Grocery store and restaurant hybrids, often called grocerants, have exploded onto the retail scene. Customers enjoy checking off their grocery lists and grabbing a bite to eat all in one convenient place.
Small business owners have certainly seen the benefits, too. Grocerants increase foot traffic and boost sales, with customers often opting to spend more than they previously planned to shop and eat.
Running a successful grocery store and restaurant may seem like a daunting endeavor, but with the right tools and strategies, you can become your neighborhood’s go-to grocerant.
1. Capitalize on Your POS System’s Customizable Features
A point of sale (POS) system is the backbone of any grocery store’s operation, facilitating sales transactions, recording inventory, and providing actionable sales data.
For a combination grocery store and restaurant, a flexible POS system that fits the unique needs of a grocerant is an absolute necessity.
An effective grocerant POS system should be versatile and allow extensive customization to fit your business model and product offerings. For example, many grocerant POS solutions allow you to build tailored touch menus or choose from several prebuilt sales reports to find one that best fits your needs.
2. Make the Checkout Process More Efficient
One of the main draws of grocery store and restaurant hybrids is their convenience, which means that guaranteeing a quick, stress-free checkout experience for your customers is crucial.
Tools that increase checkout efficiency are a must-have for grocerants, allowing your staff to provide seamless service to every customer — whether they’re purchasing a gallon of milk or a gourmet sandwich.
A few POS features to look out for that can speed up the checkout process in your grocery store and restaurant are:
- Quick-service restaurant features that allow your employees to easily modify orders
- Multiple payment options to accept cash, card, and contactless transactions
- Offline functionality to keep your grocerant operating even while offline
- Self-checkout options to keep lines short
3. Optimize Inventory Management
Balancing the inventory needs of both a grocery store and a restaurant under one roof can be tricky. You likely need to keep different types of stock on hand that all need to be replenished at different times.
For both your grocery store and restaurant, you want to keep the items that your customers want available at all times, and a grocerant POS system with robust inventory management tools can help.
Here are a few inventory management features to watch for:
- Flexible inventory functions that allow you to track stock for unique items
- Real-time updates that sync your inventory records with customer purchases
- Low stock notifications to help you avoid running out of product
Offering the right items to your customers is critical for the success of your grocery store and restaurant. While you might have a basic idea of what your customers are looking for when they come to your grocerant, valuable data from your POS system can help you fine-tune your restaurant menu and grocery store inventory.
Grocerant POS solutions offer insights into your highest and lowest-selling items, which can help you make decisions about the direction of your business, boost your sales, and save money on products that don’t sell as well.
5. Build a Loyal Customer Base
Operating both a grocery store and restaurant gives you room to be creative in your marketing and customer loyalty efforts.
With a POS system that features a customer loyalty program, you can share exclusive deals and discounts with customers who shop or eat at your small business, allow loyal customers to earn rewards points, or offer special perks for birthdays or other milestones.
Choosing the right customer loyalty strategy can encourage your customers to come back to your grocerant time and time again, whether they need to do their grocery shopping or they’re in the mood for takeout.
Managing a Grocery Store and Restaurant With Markt POS
Running a grocery store and restaurant is an excellent way to make your small business stand out from the competition, but the success of your grocerant depends on effective tools and processes.
To keep your grocery store and restaurant well-stocked, your checkout lines moving, and your customers happy, you need a great point of sale system designed specifically with the needs of grocerant owners in mind.
Markt POS is an all-in-one POS solution with all the features you need to keep your grocerant running smoothly, including quick-serve restaurant features, the ability to accept and process tips, advanced inventory management functions, and detailed sales reporting.
Want to see how Markt POS can take your grocery store and restaurant to the next level? Schedule a free demo with one of our industry experts today.
