Resources · New venue

Plan your new restaurant’s POS around the first service.

A new venue needs a clear opening plan for menu, kitchen, staff and payments. Servio offers published prices, compatible devices and monthly or annual billing, so you can choose the tools your service needs.

Compare the commitment before opening

The till is one of many opening decisions. Write down your expected order channels, floor and kitchen needs before comparing providers. Ask for the full subscription, hardware, processing, implementation and cancellation terms in writing.

If hardware is financed or leased, check the separate agreement, ownership and remaining payments. A monthly equipment amount should be included in the opening budget alongside the software.

Cash that leaves before your first cover

Budget for the devices, card reader, printer and network equipment your chosen workflow requires. Historical equipment examples are useful only with their dates and configuration; obtain a current quote for your own venue.

Use compatible devices you own. There’s no proprietary till to buy or standard setup fee. Integrated cards need a supported reader; other readers work separately, with payments recorded manually. Check printer compatibility before service. Read what it actually costs to open a till, cost methodology.

Five things you cannot know in month one

These five inputs can change as a new venue learns its trading pattern. Plan a sensible starting setup and review it against real service.

Your covers and your peak shape. Whether you are a steady all-day trade or two violent rushes decides how many terminals you need and whether the kitchen needs its own screen at all.

Your channel mix. Counter, table, QR and manually entered delivery orders need a clear handoff. The in-person/online card mix affects processing costs, so model it alongside the plan price. Read QR ordering.

How settled the menu is. An opening menu may change as you learn what sells. Test editing items, prices and modifiers before choosing a system.

Your staffing model. Whether you run experienced floor staff or a high-turnover team changes how much the system needs to teach on the job.

Your prep workflow. A kitchen display may help a counter, pass or multiple stations. Starter includes one kitchen station; test whether a screen, printing or a combination suits your team. Read a KDS.

What Servio does instead

Published pricing. £89 Starter, £219 Growth, Enterprise from £449, on the page rather than behind a quote. You can compare it against your other options before anyone calls you.

A pilot that costs nothing to start. The 30-day guided Growth pilot is free, takes no card, and has no application or approval step. If you continue, Growth is locked at £109 a month for your first six paid months in exchange for a case study, then renews at £219. Contact support before the offer ends to confirm continued access and subscription arrangements.

Billing choice. Rolling monthly and annual plans have different commitments. Choose the interval you are comfortable with and review the terms before subscribing.

The same reasoning applied to platform choice more broadly is in Servio for independents, and the head-to-heads are on the comparison pages.

What the first week looks like

Create your account, confirm your email and review your plan. Add your business details, then confirm your free trial in Stripe Checkout. Complete regional setup to open the dashboard. Menu import, Stripe payouts, tables and device registration can follow from Finish setup. Prepare the workflows you need and test them before taking live orders. A setup call is optional; timing depends on the menu, equipment and payment verification. Read importing a menu, connecting payments, going live, keeps taking orders offline.

When a longer agreement is the right call

We will not pretend monthly billing is always the answer. If you are opening several sites at once, a supplier committed to a multi-site rollout for a fixed term is worth something. If a bundled finance package genuinely gives you cheaper capital than your own funding, take the cheaper capital. If you need integrations that take months to implement, you want the other side contractually present for those months.

Assess each offer against your financing, rollout and integration needs. A multi-year agreement can provide value where the complete package fits, but its renewal, exit and hardware-finance terms still need to be understood.

Common questions

Should a brand new restaurant sign a multi-year POS contract?

A multi-year package can make sense if its equipment, implementation and support justify the full commitment. For a single venue, cancel in Settings > Billing through the Stripe billing portal. Access continues until the billing period ends, with no cancellation fee. For accounts with multiple venues, contact support. Annual billing costs ten monthly payments for twelve months of access; the founding Growth pilot is monthly-only. Review your selected interval and any existing provider commitments before switching.

Why do new venues get offered the longest contracts?

A hardware or implementation package may spread upfront costs over a fixed term. Compare the total commitment, renewal and exit conditions with monthly and annual software options. The right choice depends on your equipment, financing and service requirements.

What does the Servio pilot cost to start?

Nothing. The 30-day guided Growth pilot starts free with no card required and no application or approval step. If you continue, Growth is locked at £109 a month for your first six paid months in exchange for a case study, then renews at £219. Contact support before the offer ends to confirm continued access and subscription arrangements.

Do I have to buy tills and hardware from you?

Use compatible devices you own. There’s no proprietary till to buy or standard setup fee. Integrated cards need a supported reader; other readers work separately, with payments recorded manually. Check printer compatibility before service. Historical kit examples on this site have stated inclusions and exclusions; request current equipment prices.

Can I change plan once I know how the venue actually trades?

Yes, and that is the point of billing monthly. Plans are published at £89 Starter, £219 Growth and Enterprise from £449, and you move between them as the venue changes rather than renegotiating an agreement.

When is a longer agreement actually the right call?

A fixed-term package may suit a planned multi-site rollout, equipment finance or a specialist implementation. Compare the complete quote and obligations rather than assuming a longer or shorter term is always better.