Restaurant/Bar POS Setup Feedback: Swipe vs. Dip/Tap, Mounting, Cable Preferences

[alice31]

Hi all, my name's Alice, and I'm a Hardware Product Manager at Square. If you own a restaurant or bar, I'd love your feedback on a few topics as we think about how to continuously improve our hardware. I'm especially interested in the POS devices you use at server stations and behind the bar. Even short, one-line answers are helpful!

1. What are your thoughts on not having Swipe on a POS device at a server station or behind the bar? (Dip & Tap would still be available.)
2. What are your thoughts on being able to remove a countertop stand from a POS device display and mount it using off-the-shelf VESA wall mounts or arms?
3. With Square Register, there are currently two bricks — one for the hub and one for the power supply. Would you prefer to eliminate the power supply brick, even if it meant a bulkier plug that could potentially block adjacent outlets on an extension cord? Or do you prefer the current two-brick setup?
4. If you have photos of your POS setup at server stations or behind the bar — including cables and extension cords — I'd love to see them!

Thanks so much for your help!

[tranguyen]

Tagging in some of our Square Champions — I'm sure you have great feedback and lots to share @Eddiemunster @Getonthebus @dimo10 @JamesSandbar @makedonas @MAXSDELI @porktaco @SSB_YVR @TheRealChipA and @tulanejeff!

[TheRealChipA]

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@alice31 So first, I currently use Square Stands 2 with connected terminals on both.  As an ice cream shop, we are counter service only, with online ordering thrown in for good measure.  With that in mind......

@@alice31 wrote:

1. What are your thoughts on not having Swipe on a POS device at a server station or behind the bar? (Dip & Tap would still be available.)

So far this year, swipe cards have accounted for 0.6% ($222) of our card sales, and last year swiped were 0.5% of card volume.  So honestly I wouldn't miss swipe if it went away.  It would not bother me even a little to have to manually enter those few cards since the extra fees wouldn't amount to as much as a rounding error anymore.

1. What are your thoughts on being able to remove a countertop stand from a POS device display and mount it using off-the-shelf VESA wall mounts or arms?

As long as it was kiosk-like -- ie it had card processing capabilities in case my connected terminals died, since that is my backup card processing scheme currently -- I'd be find with that.  But I'd also want the mount to be easily adapted for counter installation, not just wall installation.

1. With Square Register, there are currently two bricks — one for the hub and one for the power supply. Would you prefer to eliminate the power supply brick, even if it meant a bulkier plug that could potentially block adjacent outlets on an extension cord? Or do you prefer the current two-brick setup?

Either-or.  This seems more like a solution in search of a problem to me.  But maybe I'm missing something?

1. If you have photos of your POS setup at server stations or behind the bar — including cables and extension cords — I'd love to see them!

Here ya go.  I'm still in the process of dressing cords, etc, because we only recently moved into this venue and are still trying various setups.  We have two of these stations -- one on either side of the order/service counter.

[SVLFever]

I'm literally just walking out the door to catch a flight, but I have asked my F&B manager to collect his thoughts, which I'll combine with mine.  I should be able to follow up tomorrow @alice31 !

[Eddiemunster]

Hi @alice31 thanks for the opportunity to discuss this.  I'll have to get a photo of our setup as I'm away from the Restaurant at the moment. 

1. What are your thoughts on not having Swipe on a POS device at a server station or behind the bar? (Dip & Tap would still be available.)  I don't know when I last saw a customer swipe their card! Personally I think if they can't tap or dip then they need a new card!  However, most of my customers use their phone to tap so they don't have the physical card with them. 
2. What are your thoughts on being able to remove a countertop stand from a POS device display and mount it using off-the-shelf VESA wall mounts or arms?  Personally I'm happy with our stands.  I think adding a VESA mount setup would be good in certain places but maybe not the front counter.  I use one Register and one tablet in a non square stand (for additional Height) in our restaurant, and personally I love the register setup.  However, If the Vesa mount still allowed for a customer facing screen, I'd certainly look at it.  Cost vs Benefit would be my consideration as well as ergonomics.  I suppose what I'm really trying to say is I would need to see it to give proper feedback. 
3. With Square Register, there are currently two bricks — one for the hub and one for the power supply. Would you prefer to eliminate the power supply brick, even if it meant a bulkier plug that could potentially block adjacent outlets on an extension cord? Or do you prefer the current two-brick setup? I think if a new power connection it is going to block other power points it may be an issue for us personally, however, less is more in my opinion.  Fewer cables etc would be great.  I have a Surface tablet/computer and the hub is a second block that is bulky etc.  If the power block and the hub could be built into one I thinkn that would be great.  Alternatively if your going with a vesa mount is there a way to mount the hub to the vesa stand or back of the tablet?
4. If you have photos of your POS setup at server stations or behind the bar — including cables and extension cords — I'd love to see them!  I will have to get these for you and upload them later today.  

