer products that can accommodate a variety of budgets, but one thing to keep in mind is that the cheapest option may not be the most affordable in the long run. It’s also smart to research the warranties and reliability of products, as replacing cheap but unreliable products will likely end up being considerably more expensive than investing upfront in a quality solution backed by a strong warranty.

POS Deployment Step 3: Select a Dependable Supplier

Your suppliers matter! Choose a supplier with attentive, solution-focused sales and integration teams that will help you not only find the right solution but ensure it will work for your customer’s specific business needs. Some factors to look for when choosing a hardware or software supplier are:

Robust Support: Choose a supplier that has a live support team, online resources, frequent and useful software/firmware updates, and more.

Industry Knowledge: Another must-have is a supplier who has a healthy amount of industry knowledge as well as the ability to act as a trusted advisor, not a product-pusher.

Multiple Integrations: Choose a supplier that is integrated with industry-leading hardware/software manufacturers so you know that your customer’s solution of choice will work with the tech you offer.

POS Deployment Step 4: Look to the Future

If your customer could look into a crystal ball and see five years into the future, we’d bet that they’d like to see themselves keeping up with the latest trends in the most affordable way possible. Do that by choosing a future-proof POS deployment in the present!

While choosing a future-proof solution today might mean a higher price tag up-front, it will serve your customers over time and they can rest assured it will be integrated with any future solutions that they choose to deploy.

As we mentioned above, reliability is also a critical consideration for the future. Don’t roll out a POS deployment that will leave your customers with unexpected downtime, maintenance expenses, and replacement costs.

Last but not least, we understand the POS is just one part of a business. Marketing is also surely a priority to your customers – and did you know that the POS can play a part in that? Some receipt printers, like Star’s, feature value-added receipt marketing software which means your clients can grow their sales and customer base by simply using the tools they already have.

We hope that these POS deployment tips are helpful as you help some of your customers plan for the future during this time of uncertainty. Our hearts and thoughts are with everyone affected by COVID-19.

Free Resources During COVID-19 & Beyond

Now more than ever, safety is a priority in retail and hospitality environments. Star Micronics is proud to offer a line of solutions and resources for businesses during this challenging time, designed to keep consumers and employees safe, as well as mitigate business impact caused by COVID-19.

Visit Our Health & Safety Toolbox

Star Micronics Product Catalog

Explore POS printers, label printers, kiosk solutions, and accessories for retail, restaurant, self-service, and more.

Download Now
April 13, 2020
Retail During COVID-19: How to Safely Succeed
We are all very aware of the impact COVID-19 (coronavirus) is having globally and on countless business and personal levels. With retailers forced to close (physical) shop, what’s the best plan of action to succeed while maintaining public safety?

In this blog post, we will discuss how the COVID-19 situation is multi-phase, and which steps you can take during each stage to ensure business survival – while keeping everyone involved safe and healthy. Star is proud to partner with Vend, a cloud-based point of sale and retail management software provider that enables small businesses to do business in-store, online, and via mobile devices. As a thought leader in the retail space, Vend has created a multi-phase action plan for retailers, which you can find below:

As you can see, this plan includes what business impact to expect during each stage of the COVID-19 crisis, as well as preparation tips for the stage you are in to ensure the best possible outcome for your business.

While phase 1 (being cautiously open for business) and phase 2 (preparing for social distancing) have passed, today’s blog post will focus on how retailers can safely succeed during the peak of COVID-19, and best practices for opening shop back up when the crisis has passed. Read on to get ideas for your own action plan.

