Need input on what setup is best for me. Scenario is below...

[lacocinachico]

Hi!!  Help please! I need guidance on how to set up our Square system logistics that we use for large events. For instance should we be using multiple locations etc… Below I have laid out what our needs are, and would like some guidance on what the setup should be to accomplish this the best way square is able.

We will have three sales locations. With each location having two square registers. The Square Registers at these spots will be selling two different item tickets (beer & Cocktail). In addition, each location will have multiple iPads running the square app. These ipads will not be “selling” anything but will be used to track inventory used (ie. Coors or Bud Light, Vodka Cocktail or Whiskey Cocktail.) All sales and inventory used should be able to be reported globally, but also be able to drill down to see which location sold quantity of tickets as well as inventory used from the ipads. The two individual registers at each location can be reported together.

What is the best way to set this up on the Square dashboard?? Multiple locations? Signing in through register code for machine profile? Whats the best way to set up items? Two “sale” items (for tickets) with corresponding price, and multiple items with a price of zero to track inventory? We would like it if the Square Registers could not see the inventory buttons, and conversely the iPads not be able to see the ticket sale buttons. If we want to differentiate between an item such as Vodka cocktail and a double Vodka cocktail, would it have to be two separate items or can we add a modifier of “double” to the vodka cocktail item. Having it be two separate items would be very cumbersome as we have at least 8 base items that would need a duplicate item for the “double option.”

I have read all the Help information that is pertinent and tried several options last year with no luck, as we had to sacrifice reporting inventory used just so we could be sure that we were at least able to track Sales.

I know there is a way to accomplish this, I just don’t know how. I need a Mandalorian to pop up and say “this is the way.” Thanks!

[Summer2024]

Hi @lacocinachico ! Thanks for reaching out to the Square Community! We are so happy to have you here! 

I am going to tag in some Square experts who may have some insight for you, @Candlestore , @TheRealChipA , @JTPets 

Hopefully they have some tips and ideas to get you going in the right direction. 

[Candlestore]

Thanks @Summer2024 for tagging me.

@lacocinachico I am confused by this line "These ipads will not be “selling” anything but will be used to track inventory used (ie. Coors or Bud Light, Vodka Cocktail or Whiskey Cocktail.)"

To track Inventory with Square you would need to complete a Sale as Square is used for a Point of Sale.  So you would need the sale to go through the Square system to reduce inventory.

What I would do is create 2 categories   Beer and Cocktails.

The Sub Categories of Domestic or Imported

Then Items of the Beer would be by Types or Brand   Budweiser

Then under the Items would be Variations of the beers your selling:

  Variation -  12oz Bottle,  12 oz Can etc  or maybe they are Draft and have the size there with a Price.

For the Vodka or Double, you could use Modifiers or Variations.   I usually use Variations for my Items.

You can create an Option Set to be applied to all 8 of your Base items so it is less cumbersome.

As for on your Ipads you can select the More toggle in the Bottom right of the screen and the choose Customize what buttons are on the Bottom row.   As for doing this on the Register I am not familiar with the Register just Ipads as I use Square Stands.

Now since you want to not take money using Square but still track the inventory, the best I dea I have is creating a 100% discount that applies to your 2 Main Categories of Beer and Cocktails if you use those as Categories.  These discounts would be automatically applied when an Item from either of these categories is added to the Checkout.  This will still let you have a Receipt to show what was ordered and reduce inventory.

The issue I have with a Double is tracking how much of the Doubled item mixer was added.  I think you can do this as a Bundled Item where the Vodka Cranberry uses say 4oz Cranberry and 1oz Vodka for a single and a Double would use 4oz Cranberry and 2oz Vodka for example.  

I may have missed a few points but if you need farther assistance ask away someone here should be able to help and maybe give better examples.

[lacocinachico]

Thanks @Summer2024 for the referral. And thank @Candlestore for taking the time to responsd. I'll give a more realistic example while keeping it succinct, to better illustrate the "iPads not "selling" line you mentioned. So here it goes, and bear with me please. This is my first attempt to seek the communities help for an issue. I usually go to trial and error until I figure it out. But I'm running 50 or 60k in transactions during a typical event weekend, so this definitely needs to be sorted!

We'll Tackle the multiple locations once sales and inventory are figured out:

Scenario:

 A Drink Ticket Booth has 2 Square Registers with only two different items for sale. A beer ticket ($8ea) and a cocktail ticket ($9ea). A customer goes to the Drink Ticket booth and purchases 4 drink tickets. 2 beer tickets and 2 cocktail tickets. Customer completes the $34 transaction via cash/card/apple pay etc. This sale is logged and completed through the Square Register.

Later, Customer goes directly to the bar. The bar is set up with Square iPads, and turns in a beer ticket in exchange for a Coors Light, as well as a cocktail ticket for a Vodka & Soda. (no money exchanged here only Tickets). How do we record this second transaction, so we know how much of each individual product we used? How many Coors Light did we pour vs Corona? I think setting up the iPads with the specific items (Coors Light, Corona etc) with a price of $0.00 would accomplish this. Is there a better way?

Also, is there a way to have the register only see their two items and not the Square iPad items, and vice versa (the iPads should not see the Register items for sale, so as to not accidently process a drink ticket sale transaction.) For instance How can I set up the ipads favorite screen without affecting the Square Register favorite screen? In my experience when I remove a button from favorites via iPad, it removes it from Register as well.

Once this is figured out, I'll need to multiply this by three. So this scenario operating at three different locations at the same event. I'd like to be able to run reports globally, as well as for each individual location.

I hope this gives more clarification. I know that this is possible, I'm just not sure at the most efficient way of setting this up. And FYI the reason we do $$ transaction at a ticket booth rather than the bar itself, is efficiency. We save so much time and can manage the lines and volume much better by shifting the $$ transaction to a satellite ticket booth. And it allows our bartenders to focus on customer service while they empty 100 beer kegs in 72 hours.

Thanks in advance for your input and please tag anyone with experience in handling an event or setup like this please!

Chris D

@Everyone 

@TheRealChipA 

@JTPets 

@Donnie-M 

[Candlestore]

@lacocinachico ;

Now I understand more what your trying to accomplish, with Ticket sales at 1 place and then the Tickets used to buy the Drinks later.  

You stated:

Later, Customer goes directly to the bar. The bar is set up with Square iPads, and turns in a beer ticket in exchange for a Coors Light, as well as a cocktail ticket for a Vodka & Soda. (no money exchanged here only Tickets). How do we record this second transaction, so we know how much of each individual product we used? How many Coors Light did we pour vs Corona? I think setting up the iPads with the specific items (Coors Light, Corona etc) with a price of $0.00 would accomplish this. Is there a better way?

Problem with this is yes in theory this works, in reality it does not.  When you select Item Coors Light you would get a Pop up asking How much is Coors Light since the price is left blank or $0.00.  This creats xtra steps for Bartenders.  Create a Discount of 100%.  Call this Discount Prepaid Ticket or something similar.   When customer orders Beer and the cocktail, have Square set this to an Automatic Discount for Items in Beer or Cocktail categories.   Then any Item in the Beer Category or the Cocktails category would have the 100% discount automatically applied.  Keeping track of your Individual beer 'Sales'.  Here is more about Discounts read about Automatic ones : 3955-create-and-manage-discounts  Just make sure the Ticket Sales for the register are in a Category called Pre Sales or anything but Beer and Coctail or your Tickets will be discounted 100% also.  Then a Receipt can be printed with Beer  Variation Coors Light and Vodka Soda under your cocktails Categories..... Receipt will be like whatever you have for Beer $8.00 and Vodka and Soda $9.00 less 100% Prepaid Ticket total $0.00.  I do this as a Donation discount when charties ask for something for a Tricky Tray.  

The Different Register, Ipad Screens I am not sure how to do.  the Best I can think of is in your Favorites you can have Multiple Tabs for Categories.  I just do not remeber if after a sale the Favorites Tab of Beer for example would go back to the Main Favorites screen after a Sale same for when a Ticket sale would be completed.  Now if you setup Mutiple Locations you can have Beer and Cocktails only sold at Drinks Location for example and Tickets only sold at Tickets Location.  Just be aware if you pay for Square Plus this would be charged per Location.

You can create Device codes  8339-set-up-device-codes  for logging in to Square and also Rename the Ipads through Settings from Ipad to other names.  I am not sure if you can rename the register as I do not have any to test that on.  Here is an article to rename or give aliases to devices :  8114-create-and-manage-device-profiles 

I hope this helps and for some things for you to look into.