What amazes me every time I speak to them is that there isn’t anything they haven’t done or cannot do.
What amazes me every time I speak to them is that there isn’t anything they haven’t done or cannot do.
Dan Smith, Chief Revenue Officer, and Jack Holt, Account Executive, highlight how payment systems have become the backbone of the integrated tech stack and their role in customer experience and data analytics.
Dan Smith, Chief Revenue Officer, and Laura Raccanello, COO, explore the impact of new technologies such as QR code ordering and payments on the guest experience.
Dan Smith, Chief Revenue Officer, and Jack Holt, Account Executive, discuss the importance of understanding our clients’ needs in the initial call and how our consultative approach can help them choose the correct future-proofed solution.
NFS’ Chairman, Luis Desouza, and Taylor Szabo, Head of EPOS Projects, discuss the challenges clients face during the install stage of a new EPoS.
You walk into a restaurant on a busy Saturday night. You’re hungry, tired, and looking for a relaxed experience. But as you step inside, you’re not sure where to go or who you should speak to. That little moment of uncertainty sparks an immediate rise in stress, a feeling you recognise instantly, even if you rarely acknowledge it.
You’re shown to your table and the tension eases. When you’re ready to order and no one’s nearby, it creeps back in. Your food arrives and you relax, until you fancy another drink or dessert and the wait starts again. Then comes the bill – the stress of splitting it, tipping, and waiting for the card machine. That final spike hits just as you hoped the night would end smoothly. Only when you step outside does the pressure lift. These hidden stress points shape how you feel about the entire experience, often more than the food itself. These moments feel emotional to guests, but they’re operational at their core.
“The guest experience begins long before the food arrives.”
Guests feel stress when the operation behind the scenes is under pressure. Slow ordering, missing items, overwhelmed staff, and clunky payment processes all stem from one issue – disconnected systems. These moments aren’t about the food. They’re about the systems supporting the team. When technology isn’t connected, everything slows down, and guests feel the impact immediately. This isn’t just a technology problem – it’s a sign that the wider hospitality ecosystem isn’t working in harmony.
“A smooth service creates a calmer, more enjoyable experience once guests walk through the door.”
Whether guests walk in or book ahead, their emotional journey starts early. When EPOS is connected to a smart booking system, the team knows who’s arriving, any dietary needs, and special occasions before the guest even sits down. It’s not extra tech; it’s a joined‑up journey that reduces stress and helps guests feel recognised and respected. This is what a true hospitality ecosystem looks like – booking, EPOS, payments, and operations all connected, all sharing information, and all working together instead of in silos.
“A booking is not just a transaction. It is the first chapter of the guest experience and journey.”
That first click on the EPOS is where the guest experience truly begins, and everything until the first bite is shaped by how smoothly that technology works.
When the pressure eases for guests, it eases for staff too. A connected EPOS removes the frantic back‑and‑forth, the guesswork, and the bottlenecks that drain energy during service. Teams feel more in control, more supported, and more able to focus on hospitality rather than firefighting. And when staff morale rises, the atmosphere of the venue rises with it.
“The last impression is as important as the first; a seamless goodbye keeps guests coming back.”
When EPOS works quietly in the background, guests feel:
And that emotional ease leads to better reviews, higher spend, and more return visits.
Every venue has its own challenges and pressure points. That’s why NFS works closely with operators to understand what really happens on the floor – the bottlenecks, the stress moments, the guest expectations.
Rather than delivering a one-size-fits-all system, NFS focuses on building the right setup with operators, creating an environment that supports teams, fits existing workflows, and strengthens the guest journey from first click to first bite.
At the heart of this approach is a connected hospitality EPoS ecosystem – one designed to support smoother operations, reduce stress points, empower staff, and create consistency across sites. When the ecosystem works, the business works, and guests feel the difference.
This isn’t a transaction. It’s a partnership built around understanding how hospitality really operates and shaping the technology around it.
Restaurant operations are notoriously difficult to organise, because of their immense complexity – not only are there everyday issues of the business to sort out, but there are also the ever-evolving behaviours of customers to satisfy.
