~ POS 101

Looks like I've just been deputized to scout out a new POS system for the VFW.
 
Currently the newest, push-button cash register is at the main bar ... and progressively older ones at the banquet bar and the special events room.
 
We just got a quote for three touch screens connected to a computer in the office, cash drawers and printers ... for $15,000.
 
All we are trying to do is keep track of beers by brand/size, 'call' liquors, sodas, snacks and maybe someday simple food if we expand into the kitchen.
 
I haven't even looked at anything (such as Costco) ... I'm not bad with computers I'm certain I could learn to program one.
 
Help ???
 
Anyone have any wisdom to offer ???
 

Does each station usually have its own computer ... or are there some kinds of terminals that are used ???
 
Is there a web resource where you can cobble a system and get a quote without giving them your phone number and contact info.  Too soon to be fending off salespeople.
 

Look into Business Plus Accounting POS.  It is one of the cheapest.  It runs on hardware up to 10 years old just fine, and if you own the pc's or can get donated pc's you can just buy the software.  For a single stand alone computer it is like $35.  But if you have multiple pc's the networked version is something like $400 per computer for the initial license, and $35 per month in fees.  If you do have multiple stations and don't mind running each register separately then you could probably get away with just paying the $35 per machine.  The network features are nice though, it will keep track of sales, inventory, employee time and payroll.  I set a friend's restaurant up with it when they opened and there were few problems.  Only major thing they ran into was after they were open for 4 years, the server started getting slow because the database was getting too large for the amount of ram in the server pc (it only had 512MB ram). 

Addendum to above:  Mouse and keyboard work fine if you don't want to spend $400 on a touchscreen monitor.  You can also buy all in one pc's that have touchscreens nowadays for not much more than you would spend on just the POS monitor.  POS monitors are a scam.  Touchscreens are DIRT CHEAP nowadays yet they still want $400 for a 14 inch 1024x768 POS touchscreen.