| em Countdown | | | | do the rest. |
| The History | | | | Every item being tracked will have the number of |
| The term, "86" started so many years ago that its | | | | items left displayed on their menu button. Each time an |
| origin has long since faded into the memories of all but | | | | item is sold from any terminal in the system the |
| a few restaurateurs. Suffice it to say, if you "86" an | | | | number available will decrement and update on every |
| item you are out and you need to stop taking orders | | | | terminal. Once an item is sold out the item will no longer |
| immediately. | | | | allow the item to be sold. |
| A lot of table service restaurants use a board located | | | | Some systems will even allow for an substitution menu |
| near the kitchen to write items that have been 86st | | | | to pop up for items that have been sold out. |
| for the day. Servers are expected to actually read this | | | | The Benefit To You |
| board and remember the items that are not available. | | | | Better communication to your wait staff means better |
| Some restaurateurs yell out the items as they run out. | | | | service to your customers. Your wait staff will now be |
| Problem is, the restaurant sounds more like an old style | | | | able to approach your customer with confidence |
| fast food restaurant with employees yelling at each | | | | about the quantity of items remaining and be able to |
| other. | | | | quickly shift customers to other items when your daily |
| Yelling is not the only problem with trying to track items | | | | specials are all sold out. |
| in this way. Like, who has time to write the items | | | | Customers will benefit from knowing before they order |
| down? Also, do you really expect the wait staff to | | | | if an item is available. No one wants to order an item |
| remember how many of each item is left? And then | | | | and have the server return to the table and be told |
| when the count gets down to 1 item left you know | | | | that they can't have what they want. By using an 86 |
| that 2 servers are going to sell that last item. | | | | Item Countdown feature this problem will be reduced. |
| The Need | | | | Something Extra For You |
| You need a fast and accurate method of letting the | | | | How about getting more than just a countdown of |
| wait staff know the exact number of items left and | | | | daily specials? How about using this feature in a bar to |
| then stop servers from ordering the item after the last | | | | inventory bottled beer? Yes, you could use this same |
| one is sold. This needs to be displayed at each station | | | | feature to inventory and count down bottle beers. |
| every time the server goes to the terminal. It needs to | | | | Other uses for this feature would be baked breads in |
| be visual, eye catching and instantly updated each time | | | | a bakery/sandwich shop, pre-made salads in a fast |
| an item is sold. | | | | food restaurant and tickets to a special event. |
| The Solution | | | | Use your imagination and you will be well pleased with |
| Some restaurant point of sale systems come | | | | the many other uses that are possible with this easy |
| standard with an "86 Item Countdown" feature that | | | | to use feature. |
| displays actual counts, deducts from the count when | | | | However, not all restaurant point of sale systems have |
| an item is sold and then prevents sales of the item | | | | this feature. Please make sure to ask to verify that |
| once it is sold out. All management has to do is set the | | | | this feature is available on the software you are |
| count for the items to be tracked and the system will | | | | considering. |