I've done enough POS installs to know the difference between one that goes smooth and one that's a disaster — and it almost always comes down to prep. The restaurants that sail through cutover day are the ones that did their homework. Here's the checklist I walk every one of my SpotOn customers through before we go live.
1. Clean up your menu first
Your menu is the foundation of your POS. Before install day, review every item, modifier, and price. Remove discontinued items, group things logically, and make sure modifiers (sauces, sides, temperatures) are accurate. A clean menu means fewer fixes after you're live.
2. Map your stations and hardware
Decide where each station will live — counter, bar, server handhelds, kitchen display. Knowing this ahead of time lets your installer configure the system correctly the first time and route orders to the right printers.
3. Plan staff training before cutover
The biggest cause of a rough first night is untrained staff. Schedule a training session a day or two before you go live. Focus on the basics first — taking an order, sending it to the kitchen, and taking a payment. Advanced features can come later.
Designate one or two staff champions who learn the system deeply and can help others during the first week.
4. Pick a low-stakes go-live day
Don't cut over on your busiest night. Choose a slower day so the team can build confidence. Have your support contact on standby — with a local dealer, you have a real person to call instead of a help desk ticket.
A great install sets you up for years of smooth service, and a bad one haunts you for months. The good news? You're not doing it alone. I handle local setup and training on every SpotOn install we do — so when go-live night comes, I'm the phone call you make, not a help-desk ticket in a queue. Let's get you scheduled.
Look, you've read this far — so let's skip the small talk.
If any of this hit a little too close to home, that's a sign it's time to do something about it. We're local, we've run restaurants, and I'd love to help you sort yours out — no jargon, no pressure, just an honest read from somebody who's been behind the line.