What Retailers Can Do During the Peak of COVID-19

The peak of COVID-19 is undoubtedly nerve-racking, both personally and professionally. However, it’s important to try to stay positive and keep your eyes on the future. There are several things you can do to better your business right now, and to prepare for when it’s time to open your brick-and-mortar location back up.
- Optimize Your Online Store: Right now, your store ideally is fully online. It’s a good time to take a deep look at your e-commerce strategy and make any necessary tweaks to your website. Click here to learn some online selling tips.
- Thoughtful Promotions: The key to navigating the current situation is being thoughtful and tasteful. You can still promote items from your store but be sure to do so in a compassionate way that shows your awareness to the current crisis. One idea is to promote gift cards to excite your customers for when they can safely return to the store and give them something to look forward to during what can be bleak times. Another idea is to hold an online flash sale containing items that could give your customers some joy at home.
- Always be Communicating: During the peak of the pandemic, be sure to maintain a strong digital presence, not just through your website and online store but through social media and email marketing, too. Your customers cannot visit your store in-person, but appropriate regular communication can provide some relief and distraction during a hard time for many people. This is also a good way to keep customers updated on your current business situation and let them know what you’re doing to not only survive this crisis, but perhaps give back to the community as well.
- Housekeeping: There’s no better time for housekeeping and catching up on all those ideas you’ve had for months (or years) than when your doors are closed. Keep busy by taking care of your stocktaking, merchandising, and sanitizing. If you have been considering upgrading your POS, now is the time to do your research and choose a system that has all the features your business needs – now and in the future.One upgrade to consider is switching to the Star mC-Print3 thermal receipt printer, which is not only sleek in design but features brick-and-mortar, e-commerce, and promotional capabilities. The mC-Print3 can print custom on-receipt promotions, and includes Bluetooth, USB, Lightning, LAN, and CloudPRNT online ordering connectivity. Built for modern tablet POS solutions, the mC-Print3 also features SteadyLAN® technology, which provides wired Ethernet service and power to iOS, Android, and Windows devices, eliminating the worry of unstable Wi-Fi connections. The best part? The mC-Print3 works with the industry’s leading retail POS software providers, including Vend, who is offering a limited-time deal to retailers including two free months of software, as well as three free months of e-commerce and advanced loyalty program tools. Click here to learn more.
Free Resources During COVID-19 & Beyond

Now more than ever, safety is a priority in retail and hospitality environments. Star Micronics is proud to offer a line of solutions and resources for businesses during this challenging time, designed to keep consumers and employees safe, as well as mitigate business impact caused by COVID-19.

Visit Our Health & Safety Toolbox

How to Prepare to Open Back Up for Business

While it’s an unquestionably difficult time for retail during COVID-19, it will pass. Preparing for opening your physical store back up can provide you with some optimism and positivity, as well an action plan for future success. Some preparation ideas for opening back up include:
- Have Your In-Store Tools Ready to Go: If you did any upgrading while your brick-and-mortar store was closed, be sure those new solutions are set up, ready to go, and have been thoroughly tested. Contact your POS software and/or hardware technical support teams if you have any issues during testing, so that you can get the kinks worked out ahead of time and hit the ground running when you reopen your doors.
- Maintain New Practices: You’ve likely adopted lots of good hygiene, e-commerce, marketing, and staff training habits during COVID-19. When your store reopens and life gets busier, don’t let those great habits fall to the wayside.
- Announce Your Reopening Far and Wide: It’s the moment every retailer is looking forward to: announcing to your customers that you are reopening! On top of communicating to your customers via website, social media, and email that you are opening back up for business, consider having a “welcome back” sale. And most importantly, remember to thank your valuable customers for standing by you during the difficult time.
More Tools from Vend
- Coronavirus Resources Archive: A library of content regarding retail during COVID-19 that Vend has created specifically for businesses like you during this time.
- Daily Retail Traffic Impact of COVID-19: This report shows the effects of COVID-19 on retail, market-by-market and day-by-day.
We hope that these tips help you navigate the ongoing situation regarding retail during COVID-19. While there is undoubtedly an element of uncertainty to the crisis, it can and will pass, and we are proud to support you during this time.

At Star Micronics, our hearts go out to anyone impacted by COVID-19, either directly or indirectly, especially to those who are sick, to whom we extend our heartfelt wishes for a full recovery. To learn more about what we are doing as an organization to reduce the global impact of COVID-19, in terms of health and business, please click here.

To browse all of our blog posts covering tips for small businesses during COVID-19, please visit our #StarForSmallBiz blog collection.

Looking for Some Retail Inspiration? Browse Star’s Retail POS Solutions Brochure

Download POS Brochure
April 10, 2020
3 Reasons Why ISOs Must Transform Into More Than Merchant Service Providers
Independent sales organizations (ISOs) and member service providers (MSPs) are companies that have developed partnerships with certain financial institutions to provide services to merchants. In the past, this was enough. The market wasn’t as competitive, and business models were simple and effective.

That has all changed, however. ISOs can no longer survive in the current market just selling merchant services. In order to survive and thrive in an ever-changing industry, ISOs must provide comprehensive market solutions, for example bundling point of sale (POS) systems and add-on services like mobile and online ordering.

Partnering with an independent software vendor (ISV) allows an organization to bundle merchant services with other critical software solutions and hardware systems and sell them as a package deal to customers. This newer, more flexible business model is necessary in order to get ahead.