It’s not surprising, then, that the integration of restaurant management technology has become the secret of success for many operations.
Restaurant systems are sophisticated solutions designed to streamline operations, enhance customer experiences and elevate profitability. From optimising order processing to facilitating inventory management, it’s fair to say that these systems are revolutionising the way modern restaurants operate.
A restaurant management platform integrates various functionalities, including point of sale, inventory management, and customer relationship management, eliminating the need for multiple disparate systems.
As your restaurants grow and evolve, management systems offer scalability, allowing for seamless expansion and integration of additional features and modules.
In helping you grow your business in what is always an incredibly crowded market, restaurant management software helps give you a competitive edge, whether you run a single independent outlet or a whole group.
Restaurant’s relationships with customers have always been intense and important, but since the days of the pandemic they have evolved to cater for new and changed demands.
Customers now have a strong emphasis on convenience and speed as well as on the quality of food and service you provide. Restaurant systems that include EPOS are an immense help in this area, making it quicker for customers to place their order and also to pay.
For instance, serving staff provided with Epos on a tablet or phone can send orders direct from the table to the kitchen so food preparation can begin immediately, and service is faster. There’s no room for human error, either, so fewer dishes get sent back and there’s less waste.
Once the meal is over, your staff can take payment at tableside so the customer can pay and go. It adds up to a satisfying customer experience that encourages loyalty and repeat visits.
Restaurant management systems also make it easy for customers to order online or to make a table reservation, a valuable and convenient service that also cuts down the time your staff have to spend on the phone.
The complexity of restaurant operations can mean it’s tricky to keep an overview. A restaurant management system is available online and provides up to date reports on all aspects of your business from automated inventory showing stock levels to sales.
For groups, this online availability of reports is invaluable when keeping track of the position of the business at any given time.
Data has become the lifeblood of most organisations these days. Coupled with effective analysis, it gives insight into everything from customer preferences to your busiest times and best-selling dishes. It can even provide forecasts to help you anticipate when extra labour etc is likely to be required.
A real hot potato in the industry, which has seen such labour shortages in recent years that some outlets have decided to curtail their hours or even shut on certain days of the week.
Restaurant management systems can help you provide a healthy and enjoyable working environment that encourages valuable staff to stay and reduces the time you need to spend recruiting and training.
A restaurant order management system reduces the amount of time serving staff need to spend running back and forth to the kitchen with orders, and also minimises admin when it comes to taking reservations – when customers can do it themselves online, staff involvement is minimised.
It all allows more time for your people to engage with customers, building loyalty and creating the friendly impression they will appreciate – and it makes the working day more rewarding for your staff and encourages them to stay.
Managers can also track employee performance metrics, identify training needs, and recognise top performers, fostering a culture of accountability and excellence.
The cost of living crisis has exacerbated problems for the industry as restaurants struggle to cope with increases in the cost of supplies and balance that with keeping customers happy.
A restaurant order management system will give you far better control of your stock, providing real-time information on inventory and also on your supply chain.
The same systems make it easier to control labour, highlighting busy and quiet times and enabling you to have the right staffing levels at the right times.
A further enhancement that keeps things running smoothly is integration with restaurant maintenance software, which helps identify potential equipment issues, enabling proactive maintenance and minimising downtime.
Using the reports generated by your restaurant software on sales, expenses and profits, empowers you and your managers to make data-driven decisions and take measures that optimise financial performance.
By tracking costs and identifying areas of inefficiency, restaurant management platforms enable proactive cost control measures, ultimately boosting your profitability.
Special offers can make a huge difference to your hospitality business, keeping existing customers happy and enticing those who have never tried your restaurant to give it a to.
When it comes to loyal customers, your restaurant management platform and CRM can give incredible insight into their preferences. By capturing data every time they book or eat, you identify their preferences so you can produce timely and appropriate marketing emails that you know will hit the mark.
