PT-6200 at 3 in a bar, Darwen
Darwen's best-loved bar and live music venue, 3 in a Bar, adopted Partner Tech's PT-6200 compact all-in-one EPoS system in spring 2010 as a space-saving solution that was quick to install and would adapt to their growing business.Six months on and with customer numbers flourishing, 3 in a Bar's owners say the system is not only enabling them to maintain service levels even on the bar's busiest live music nights, but also helping them make plans for the future, thanks to its clear stock and real-time sales information.The Business3 in a Bar was created by three long-time friends and music lovers as a place for residents of the Lancashire town of Darwen to meet and enjoy a variety of high quality live music and entertainment in relaxed and friendly surroundings. It is run as a social enterprise, partly in response to the closure of Darwen's community centre, and its busy programme is designed to appeal to a range of tastes and interests, from jazz and blues to comedy.The venue operates over two floors, each with a bar serving drinks and snacks. Upstairs is a flexible space which can be used to showcase live acts or as a function room for private parties, while downstairs there are plans to serve a full lunch menu.The SolutionSupplier to 3 in a Bar, North West Business Machines, recommended Partner Tech's PT-6200 integrated POS machine, which combines a 10" touchscreen, thermal printer and magnetic card reader in a single unit. Its neat design, low profile and small footprint make it an ideal solution for bars, restaurants and retail businesses where space is limited. Its modular build also make it quick to install and simple to programme and service.EPoS specialist, North West Business Machines, installed two PT-6200s complete with Fidelity's GPoS software. They also programmed the machines' graphical interfaces with images of all products to help serving staff input orders quickly and accurately.A simple solution that's future-proof"Right from the start, choosing this point-of-sale system has made things really simple," says 3 in a Bar co-founder, Erica Dobie. "Creating a bar from scratch like we did takes a huge amount of time and energy, so it was a big relief when North West Business Machines suggested an all-in-one, plug-and-play style system they were able to install and train us on how to use it within days of our first meeting."Above all, it's compact, convenient and very easy to use. Its reporting tools, which we have running on our back-office PC, are proving very useful too. They allow us to keep a constant eye on the business, see which products are popular, order stock efficiently and make sure we offer our customers exactly what they want."The business is growing well, and with our first lunch menu just around the corner, the system is adapting easily to our changing needs and our investment is really paying off," adds Dobie.