Here’s Why: The Market is Growing Too Competitive

In the past, it was common for ISOs and MSPs to reduce their rates in order to get more business. This was a smart move, as it allowed them to beat out the competition. Now, however, the market is much more competitive, oversaturated with ISOs and MSPs competing with one another for a limited pool of clients. Low rates, if that’s all you can offer, aren’t enough on their own to win out against the competition—it’s no longer a realistic option. If rates continue to get lower and lower, the market won’t be sustainable.

A better option would be to provide additional software and services that are highly-coveted by your clients. Technology solutions like POS or add-on services with integrated payments offer major benefits to your clients. The ability to stay with one provider for both technology solutions and merchant services is appealing to business owners, who often find it difficult to manage so many separate accounts with multiple providers.

ISOs are Getting Sold Around—Credit Card Companies and VARs

New payment providers are bundling their software solutions with integrated payments and selling directly to end-users. To compete with this, ISOs must do the same. Rather than letting this drive them out, ISOs can capitalize on this by partnering with software integrators or ISVs that have already partnered with their payment service of choice.

By partnering with an ISV, you can integrate payments and solutions and sell them as a bundled solution. What’s more is that you can have your merchant services bundled and sold through the ISV’s network of dealers, and you can act as a dealer within the ISV’s network. Whether you sell the bundled solutions yourself, or they are sold through a dealer, you will be reaping profits.

You Must Remain Agile or You Will Become Obsolete

The landscape of the industry is consistently changing. ISOs that are locked into the same business model they’ve used for years will end up being edged out by more agile organizations that are able to adapt to the changing needs and growing demands of clients. In essence, ISOs must provide more value to survive.

Because you can no longer remain competitive just by reducing rates, you need to provide additional value beyond payments, and extend your offerings into a portfolio of solutions that are designed to help your clients overcome other business challenges. Not only will this allow you to bring on new clients, but it also unlocks the potential to sell deeper into existing accounts.

To Do This:
- Take a consulting role: Your clients look to you for guidance and expertise. Discuss their individual business needs and the
  challenges they face, and guide them towards solutions that help them overcome these challenges.
- Offer solutions and services: Provide payment-embedded POS systems, online ordering solutions, and other consultative services. This can include assistance and guidance on things like marketing, or solutions for loyalty and gift card
  program management.
- Consider support services: Many don’t have the time to manage, update, and troubleshoot technology on their own. Often, they don’t have the in-house resources necessary to solve issues quickly enough to prevent significant downtime and profit loss. Offer comprehensive support and services, which will increase uptime for your clients and help them stay productive. These services can be offered by your ISV or payment partner.
To learn more about each tactic, download our full eBook, “3 Reasons why ISOs Must Become More than Merchant Service Providers.”

How Star Can Help

Star Micronics maintains a vast array of partnerships with ISVs. This allows ISVs and all the dealers in their channel to include Star Micronics hardware in their bundled solutions. Our hardware integrates with 90% of all POS software in the marketplace, as well as the latest cutting-edge technology to keep customers ahead of the competition.

Our experts have extensive knowledge in the following markets:
- Dry cleaning
- Bar and nightclub
- Fitness and health clubs
- Restaurant and QSR (quick service restaurant)
- Liquor stores
- Libraries
- Coffee shops
- And more
Leverage our expertise to determine the technology solutions your clients are looking for, and we can help you offer the right products and services to meet their needs. Star Micronics provides bundled peripherals and accessories with a sleek, modern aesthetic for POS, as well as marketing and consultation support. By partnering with Star Micronics, you can increase your portfolio, your customer satisfaction, and your profits.

To discover the rest of our tips and take your ISO business to the next level, download the full eBook, “3 Reasons why ISOs Must Become More than Merchant Service Providers.”

Download eBook
April 7, 2020
Star Spotlight – NRF 2020 Edition: SuiteRetail
NRFis a wonderful show for multiple reasons – it’s where over 40,000 retail industry professionals gather to share ideas, build partnerships, and experience the year’s latest technology. Speaking of partnerships, one of Star’s favorite reasons for being at Retail’s Big Show is the dedicated time we give to catching up with our many retail software partners.In today’s blog post, discover how one of Star’s POS software partners, SuiteRetail, is enhancing its retail offerings this year. Learn more about our partnership in the below video interview filmed at NRF 2020 and stay tuned for even more partnership interviews in our upcoming Star Spotlight NRF 2020 Edition blog posts.

What Does SuiteRetail Do?

SuiteRetail’s goal is to simplify retail from the store to the back-office.

In-store retail is too complex. Serious challenges with dated hardware, obscurely priced and poor performing payment processing, and outrageous legacy software requirements translates to lost revenue, escalating costs, lines out the door and unhappy shoppers.