For instance, if you know they visited last Valentine’s Day, you can offer them two free glasses of champagne this year; or you can send them a birthday greeting that will put your restaurant top of their mind when they want to celebrate.
Restaurant management software also helps you with your social media presence, alerting you to any adverse reviews so you can put the situation right immediately and put a shine on your reputation.
Deploying carefully-selected restaurant software represents a strategic investment in operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, staff retention and financial performance – and it’s an investment that provides definite ROI.
By leveraging the power of technology, you can optimise your processes, empower their staff, and deliver unparalleled dining experiences. From order management to inventory control, these systems serve as the cornerstone of modern restaurant operations, paving the way for sustained success.
Whether your business is a bustling bistro or a multi-location group, the benefits of a restaurant management system are undeniable. And in a world where customers are increasingly demanding, staff are hard to find and competition is raging, it can give you the edge you need to succeed.
Discover more about how a restaurant management system will benefit you:
In today’s fast-paced world, customers prioritise convenience, speed, and personalised experiences, driving the escalating demand for online food ordering, delivery, and takeout. While off-premise dining boasts advantages like increased revenue, an expanded customer base, and higher check sizes, some restaurant owners remain hesitant due to concerns about losing valuable in-person customer interactions. To address these apprehensions and empower restaurateurs to elevate their online ordering experiences, here are four insightful tips for staying connected with customers in the digital realm.
Consider your restaurant’s page on third-party platforms as a virtual storefront—a canvas that needs to captivate potential customers. Infuse it with the essence of your brand’s voice and personality. Craft a compelling introduction that narrates the story of your restaurant, its culinary offerings, and your vision. The menu, the heartbeat of the experience, should showcase delivery-friendly, high-quality, and customisable dishes.
Engage potential customers through visually appealing content, such as high-definition images of your culinary creations. Complement this with imaginative dish names and clever descriptions that evoke curiosity. For instance, would you prefer ordering a “Large Cheese Plate” or a “Sweet Dreams are Made of Cheese Plate?” Descriptions offer a unique opportunity to let your brand personality shine in the digital space.
Social media stands as a potent tool for fostering customer interaction. Establish a connection with your followers through contests, giveaways, and user-generated content. Organise engaging photo contests, encourage customers to share their culinary experiences, and create custom hashtags exclusive to your restaurant. Use the platform to share behind-the-scenes stories, communicate hygiene measures, and introduce the faces behind your brand.
Invest time in nurturing your social media accounts to establish a genuine connection with customers. The organic growth of these accounts over time can serve as a cost-effective means to disseminate messages to your loyal customer base.
Once an order embarks on its delivery journey, it’s essential to maintain a connection with the customer. Employ a point-of-sale (POS) system integrated with your online ordering solution to ensure precision and completeness. Timeliness and order accuracy resonate deeply with customers, making it imperative to get these aspects right.
Elevate customer interaction by personalising food orders. Consider including handwritten thank-you notes, short messages, or branded freebies like stickers or utensils. Thoughtfully branded packaging contributes to a unique ‘unboxing’ experience, potentially prompting customers to share their delight on social media.
Consider offering a ‘build your own’ meal option to provide customers with an ultra-personalized dining experience. This showcases an understanding of personal preferences without burdening your kitchen staff.
While reaching customers who utilise third-party services can be challenging, actively seek feedback through alternative channels. Utilise polls, surveys, and social media platforms to encourage customers to share their thoughts. Include a feedback card in delivery and take-out bags, complete with a custom QR code for seamless online submissions. Consider incentivizing feedback with discounts or coupons.
Monitor and respond to reviews on delivery platforms, transparently communicating actions taken based on feedback. For those with their own delivery service or online ordering app, leverage customer relationship management (CRM) data to send personalised offers, discounts, and feedback forms.
In conclusion, fostering customer interaction in the online realm may pose challenges, but it’s far from impossible. By tailoring your platform, leveraging social media, infusing a personal touch into each order, and actively seeking feedback, you can bridge the gap and forge meaningful connections with customers. Embrace these strategies not only to streamline operations but also to cultivate growth and customer loyalty in the competitive landscape of online food ordering.
