@Aligonzo - I own and operate a bar that uses a variety of pieces of Square Hardware. We have inside stations that utilize the newer Square Registers. I have five outdoor stations that use the Square Stands with iPads as well as the new Square Handhelds. On a super busy night, we have ten Square devices in use. The stations outside get taken down and out away every night and brought out everyday. My outdoor stands take a beating. They get turned 100's of times per night on a busy night. Sometimes there is no telling what gets spilled on them and the girls (Lord help me) yank the cords and drop the card readers and just don't take care of them.
Yes, we run tabs and have open orders. We track inventory which is helpful to know exactly what should and shouldn't be on the shelf and run reports on a daily/weekly/monthly basis for all of the things. But the majority of reports are run off "the back door" on my laptop. But you can get a lot of that info off any of these devices.
As far as what hardware I would recommend for a bar - For your permanent station in the bar area - get a Square Register. Its super easy to use, folks can see their information on the screen, tap to pay and move on. Your temporary stations - grab a few Square Handhelds. They are a little harder to run tabs (smaller screen than the other devices) but completely capable of doing it. If these devices are strictly just taking orders and cashing out, then they are a no brainer.
All of your data from all of your devices can be found when run you reports on one device as well as on your dashboard. You can actually sit back and watch the progress on sales and open orders while your team is in action. Shout with any questions. Happy to help.
