Key points
- Start with your counter, where customers order, and who needs to read orders.
- A phone saves space and goes to tables, a tablet is the middle ground, and a computer suits reports.
- Kazeer runs on phones, tablets, and computers, at app.kazeer.ai or with the Kazeer POS app for Android.
- Tell the Kazeer team in the demo which devices and printer you have, before you buy new ones.
Before you buy a new device for the counter, look at your counter and at how orders move through your outlet. The right device is the one that fits the space, the order flow, and the people using it.
Kazeer runs on phones, tablets, and computers. So you can start with the devices you already have and add only what's missing.
Start with your counter and order flow
Answer these five questions before you choose:
- How much room is on your counter? Besides the POS device, it also holds the cash drawer, the receipt printer, and orders waiting to be picked up.
- Where do customers order? At the counter, or does a waiter go to their table?
- Who needs to read orders? The cashier, the kitchen or bar, the waiter taking table orders, and you.
- Where is the nearest power outlet to the counter?
- How long is the line at your busiest time? The longer the line, the more a wide enough screen matters, so the cashier doesn't tap the wrong item.
The third question decides how many devices you need. In Kazeer, each staff member has their own login and role, such as Cashier, Kitchen staff, or Waiter. Orders go to the kitchen from the same record, so if your kitchen reads orders in Kazeer, the kitchen needs a device too. So does your waiter, if they take orders at the table. With table order, guests scan the QR code on their table and order by themselves. The full flow is in the guide to the cashier to kitchen order flow.
Phone, tablet, or computer
| Phone | Tablet | Computer |
|---|
| Counter space | Least | Some, neater on a stand | Most |
|---|
| Screen size | Small | Medium | Widest |
|---|
| Carrying to tables | Easiest | Possible, but heavier | Not practical |
|---|
| Best for | Booths, small stalls, table orders | The main POS at cafes and restaurants | Large counters, and back-office work |
|---|
Phone
A phone suits a booth or stall with a short menu and a narrow counter. It's also the easiest for a waiter to carry to tables to take orders. The weak spot is the screen: with a long menu, the cashier has to scroll a lot, and that slows the line.
For the cashier, use a phone that belongs to the outlet, not a staff member's own phone. That way the device stays at the outlet when someone goes home, moves to another outlet, or leaves.
Tablet
A tablet is the middle ground. The screen is wide enough for the menu and the order, but it doesn't take up much space. Put it on a stand so it stays in place, the screen is easy to read for a cashier standing at the counter, and it doesn't get knocked around when the counter is busy. Standard Annual includes a free tablet stand, one for each outlet.
Computer
A laptop or desktop suits a large, fixed counter, such as in a restaurant. A computer is also comfortable for back-office work: reading sales reports, managing the menu catalog, and checking stock. A wide screen makes it easier to compare numbers, especially if you run more than one outlet.
Note: You can open Kazeer as a web app at app.kazeer.ai. For Android devices running Android 7.0 or newer, there's the Kazeer POS app on Google Play.
Example setups by business type
This table is a starting point, not a rule. Adjust it to your answers to the five questions.
| Business type | POS | Kitchen or bar | Table orders | For you |
|---|
| Booth or drink stall | Phone or tablet | Not needed if the cashier also makes the drinks | Not needed | Your phone |
| Cafe with tables | Tablet on a stand | One device at the bar or in the kitchen | A phone, if orders are taken at tables | Phone or computer |
| Restaurant with a separate kitchen | Tablet or computer | One device in the kitchen | A phone for each waiter who takes orders | Computer |
| Several outlets | The setup above, at each outlet | As above | As above | Computer |
If you run several outlets, all of them are in one Kazeer account, with one report for every outlet. A computer at the office or at home lets you read it without visiting each outlet.
When you count devices, remember that staff access in Kazeer is set per task and per outlet. Whoever uses the kitchen device only needs Kitchen staff access, and the cashier only needs Cashier access. How to set it up is in the guide to staff access.
Receipt printer
In Kazeer, you can connect a receipt printer and print receipts from the POS app.
Printing from an iPhone or iPad isn't confirmed yet. A Bluetooth thermal printer may not connect from a browser on an iPhone or iPad, so if the counter needs to print receipts, an Android phone or tablet is the safe choice.
Before you buy a printer:
- If you already have a receipt printer, mention it in the demo. The Kazeer team can help match the devices and printer you already have.
- If you don't have one yet, ask the Kazeer team what kind of printer can be connected. Ask first, then buy.
Where to put it:
- Within the cashier's reach, away from splashes and steam from the bar or kitchen.
- Keep spare paper rolls near the counter. Running out of paper in the rush builds a line right away.
- Every morning before you open, switch the printer on and check the paper and the connection, so any problem shows up before the first customer does.
Receipts also help when you match the money at the end of the day. The steps are in the guide to the end-of-day cash-up.
Power and internet
A device that dies in the middle of the rush is as much trouble as a cashier who doesn't show up. A few basics to set up:
- Give every device a place to charge near where it's used. Keep cables out of the paths staff walk.
- Charge phones and tablets fully before opening, and keep a spare charger.
- Set up a stable internet connection at the outlet, plus a backup, such as mobile data on another phone you can share.
- If the internet drops, the POS keeps working. Data is saved on the device, then saved to the cloud once the connection is back.
- Use the POS device for work only. Set a screen lock, and turn off notifications from other apps so they don't cover the order screen.
Check before you buy
This order keeps you from buying devices you end up not using:
- List the devices you already have: phones, tablets, laptops, and printers.
- List everyone who needs a device: the cashier, the kitchen or bar, waiters taking table orders, and you.
- Measure the counter, then mark where the device, the printer, and the cash drawer will go.
- Bring the lists to a demo with the Kazeer team, so they can help match your devices and printer.
- Run one full order with the devices you have: take the order, send it to the kitchen, take the payment, and print the receipt. A paid order can't be cancelled, so that practice order stays in your records as a sale.
- Buy only what's really missing. If you're choosing a tablet, compare the plans first, since Standard Annual includes a free tablet stand. The comparison is in the guide to choosing a plan.
If you're getting a first outlet ready, the rest of the cashier setup is in the guide to setting up the POS for a new cafe.