Why Aldelo Express? up to 20 Remote Printers

By:  Jerry Wilson
Vice President of Merchant Services, Aldelo LP
The Scenario
Having a printer in the kitchen to print the customer’s order is now a given for every restaurant.  Restaurant owners have long ago recognized the increase in speed of service and accuracy of orders that is gained through having a printer in the kitchen.  What may not be so apparent is the amount of theft that is stopped by having printers in the kitchen.

Yes, having printers at each major prep station will speed of service from the kitchen.  An additional benefit not often immediately recognized by the restaurant owner is the theft that is stopped by requiring a printed ticket for every food item that leaves the kitchen.  Having multiple printers in the kitchen just adds security to the restaurant operation.

The same applies to bar operations as well.  Requiring a printed ticket for every drink item prepared and served means that the item was properly rung up at the terminal.  If there are multiple bars in operation then proper order flow can be managed by having multiple printers.

When there are multiple printers in the operation then the POS system must handle the complex routing of items within the kitchen and bar operations.  Each item must be routed to the correct printer and the entire order printed on an Expediter printer for the combining of items from the multiple prep areas into a tray of food for the table.

There are times when the restaurant does not fully staff each prep area or bar in the operation.  This is done to properly manage labor and match labor costs to the sales needs of the operation.  In some cases restaurant operators will require that orders be re-routed based upon whether a prep station is staffed or a bar is open.  Unfortunately, a lot of POS applications cannot handle this complex routing or re-routing by day of the week or time of the day.

The Solution
Aldelo Express has up to 20 remote printers that can be in the system. This gives restaurant owners tremendous options with regard to how items are sent to printers or destinations in their operation.

Remote Printers Increase Profits – No ticket, no food.  It is as simple as that.  Remote printers control theft from the kitchen and bar by printing the items ordered at the POS.  This simple step then insures that every item prepared has been properly entered at the POS.  Management simply monitors the activity in the kitchen and bar to make sure that no items are prepared without the proper printed receipt.  Remote printers are some of the least expensive theft control devices you can buy.

Remote Printers Increase Speed of Service – Servers and wait staff no longer have to run to the kitchen to place their order verbally or manually.  They can now enter the order on the POS and know that the kitchen and bar have received the order.  The kitchen and bar begin work on the order immediately and may even have it ready by the time the server gets there to pick it up.
 
Remote Printers Reduce Food Waste – No more hard to read hand written tickets.  Remote printers will print the items in large easy to read fonts with modifiers in red ink.  This reduces guess work by the prep staff and bartenders and this reduces waste for the entire operation.

Remote Printers Organize Work Flow – By placing multiple remote printers in the bar management is able to spread the workflow to multiple drink stations and bartenders.  Each bartender has their own remote printer that will help distribute the workflow.  The same can be done in the kitchen for each prep station.  Having a remote printer for each prep area will help distribute the work load and create a much smoother kitchen operation.

Aldelo Express Has 20 Remote Printers – Aldelo Express has the ability to split the order amongst 20 remote printers.  Obviously, very few operations will ever need that many printers but Aldelo Express can handle the load.  This allows the operation to take full advantage of the cost saving, security enhancing and organizing features of remote printers.

The Conclusion
Restaurant operations should never be limited by their POS system, quite the opposite.  A POS system should not only allow for growth it should promote growth through cost savings and revenue generation.

Having additional remote printers will create security in the operation that will prevent theft and speed of customer service.  Remote printers are one of the least expensive theft deterrent devices that a restaurant owner can invest in.  But it takes more than simply installing additional printers.  The restaurant operation will also need a POS system that can re-route printers based upon the item entered, the day of the week, time of the day and even down to who entered the item.

Aldelo Express is a powerful tool for operations to completely control their business.  Remote printers are part of the solution needed to completely control your operation, cut cost and increase profits.