With SuitePOS, SuiteRetail has reimagined the point-of-sale and improved the in-store experience and outcomes for retailers. The SuitePOS app was engineered to take away complexity from the store and move it to the back-office; where it belongs. Retailers using SuitePOS benefit from easy and fast deployments, increased shopper satisfaction, and quick, effortless checkout.

The end result is a superior shopping experience, more sales and lower IT costs.

^Source:^{https://suiteretail.com/}

What are Some of SuiteRetail’s Key Products?
- SuitePOS: SuitePOS – a single POS app that works on iPad and iPhone – enhances retail POS by incorporating modern, secure payment processing and out-of-the-box integration with common retail business platforms like NetSuite and Salesforce. The end result? Simplified retail operations, an improved customer experience, and an increased revenue-per-square-foot.
- Fixed-Lane: SuiteRetail’s fixed-lane POS features intuitive software and sleek hardware, meaning retailers will enjoy high-speed, efficient transactions.
- Mobile: Understanding sales can take place anywhere on the sales floor, SuiteRetail’s mobile checkout capabilities allow retailers to quickly complete transactions while chatting naturally with customers.
- Clienteling: Personalization is as easy as can be with SuiteRetail’s in-hand clienteling device. The device allows employees to access a 360-degree view of shopper and product information, and can register customers for future marketing, produce relevant upselling opportunities, and enable workers to place orders for out-of-stock items.
What’s New with SuiteRetail in 2020?

SuiteRetail is doing a lot this year! First, they are proud to announce a new international support offering, with SuitePOS now being supported in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Also on SuiteRetail’s agenda for this year is deepened support for NetSuite ERP, and introducing support for PayPal Here. These updates will not only enhance brick-and-mortar functions for retailers, but also ecommerce.

What Star Products Does SuiteRetail Integrate?

mPOP

Compact and sleek design
Printer – cash drawer – scanner – device stand
Compatible with iOS, Android, and Windows
Two cash drawer options: vertical bill (4 bill and 6 or 8 adjustable coin slots) and flat bill (4 bill and 4 or 6 adjustable coin slots)

mC-Print2

2-inch thermal printer
Sleek, compact, connected
Bluetooth, USB, Lightning, LAN, CloudPRNT
SteadyLAN® technology (mCP21LB)

mC-Print3

3-inch thermal printer
Modern, space-saving, connected
Bluetooth, USB, Lightning, LAN, CloudPRNT
SteadyLAN® Technology (mCP31L and mCP31LB)

SM-S230i

2-inch portable printer with compact, lightweight design
Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR / USB 2.0 full speed
Barcode/graphics printing supported
Magnetic stripe reader

SM-T300i

3-inch ultra rugged mobile printer
Apple MFi certified
Long battery life
3DES encryption and optional magnetic stripe reader

TSP143III

High-speed printing (250mm/s)
Easy setup across all models
Lightning connection for simultaneous charging and data transfer
Compatible with Star Micronics Cloud Services

TSP654II

High reliability and performance
High-speed printing (300mm/s)
Swappable interfaces: serial, parallel, USB, LAN
Bluetooth and AirPrint connectivity available

mG-S1501

Legal for trade, NTEP-certified
Bluetooth, Serial, USB
Wired and battery-operated power supply
Measures substances up to 1500g

Stay tuned for our upcoming NRF 2020 Star Spotlights, coming soon. In the meantime, learn more about how Star and our partners have teamed up to provide solutions by browsing our Success Stories.

Browse Success Story
April 3, 2020
4 Survival Tips for Restaurants During COVID-19
You are already aware of the impact that coronavirus (COVID-19) is making on restaurants across the world. Unfortunately, this crisis has put a halt on practically all dine-in service, leaving restaurants dependent on alternative service options like delivery, takeout, and curbside pickup. While this is a difficult time, there are several ways for restaurants to keep business flowing. Read on to discover four survival tips for restaurants during COVID-19 – and beyond.

1. Set Up Food Delivery

Simply put, if you own a restaurant and you don’t already have a food delivery solution established, now is the time to get it set up – and set up fast.

Implementing third-party food delivery services such as DoorDash, Grubhub, and Uber Eats is the easiest way to accomplish this task in a timely and effective manner. These service providers not only feature thousands of couriers, but also millions of customers ready to order with a simple tap on their smartphone. As customers across the globe practice social distancing, they are turning to food delivery not only because dine-in establishments are off-limits, but to feed their families without the risk of leaving their home. Many third-party delivery providers are also offering promotions to mitigate restaurants’ financial burden during this difficult time, which can make setting up a new service a more feasible option for you right now.

Establishing a third-party delivery solution can be simple. With Star Micronics CloudPRNT, your restaurant’s printer can fetch orders directly from the third-party service, with no local tablet, software, or SSL certificate required. Simply prepare the orders as they are received and have a delivery driver already on the way.

Do you already have food delivery set up? It’s the perfect time to improve upon it. Now more than ever, restaurants need to think about how to optimize their operation for third-party food delivery. OrderOut provides a solution to do just that, by automatically detecting third-party orders, instantly transferring them to your POS and kitchen printer, and providing detailed delivery partner and food data in an easy-to-use, at-a-glance dashboard.

Free Resources During COVID-19 & Beyond

Now more than ever, safety is a priority in retail and hospitality environments. Star Micronics is proud to offer a line of solutions and resources for businesses during this challenging time, designed to keep consumers and employees safe, as well as mitigate business impact caused by COVID-19.

Visit Our Health & Safety Toolbox

2. Take Advantage of Takeout

Delivery is not the only way to get food into your customer’s hands: takeout is another great option.

During COVID-19, many states and localities are mandating that restaurants do not have any in-person customers. However, there are still ways for customers to come pick up their meals from your restaurant – without making any physical contact.

One option for this is establishing a curbside pickup option. For curbside pickup, customers can place their orders online or over the phone, and when they arrive to your door they can remain in their vehicle as one of your staff members brings the food outside in a safe, hygienic manner. Restaurants during COVID-19 can take curbside pickup a step further by:
- Allocating nearby parking spots for curbside pickup orders
- Designating staff to watch for customer vehicles (and take down the vehicle’s make, model, and color during order-taking)
- Encourage and communicate the option to pay over the phone to limit physical contact during pickup
- If customers want to pay in-person, offer mobile payments to minimize trips back into the restaurant
- Invest in high-quality insulated and ventilated takeout containers
- Don’t forget to communicate your curbside pickup service to your customers via email, social media, and your website
3. Do the Math

Once you have signed up for third-party food delivery and established a curbside pickup plan, you need to start thinking about the economics of the situation, such as your margins and how many staff you need to make this all happen.

To bolster your margins, a good rule of thumb is to avoid putting items on your delivery service’s menus that you’re not going to make money on. You get the freedom to create your own menus, so make sure they make sense economically and you’re making money on every order. Get a calculator or set up a spreadsheet and do the math!

4. Choose Your Staff Wisely

At the end of the day, your restaurant depends on having professional, personable, and appropriately skilled staff. It’s wise to take a moment to consider your labor expenses and how that aligns with what skillset you need during this unique time. For example, you probably don’t need a five-star chef on hand in your kitchen to ship out chicken fingers, and people probably aren’t going to be ordering designer cakes during this time. Adapt your business and hire good, hard-working people that can make the food that will keep customers coming back for more from your restaurant!

At Star Micronics, our hearts go out to anyone impacted by COVID-19, either directly or indirectly, especially to those who are sick, to whom we extend our heartfelt wishes for a full recovery. To learn more about what we are doing as an organization to reduce the global impact of COVID-19, in terms of health and business, please click here.

To browse all of our blog posts covering tips for small businesses during COVID-19, please visit our #StarForSmallBiz blog collection.

Star is proud to offer reliable, modern POS solutions to restaurants, QSRs, and more.

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March 30, 2020
Star Spotlight – NRF 2020 Edition: Tulip
NRFis a wonderful show for multiple reasons – it’s where over 40,000 retail industry professionals gather to share ideas, build partnerships, and experience the year’s latest technology. Speaking of partnerships, one of Star’s favorite reasons for being at Retail’s Big Show is the dedicated time we give to catching up with our many retail software partners.

In today’s blog post, discover what one of Star’s POS software partners, Tulip, is doing in terms of modern retail this year. Learn more about our partnership in the below video interview filmed at NRF 2020 and stay tuned for even more partnership interviews in our upcoming Star Spotlight NRF 2020 Edition blog posts.

What Does Tulip Do?

Tulip is the global leader in mobile retail technology solutions. Partnered with Apple and Salesforce, Tulip’s mission is to harness the power of the world’s most advanced technology to deliver simple-to-use mobile applications that enable all aspects of the retail experience from Clienteling and Assisted Selling to Point of Sale. Only Tulip enables the omnichannel experience via a scalable and extensible technology platform designed around the retail associate.

Tulip was founded in 2013 by Ali Asaria and a team of mobile commerce experts with the vision to reinvent retail and shape the future in-store shopping experience. Today, Tulip powers the in-store experience for our clients and partners around the globe.