From a personal point of view, one of the problems we face is all the cables at our front counter.  When we first set things up 3.5 years ago I took a lot of time laying out cables etc, however, over time as things have changed the cable mess is huge.  Reducing cabling and the mess associated with many devices would be great.  One problem we have found is connecting Bluetooth or wireless printers-they drop out from time to time especially as they get old and if your staff aren't tech savy it can cause issues, but I would personally love to get rid of as many cables as possible.  We have 12 power points at our front counter-One register, Two printers, one computer-for restaurant bookings mainly- and a charging station for our tablets etc as well as our phone.  Honestly, I would love to get rid of something to reduce the bulk here. 

[alice31]

Thank you all so much for this great input to date!! So appreciated. Couple follow-up questions if folks are able--

1) re no swipe -- my sense is a lot of bars in particular use swipe because it's fast even though dip also works for pre-auth and automatically grabs the name. Sounds like this is shifting though where more bars are using dip instead of swipe. Wanted to gauge if that's fair from your all's experience for those who run bars?

2) re VESA -- curious if you all have ever purchased a POS device and started with it as countertop but as your business grew/changed, would have wanted the flexibility to be able to mount it at a later point (or if just buying a new device that could be mounted would have been just fine)?

3) re Cables -- definitely hear less is more. Curious if you had to choose between potentially blocking another outlet or having another bulky brick to deal with, which you'd choose? (Recognizing neither is ideal!)

[Eddiemunster]

Hi @alice31 

1) re no swipe -- my sense is a lot of bars in particular use swipe because it's fast even though dip also works for pre-auth and automatically grabs the name. Sounds like this is shifting though where more bars are using dip instead of swipe. Wanted to gauge if that's fair from your all's experience for those who run bars?

Honestly, I don't think removing the swipe is an issue. 

2) re VESA -- curious if you all have ever purchased a POS device and started with it as countertop but as your business grew/changed, would have wanted the flexibility to be able to mount it at a later point (or if just buying a new device that could be mounted would have been just fine)?

We have an issue with scheduling orders in our QSR, so we can't use KDS which is for me the bigger issue.  We have a number of Vesa Mounted touch screens that are just sitting there-I haven't removed them because I hope that one day soon square will sort this out for us but they have been there for 3.5 years!  Vesa mount could be good for KDS, Kiosk, etc, but for counter POS, I feel the stand is better.  Having a vesa mount (I'm thinking on an articulated adjustable bar) means that the screen can be moved by staff constantly and eventually the vesa mount if it's a articulated bar will possibly wear out.  I'm not sure if that is what your thinking of though-would love to see a mock up.  If it's a vesa mount on a stand-go for it!

3) re Cables -- definitely hear less is more. Curious if you had to choose between potentially blocking another outlet or having another bulky brick to deal with, which you'd choose? (Recognizing neither is ideal!)

Personally I wouldn't want to block another power point-I think this could be very problematic and frustrating.  If you didn't realise this was the case when you bought a square device and went to set it up I think a lot of customers would be annoyed-personally as a business if I was selling these sorts of items I would avoid this. 

[Getonthebus]

Alice,

1. We have been using Square Stands for many moons at our outside beer garden. No, my servers don't take care of the stands and all of the cords as they have to be set up each time we open and then unplugged and set inside a secure location everytime we close. The cords take a beating as the corded Square dock/reader and then sometimes become unpaired, uncharged, tired... and staff has to go to Plan B and swipe the card. I know... seems like the dark ages to have to swipe a card but having that little feature available has sometimes saved our backside when i cannot get there to assist with hardware issues. But with that being said, all of our stands have died a slow painful death and I have replaced everything with Square Registers for the 2026 season. 

2. Could be a nice option but not an option for us.

3. I would take a bulkier plug anyday over the two bricks. Seems silly to have the two of them in the first place. Fewer things to go wrong. 

4. I will get some photos for you this weekend.

Hope this helps!

Julie

[SVLFever]

Sorry @alice31 , but I'm a day late here in respodning...

1. We VERY rarely ever swipe a card anymore.  It seems to only be when there is some sort of "chip malfunction", and it's rare enough I think we could ask for a different customer card.
2. I like this idea, as I think we might have configured things a little different if I could have wall mounted a waitress station.  I'm not sure we would use it, but being able to have the option I think might be helpful.
3. I prefer the two block setup, as our outlets are "maxed out" in a few locations.  Having the "wall wart" would take away an open outlet for something else.
4. Sorry, but I'm traveling still so photos aren't available...although it's a "rats nest" of cables under the bar.

Let me know if any further questions!

[alice31]

Thank you all so much for your input & feedback to date! This is so appreciated (and if others have additional thoughts, always welcome it!)