Co-owner Sarah Day took over the freehouse pub 11 years ago, but only implemented an EPOS system in 2021, when the Chequers installed Tabology's Pub EPOS system in response to covid regulations. “With the requirements for outdoor trading and remote ordering, it made commercial sense,” says Sarah.

“Given that it was our first foray into electronic system, the Tabology EPOS was very easy to set up. For most of the year, we operate with two iPad terminals, a fixed one behind the bar, and a mobile one that is used by whichever member of staff is on table ordering.

“In the high season, when we’re taking a high volume of food orders both inside, and outside in the garden, we can add more terminals as we need them. What really appeals to us is that there’s no contract specifying the number of terminals we use, so we can add them or take them away as we need.”

Tabology’s bookings system is used to enter telephone bookings onto the system, and the pub plans to add online bookings this year. “We don’t have a paper diary any more, which horrified the team at first, but it works well. I’m lucky to have a low staff turnover and some long serving team members, but sometimes it’s a challenge to ask people to get used to something new. In fact, they’ve taken to it very well. Any of the team can set up new products of the till when they need to.”

Drink orders are routed to the bar for preparation and collection by table service staff, while food orders are printed out in the kitchen. Sarah’s next challenge is to switch the kitchen to use a kitchen screen, once the chef can be persuaded to part with paper tickets. “I’m working on it,” she says.

The Chequers Inn also offers gift cards through the Tabology system, generating a QR code that is scanned at the till to redeem the gift amount. “That works really well for us,” says Sarah. “It’s used by both regulars and visitors, and is also great when we’re asked to provide a prize for a local cause or raffle.”

The pub also uses the Tabology back office functionality “quite heavily - the reporting is great.” Sarah also runs a separate catering business, so when she’s not at the pub, “I can access the system remotely and manage things. We don’t have to pull information together manually, it’s all there.”

She adds: “I had great support from Tabology to get everything set up, and I find them very easy to work with.”