Tulip provides a SaaS-based mobile platform to empower retailers and better connect customer and store associate experiences.

Tulip’s mission is to empower next generation retail associates with world-class mobile-first, cloud-first enterprise software that modernizes and transforms the in-store experience.

^{Source: https://tulip.com/}

What are Some of Tulip’s Key Products?

Clienteling

In this day and age, shopping needs to be personalized. With Tulip’s clienteling capabilities, users can:
- Create and access detailed customer profiles
- View a customer’s wish list and previously viewed items
- Manage a VIP customer client book
- Track birthdays and anniversaries
- Schedule one-on-one follow-ups and marketing campaigns with customers
- And more!
Checkout Nova

This mobile POS solution allows retailers to seamlessly complete transactions from anywhere in the store. It’s not just about payments though: Checkout Nova can also access in-store and online inventory, support discounts, coupons, and loyalty points, and mix in-store and online products into one order.

Assisted Selling

Retail associates become trusted advisors when they use Tulip’s assisted selling features like mobile omnichannel catalog access, real-time product ratings and reviews and social media activity, advanced searching capabilities, and more.

Runner

Almost everyone has experienced needing some extra help locating an item in a store, only to be left alone for minutes as the store associate completes the request. With Tulip’s Runner, employees can request items from other coworkers real-time on a mobile device (even a smart watch) and never leave the customer waiting.

What’s New with Tulip in 2020?

In 2020, mobility is setting Tulip apart in the retail space. Tulip has worked with some of the world’s largest retailers in powering transactions from anywhere on the sales floor. Associates can build a basket, take a full transaction, look up orders, complete returns, and more – all on the go, without customers lining up and waiting in a queue.

What Star Products Does Tulip Integrate?

TSP143III

High-speed printing (250mm/s)
Easy setup across all models
Lightning connection for simultaneous charging and data transfer
Compatible with Star Micronics Cloud Services

Stay tuned for our upcoming NRF 2020 Star Spotlights, coming soon. In the meantime, learn more about how Star and our partners have teamed up to provide solutions by browsing our Success Stories.

Browse Success Stories
March 24, 2020
Why a QSR Loyalty Program is Crucial to Your Customers’ Bottom Line
There are nearly 200,000 quick service restaurant (QSR) franchise establishments in the United States, and that number is growing steadily each year. For your QSR customers, that means the competition is hot and the need to run a cohesive, streamlined business is higher than ever.

The success of a QSR business relies on many factors: location, high-quality product, marketing, and of course, the bottom line. Did you know that by offering a loyalty program, you can help your customers do all the above and more? Read on to discover six ways a QSR loyalty program can help your customers succeed.

Benefit #1: Less Price Comparison

Most of the time when consumers are deciding on a product, price is a top consideration. What is your QSR customer to do if they aren’t necessarily the lowest priced option in their market?

The answer can lie in a QSR loyalty program. If your customer successfully implements a loyalty program that their patrons love, your customer’s restaurant is more likely to stand out in the patron’s mind. This loyalty means those diners may not simply choose the cheapest meal option – if your customer successfully creates a rewarding, personalized experience, their patrons will likely choose the restaurant that gives them perks and customized attention, not just the lowest price tag.

And your customers can add special value, even if at first glance they do not appear to be the lowest priced meal provider. According to The Association for Consumer Research:

“The excitement that is often generated in consumers by a price promotion suggests that there is an ego-expressive, as well as utilitarian aspect to a price. This ego-expressive aspect results in ‘smartshopper feelings.’ It is proposed that these feelings can be enhanced by leading the consumer to feel responsible for the discount and by dangling the discount in front of consumers.”

In other words, by offering a promotion via its loyalty program, a QSR’s customers are more likely to feel like smart shoppers. This is even more true when they feel responsible for finding the discount (i.e. when they find a discount in their personalized loyalty program) and when the promotion is “dangled” in front of them (also through the loyalty program). That rewarding feeling may just be enough to entice them to eat at your customer’s restaurant instead of another establishment that doesn’t offer any special mood-boosting promotions.

Benefit #2: Stronger Customer Retention

Loyalty programs are designed to, well, create loyalty. With so much competition in the QSR market, it’s critical to retain the diners that your QSR customer has already attracted. It’s also worth noting that:
- 25% to 40% of total revenue from the most stable businesses comes from repeat business
- Loyal customers spend 67% more than new customers
- Customer retention costs 4-30 times less than customer acquisition
- A mere 5% lift in retention can increase profits by a whopping 85%
A QSR loyalty program can help your customers enjoy all of these perks by retaining existing customers and turning them into loyal ones.