The multinational craft brewery and pub chain BrewDog has become a huge hit around the world in recent years – and its well-deserved reputation is built on providing the best in customer service.
When the company planned its biggest ever UK venue – a fantastic fun venue in Waterloo, London – it required an epos system up to the job of satisfying all the requirements of a huge number of highly demanding customers.
BrewDog turned once again to its longstanding partner NFS Technology, who stepped up to the challenge.
Chris Cartmell, Chief Operations Officer for restaurant technology at NFS, said: “We’ve partnered with BrewDog over many years and are delighted to have played our part in their amazing success.
Our Aloha epos technology supports 97 BrewDogs across the UK, India, Australia, Germany, Shanghai and Tokyo, so we were more than ready to provide everything the company needed for the amazing new Waterloo development.”
The bar epos software at the new BrewDog was one of the expert NFS team’s biggest installations to date.
Chris said: “The Waterloo bar has no fewer than 16 Aloha tills, and our team made sure everything was perfectly in place for the grand opening. It was a great job for a truly great client!”
On its Waterloo website, BrewDog describes the new venue: “Two floors and 27,500ft of craft beer joy inside Waterloo station, next to the iconic London Southbank.
“With a restaurant, an on-site microbrewery and 60 taps of draft beer over two bars, we’re serving some of the freshest beer in London and some of the greatest food that’s ever graced the inside of a train station.
“But why stop there? With our Grind Cafe for your brunch and caffeinated needs, a cocktail hideaway, a co-working space, a podcast recording studio, duckpin bowling and AN ACTUAL SLIDE, there’s plenty to keep you occupied while they clear the leaves off the line.”
Discover how two hospitality businesses are building international businesses with technology
Better data helps you to make better business decisions. Discover our bar and restaurant epos software today. Contact us today to book a demo.
Marugame Udon is the world’s largest udon noodle chain, with more 800 fast casual restaurants in Japan and 250 across Asia. It opened its first European restaurant in London in 2021 with a noticeably QSR-style low price point, with freshly-made noodles from £3.45.
Four further London sites were lined up before the first opened, with the restaurant in the O2 also now open, and the company has big plans for a speedy further expansion.
Marugame Udon has a global audience on social platforms ranging from Tiktok to Facebook and Instagram, and is leveraging this presence – and the power of the Muragame Loyalty Scheme – to extend brand awareness and position the offering perfectly in its new market.
Marugame Udon Chief Executive Keith Bird says: “It’s crucial to get the values and culture right.” Helping customers to feel part of the Marugame Udon community is crucial – for example, in the run-up to opening, visitors were invited to take pictures of themselves in front of a special screen to share worldwide on social media.
The innovative use of digital technology is helping Marugame Udon to establish and grow its community of enthusiasts across the UK and beyond. A unique level of integration is enabling the company to gain an extraordinarily deep insight into its customers, enabling better customer service and engagement.
The loyalty system, implemented via Aloha EPOS from NFS, is so well integrated that important customer information is automatically shared across all platforms ranging from the till to wifi and email marketing.
It means Marugame Udon has a 360 degree view of the customer’s requirements and preferences – what the company calls a ‘single point of truth’ – and it eliminates the need to repeatedly input data into different systems.
The integration makes the customer journey effortless. It enables Marugame Udon to send highly-targeted marketing emails that are sure to hit the mark – and when the customer pays, the till automatically applies any discounts. On opening, members who had already signed up to the loyalty programme were given popular offers including free noodles.
Further integration means customers are never disappointed when ordering. When a menu change is made on the till it is instantly reflected across all menu screens and collection screens, and the company is now working with NFS to extend this to delivery channels.
Customer safety is also a priority, and as well as providing allergen alerts, the Aloha EPOS system deployed by Marugame Udon offers diners the ability to input an allergen and see an online menu of dishes they can eat safely. Calorie counts are also updated through the system.
* Discover how Aloha EPOS can benefit your restaurant: