Supporting the Challenges in Hospitality
Hospitality is evolving, and so is the retail that often comes with it.
Cafés, Food Halls, Farm Shops, and Garden Centres are no longer just one thing. They serve flat whites in the morning and fresh produce in the afternoon. Hot food, table service, deli counters, takeaway, retail… often all under one roof.
But with this evolution comes new pressure.
- Staffing shortages and increased costs are stretching teams.
- Customers expect faster, more personalised service.
- Managing stock, sales, and service across both hospitality and retail can quickly become a logistical headache.
Most EPOS systems still treat hospitality and retail as separate problems. That’s okay until your business no longer fits neatly into one box.
Many retailers put off upgrading because they fear downtime and disruption, or getting locked into inflexible systems.
But the truth is, with the right EPOS provider and modern tools, it doesn’t have to be complicated.
You can simplify operations, reduce staff effort, and give customers the kind of experience they will come back for time and again.
All without the headaches.
Real Problems, Thoughtful Solutions
Mixed environments bring unique challenges:
- Complex Orders, Complicated Systems
Split bills, special dietary needs, and accurate kitchen order tracking are frequent hurdles. All things that are often handled manually, leading to errors and slow service. - Staffing Strain & Training Fatigue
Labour shortages and high turnover make complex systems a burden to learn and use under pressure. - Disconnected Tech, Frustrated Teams
Separate systems for retail and hospitality means double handling and wasted time. Customers are often redirected away to specific tills due to the inability of the EPOS to cope with a mix of hospitality and retail in the same transaction.
Unfortunately, a fear of change keeps many operators tied to EPOS systems that no longer serve them.
However, the right solution removes friction, and helps your team adapt to modern customer expectations without adding complexity.
Built for How You Work
EPOS Cubed gives hospitality teams the tools they need, regardless of whether you’re serving breakfast, selling chutney, or doing both.
- Table layout planner: Control your floor plan visually, reduce confusion, streamline service flow.
- Multiple tickets per table: Ideal when guests want separate bills without disrupting workflow.
- Allergen alerts: Automatically highlights allergens against products for safer, more confident service.
- Split-by-item or by cover billing: Make bill handling seamless and guest-friendly.
- Portion tracking (dish counters): Easily monitor how many servings are left. Helpful during a busy service.
- Unified retail & hospitality transactions: One system, one platform, fewer headaches.
Retail and hospitality are no longer separate worlds.
More and more food retailers are adding cafés, takeaways, tasting counters, or full dining experiences, blurring the lines between shop floor and service area.
Without the right systems in place, that shift can bring more confusion rather than opportunity.
If you’re a retailer moving into hospitality (or vice versa), make sure your EPOS can handle both. We explore this in more detail in our article on being Retail Ready for 2025
Why It Matters
Picture a Friday evening…
The bistro is full, orders are coming through to the kitchen at speed, and your newest team member has just started their shift.
A group at table six asks to split the bill four ways. One guest has a shellfish allergy. Another changes their order last minute.
With a traditional system, that’s pressure. With our solution, it’s a simple process.
The visual table layout helps your team quickly identify and manage each table. Built-in allergen notifications flag any risks before the order reaches the kitchen. Our Portion/Dish Counter ensures the team knows what’s left of the specials.
Then, when it’s time to settle up, split billing is seamless. Your team now has the option of splitting by cover and/or product. No mental math, no mistakes, no stress.
This is what modern hospitality looks like when the software works properly; empowering your team to focus on the customer, not the complexity.
Serving Up Success, Together
So, if you’re running hospitality alongside retail or just hospitality alone, and you’d like tools that support your teams, we’d love to talk.
Explore how EPOS Cubed can make life easier while helping your venue thrive.
