Start with one terminal for each location where staff regularly need to enter orders or take payments at the same time. Then check whether a shared station can handle peak demand without creating a line or sending people on long trips across the floor. A small counter-service restaurant may need one; a dining room with a separate bar and busy checkout point may need several.
The count alone does not solve the problem. A terminal in the wrong place can leave servers walking past guests or competing with a cashier for the same screen. Use your busiest service period to decide both the number and the placement.
Map the floor and staff routes
Draw a simple floor plan. Mark the entrance, dining areas, bar, service counter, kitchen pass, receipt pickup points and any places guests normally pay. Add walls, narrow passages, power outlets and network connection points that could affect where equipment can go.
Next, trace the routes staff take during a rush. Where does a server finish taking an order? Where does a bartender need to enter a drink? Where does a cashier stand when a guest is ready to pay? Mark each spot where someone needs a screen, payment device or printed receipt.
Look for crossings as well as distance. A terminal beside the kitchen pass might be close to servers, but a queue there could block food runners. A screen behind the bar may suit bartenders while forcing dining-room staff through a restricted workspace. A receipt printer at the counter is less useful if the person who needs the receipt is across the room.
Keep guest access in mind. A payment point should leave enough room for a guest to approach and pay without blocking a doorway or exposing another guest's information. Ask staff whether the proposed height, reach and clearance work for them, and get advice on applicable accessibility requirements where needed.
Give each candidate station a job. For example, the front counter might handle counter orders and payments, while a dining-room station handles server order entry. If both are expected to take payments, confirm what payment equipment and connections each location requires. Do not assume an existing tablet, terminal or printer will work with a new system.
Measure peak demand at each station
Observe a representative busy period, not just an average afternoon. Note when staff arrive at a station, whether it is already occupied, how long they wait and how long they use it. Include corrections, split checks, receipts and other tasks that take longer than a straightforward order.
Count simultaneous users separately from total users. Six employees may use one terminal during an hour without trouble if their visits are spread out. Two employees who repeatedly need it at the same moment may create a problem. Also note what happens while one person is waiting: Is a guest waiting to pay? Is an order sitting in a server's hand? Is someone blocking a runner?
The worksheet below is a hypothetical 15-minute observation. The demand column is the combined time people needed the station, including both order entry and payment. It is not a prediction of how a particular POS will perform.
| Location | Peak demand observed | Waiting and route | Placement decision to test |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front counter | 12 minutes of screen use; two people needed it at once three times | Cashier and server waited a combined 3 minutes | Keep one counter terminal for counter orders and payments |
| Dining-room service point | 6 minutes of server work currently done at the counter | Servers crossed the dining room to reach the counter | Test a separate server station near the service point |
| Bar | 4 minutes of bartender work at a separate bar screen | No observed wait; bar staff stayed in their work area | Keep the bar station in the test |
In this example, the counter's 12 minutes include the dining-room servers' 6 minutes. They are not additional demand. Moving that work to a dining-room station would leave 6 minutes of observed counter use in the 15-minute window, while placing 6 minutes at the new station. The bar's 4 minutes are separate. That suggests testing three locations: counter, dining room and bar. It does not prove three are necessary; timing matters as much as the total minutes.
A station with 12 minutes of work in 15 minutes has only 3 minutes of unused time in that window. If several requests arrive together, those spare minutes may come too late to prevent a queue. Record the longest individual wait as well as the combined wait. A short total can still hide one guest waiting an uncomfortable amount of time to settle a check.
Repeat the observation on another busy shift if service patterns vary. A weekend brunch may put pressure on the front counter, while a dinner rush may concentrate activity at the bar and dining-room stations. Ask staff about the moments the observation missed, including shift changes and large parties.
Compare one shared station with more devices
A shared terminal can make sense when requests rarely overlap, staff routes are short and the station remains accessible during payment. Before adding hardware, consider whether moving the existing station would solve the problem. A few steps saved on every trip can matter more than a second screen placed at the far end of the room.
Add a station when the same conflict appears repeatedly and a second location addresses it. For instance, a server station near the dining room may reduce trips to a cashier's counter. A separate bar station may keep drink entry away from the main checkout. A handheld is another option to discuss when staff need to move between tables, but ask which tasks and payment devices it supports in your proposed setup.
Check the full workflow, not just the screen. Where will receipts print? Can staff reach the device without crossing a guest queue? Will a payment device have power and a reliable connection at that location? Can staff see the kitchen pass while entering orders, or will the screen pull them away from food pickup?
Compare written quotes for the proposed layouts. Include terminals or handhelds, payment devices, printers, mounting, installation and any recurring software or support charges in each quote. Ask which costs vary with the number of devices and which are one-time. Set aside a separate estimate for exceptions such as replacement equipment or an extra installation visit; do not treat a processing-fee quote as the entire operating cost.
Inventory the equipment you already own before deciding what to replace. Record each device, operating system, printer connection and payment processor, then request written compatibility confirmation. Fleksa's restaurant hardware catalog includes counter terminals, handhelds, printers and kitchen displays. Whether a particular device works depends on the setup. For the broader purchase decision, see the hardware buying guide.
Test the placement before ordering
Put the proposed devices on your floor sketch and label what each one must do. Mark order entry, payment and receipt pickup separately; they do not have to happen in the same spot. Then walk the routes with the people who will use them. Check for blocked aisles, awkward reaches and locations where staff would have to leave a guest unattended.
Run a timed simulation with staff playing their normal roles. Use paper tickets, a mock screen or a vendor-provided practice environment. Start several tasks close together: a counter order, a dining-room order, a bar request and a guest ready to pay. Time the wait for each station and note where people cross paths. Repeat with a different placement or one fewer station.
Keep the simulation separate from live service. Do not run a real card payment, send a guest message or dispatch a courier. Confirm with the vendor how its practice environment avoids real transactions and notifications before using it. If you later conduct a live service pilot, plan it separately with staff, confirm which actions are real and prepare a fallback for service interruptions.
Choose the simplest layout that meets the service goal you set with your team. If one shared screen consistently makes the cashier wait while servers enter orders, test a server station. If moving the shared screen removes the conflict and keeps routes short, another terminal may not be justified. Retest the layout when you change the floor plan or add a service area.
Ready to compare a setup? Request a Fleksa restaurant POS demo and bring your floor sketch, peak worksheet, device inventory and practice scenarios. Ask the team to confirm the equipment and connections required at each proposed station.
Frequently asked questions
Can a small restaurant use one POS terminal?
Yes, if staff can share it during the busiest period without unacceptable waits or long trips. Observe overlapping requests and payment queues before deciding.
Should a bar have its own terminal?
Consider one if bartenders regularly compete with servers or cashiers for a screen, or if the shared station is far from the bar. Test the placement against the cost of the complete setup.
Can I reuse my existing terminal or printer?
Possibly, but do not assume compatibility. Give the vendor the device, operating system, printer connection and processor details and ask for written confirmation before ordering.