Did you know your QSR customers can promote their loyalty program on their receipts with PromoPRNT, Star’s value-added promotional tool?

Benefit #3: Higher Customer Lifetime Value

A QSR loyalty program can also help raise a restaurant’s Customer Lifetime Value (CLV or CLTV). What’s that? Simply put, it is “a prediction of the net profit attributed to the entire future relationship with a customer.”

By leveraging loyalty program analytics, your restaurant customer will be able to calculate each of their patron’s CLVs. Knowledge is power, and understanding this data can help the restaurants strategize how best to cater to these patrons and keep them loyal.

It has been shown that:
- Loyalty programs increase overall revenue by 5-10%
- On average, loyalty members spend 5-20% more than non-members
- Loyalty program members buy 5-20% more frequently than non-members
Clearly a QSR loyalty program is a win-win: it provides benefits to the consumer and greatly affects the restaurant’s bottom line.

Benefit #4: A Personalized Experience

Personalization is everything. We’re living in an era where virtually everything is personalized – with self-service kiosks you can order your food your way and you can even have your favorite household supplies delivered directly to your door on whatever schedule you’d like. A QSR loyalty program should play into this era of personalization.

A complete, successfully implemented loyalty program will make your QSR’s customers feel emotionally connected to the restaurant. Not only will these positive emotions bring diners back again and again, but they are more likely to be forgiving if a hiccup like a mistake in order-taking occurs during one of their visits.

Some ways a loyalty program can create these personalized feelings is by calling customers by their name within the user interface, remembering a customer’s favorite customized orders, offering rewards for special events like the customer’s birthday, and more.

Benefit #5: Create Influencers

According to marketing legend Philip Kotler, “the best advertising is done by satisfied customers,” and isn’t that the truth?

Did you know that an estimated 20-50% of all purchasing decisions are primarily influenced by word-of-mouth? And nearly three-quarters of millennials feel it’s their responsibility to help their loved ones make smart purchasing decisions. In other words, when consumers have a positive opinion of your brand, it’s sure to go places in terms of growing your QSR customer’s business.

How does a QSR loyalty program fit into this? If the program offers special deals and great perks, patrons are likely to share that information with their friends and family. A smart loyalty program will also include a refer-a-friend feature (which is another great place to incorporate a special discount like “refer a friend and get $5 off your next order”).

Benefit #6: Attract New Customers

To grow as a business, your QSR customer needs to not only be keeping its current customers happy, but also be attracting new customers. A well-thought-out QSR loyalty program can help do just that. Here’s how:
- An immediate discount or promotion just for signing up with the program can entice people to try the restaurant (and the loyalty program).
- If a customer is aware that the loyalty program offers good, easy-to-obtain deals and discounts, they are more likely to try a restaurant for the first time.
- When choosing a place to eat, roughly 60% of consumers say they use their mobile device to help them decide. If a loyalty program (and its immediate discounts) are easily found by the consumer in search results or on social media, they are more likely to try the restaurant and get that deal.
Examples of Successful Loyalty Programs

So, what does a good QSR loyalty program look like? Luckily three major brands have built success programs you gain can inspiration from:

Starbucks

Source: starbucks.com

The Starbucks Rewards program is an iconic loyalty program. Featuring order ahead, pay-by-phone, free birthday treats, “Double-Star Days,” personalized exclusive offers, and more, Starbucks is doing a lot of things right. And according to Zinrelo, Starbucks has reported an increased revenue of $2.65 billion, attributing the program for most of that increase. Click here to learn more about the Starbucks Rewards program.

Panera Bread

Source: panerabread.com

Panera Bread’s loyalty program, MyPanera, is another one worthy of drawing some inspiration from. It offers a sign-up reward, exclusive sneak peaks, information on local events, order personalization and easy reordering, and the opportunity to subscribe to a MyPanera+ Coffee program which provides unlimited coffee for just $8.99 per month. Click here to learn more about the MyPanera program.

Chick-fil-A

Source: chick-fil-a.com

Chick-fil-A One, the popular chicken QSR chain’s loyalty program, is a tiered program that allows customers to earn points on every purchase. The program includes things like the ability to use points for catering orders, surprise rewards for a customer’s local Chick-fil-A restaurant, birthday rewards, new menu items and insider content, and more. Click here to learn more about Chick-fil-A One.

Looking to offer even more to your QSR customers? Discover all of Star’s products for restaurants in our Restaurant Brochure.

Download Restaurant Brochure
March 12, 2020
Star Spotlight – NRF 2020 Edition: Springboard Retail
NRFis a wonderful show for multiple reasons – it’s where over 40,000 retail industry professionals gather to share ideas, build partnerships, and experience the year’s latest technology. Speaking of partnerships, one of Star’s favorite reasons for being at Retail’s Big Show is the dedicated time we give to catching up with our many retail software partners.

In today’s blog post, discover what one of Star’s valued software partners, Springboard Retail, is up to this year. Learn more about our partnership in the below video interview filmed at NRF 2020 and stay tuned for even more partnership interviews in our upcoming Star Spotlight NRF 2020 Edition blog posts.

What Does Springboard Retail Do?

“It all began out of necessity. Gordon Russell’s Boston-based chain of specialty retail stores had a problem. He needed a POS system that would be comprehensive enough to manage his current business, while also driving future growth. Gordon tried plenty of available retail point of sale systems, but none of them provided the intuitive yet flexible structure his retail teams needed to succeed.

So, Gordon and co-founder, Jay Stotz, put their heads together. They focused on developing a modern, cloud-based POS system designed to support a growing multi-channel, multi-site retail enterprise with features that brought clarity and resilience for the future. Reporting was key. With a multitude of data points, they ensured that their point of sale was able to combine relevant data in any way the retailer envisions and that the software was responsive, agile and easy-to-use. In fact, the results of their efforts were so successful that the team had to share it with other retailers. Springboard Retail was born.

Since our official launch in November, 2013, Springboard Retail has helped our customers grow across their locations and channels—processing over $2B of retail sales at over 1,000 sites across North America. The team continues to focus on providing exceptional value to our customers. We take our customer’s success personally because we’ve walked in your shoes and understand that even the smallest detail, is critical.”

^Source:^{https://www.springboardretail.com/}

What are Some of Springboard Retail’s Key Products?

Springboard Retail’s software is multi-faceted and chock full of features and benefits for today’s modern retailer:
- Point of Sale: Cloud-based and user-friendly, Springboard Retail’s POS is highly scalable and includes features like quick order lookup, easy customer creation, split payments, simple returns, sales rep tracking, and more.
- Order Management: Springboard Retail’s order management makes it easy to access inventory in real-time and place orders across multiple store locations, online, and in the warehouse. The order management also includes fulfillment alerts and easy order splitting to multiple fulfillment points.
- Inventory Management: Your inventory is key. With features like partial and full inventory counts, transfer management, custom reasons codes for adjustments, and more, Springboard Retail’s inventory management keeps retailers running smoothly.
- Customer Management: CRM and POS don’t have to be separate. Springboard Retail’s included CRM features a QuickView customer dashboard, unlimited custom fields, custom reports for segment marketing, and integrations with top loyalty/marketing providers.
- Purchasing and Receiving: Retail buying is made easy with Springboard Retail’s ability to create barcode labels directly from a PO, easily process returns to vendors, smoothly enter size runs with an item grid feature, and more.
- Metrics and Reporting: Data is imperative! Enjoy real-time data, custom field and reports, user-based permissions, CSV/PDF/URL sharing and exporting, and data comparison with Springboard Retail.
- Traffic and Conversions: Gone are the days of manually tracking retail traffic. With Springboard Retail’s POS, track foot traffic electronically, review real-time traffic data, and more – even if you have multiple stores.
What Sets Springboard Retail Apart?

Springboard Retail focuses specifically on larger-footprint specialty retailers, with two to 200 store locations. Additionally, Springboard Retail is a browser-based system and cross-platform, meaning it has customers that use Mac, PC, and iPad POS, and is able to deliver a consistent, streamlined experience to all of those customers with its POS products.

What Star Products Does Springboard Retail Integrate?

TSP143III

High-speed printing (250mm/s)
Easy setup across all models
Lightning connection for simultaneous charging and data transfer
Compatible with Star Micronics Cloud Services

SM-S230i

2-inch portable printer with compact, lightweight design
Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR / USB 2.0 full speed
Barcode/graphics printing supported
Magnetic stripe reader

SM-T300i

3-inch ultra rugged mobile printer
Apple MFi certified
Long battery life
3DES encryption and optional magnetic stripe reader

TSP743II

Black mark label support
Vertically mountable
Double resolution mode to increase graphic sharpness
Bluetooth, CloudPRNT, WebPRNT, Serial, Parallel, USB, LAN

Stay tuned for our upcoming NRF 2020 Star Spotlights, coming soon. In the meantime, learn more about how Star and our partners have teamed up to provide solutions by browsing our Success Stories.

Browse Success Stories
March 10, 2020