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Best Fast Casual POS with Automated Kitchen Display System: How Green Gables Bar & Grill Modernized Operations

When Green Gables Bar & Grill reopened after a devastating fire, ownership had an opportunity to rethink more than just the building.They wanted to preserve the spirit of a beloved local institution while creating a more efficient operation built for the future.

That meant replacing outdated workflows with a modern technology stack centered around GoTab’s fast casual POS and automated kitchen display system (KDS). The result? Faster service, better kitchen communication, and a guest experience that feels both modern and familiar.

Read the full story: Rebuilding a Legacy: Green Gables Bar & Grill Uses GoTab

What Is an Automated Kitchen Display System?

An automated kitchen display system replaces paper tickets with digital order screens that route orders to the appropriate prep stations in real time. Instead of relying on printed chits and verbal communication, kitchen staff receive organized, prioritized tickets that update automatically as orders are placed.

Benefits include:

  • Faster ticket times
  • Fewer missed items
  • Improved kitchen communication
  • Real-time visibility into order status
  • Better coordination between front and back of house

For restaurants rebuilding or modernizing operations, KDS technology can dramatically improve consistency and throughput.

What Is a Fast Casual POS?

A fast casual POS system is designed to support quick ordering, flexible payment options, and streamlined kitchen workflows.

The best platforms combine:

  • Counter service POS
  • QR code ordering
  • Online ordering
  • Kitchen display systems
  • Handheld devices
  • Real-time reporting

This allows operators to adapt to changing service models without patching together multiple tools.

Why Green Gables Needed a Better POS System

Green Gables Bar & Grill has served the Scappoose community for generations. After a fire destroyed the original building, the team decided to reopen with technology that would help them operate more efficiently from day one. They wanted to:

  • Simplify order entry
  • Improve communication with the kitchen
  • Reduce manual processes
  • Support future growth
  • Deliver a smoother guest experience

Rather than reinstalling the same legacy POS, they selected GoTab to modernize the operation.

How GoTab’s Fast Casual POS and KDS Improved Operations

Automated Order Routing Orders entered at the counter or online flow directly to GoTab’s KDS screens. Each station sees only the items relevant to them, reducing confusion and speeding preparation.

Better Kitchen Visibility Kitchen staff can track incoming orders, prep status, and timing from one centralized system. This improves coordination and reduces bottlenecks during busy periods.

Flexible Service Options GoTab supports counter ordering, QR ordering, and online ordering in one system. That flexibility allows Green Gables to serve guests the way they prefer while maintaining a unified operation.

Real-Time Reporting Managers gain access to detailed sales and operational reporting that helps them understand trends and make informed decisions.

Why Automated Kitchen Display Systems Matter

Many restaurants still rely on paper tickets, verbal communication, or disconnected systems. An automated kitchen display system helps operators:

  • Eliminate lost tickets
  • Reduce order errors
  • Improve speed of service
  • Track kitchen performance
  • Create a more consistent guest experience

For fast casual and hybrid service concepts, KDS technology is essential infrastructure.

Choosing the Best Fast Casual POS System

When evaluating POS systems, look for technology that combines front- and back-of-house workflows in one platform. Important features include:

  • Integrated kitchen display system
  • QR code and mobile ordering
  • Online ordering
  • Handheld POS
  • Detailed reporting
  • Flexible hardware options

The goal is to create one connected ecosystem rather than a collection of loosely integrated tools.

A Modern Restaurant Built on a Strong Foundation

Green Gables Bar & Grill’s reopening demonstrates how technology can support both operational efficiency and guest experience. By implementing GoTab’s fast casual POS and automated kitchen display system, the team built an operation that is better equipped to serve guests today and scale for the future.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an automated kitchen display system?

An automated kitchen display system is a digital order management tool that replaces paper tickets and routes orders to kitchen stations in real time.

What is the best POS system for fast casual restaurants?

The best fast casual POS systems combine order entry, QR ordering, online ordering, and kitchen display systems in one platform.

How does a kitchen display system improve restaurant operations?

A KDS improves communication, reduces order errors, and helps kitchens prepare orders more efficiently.

Can GoTab support fast casual restaurants?

Yes. GoTab supports counter service, QR ordering, online ordering, handheld POS, and integrated kitchen display systems for fast casual restaurants.

See How Green Gables Did It

Green Gables Bar & Grill proves that rebuilding is an opportunity to modernize.

Read the full case study to see how they used GoTab to streamline operations and preserve a community legacy. Read the Green Gables Bar & Grill Case Study

Looking for a Fast Casual POS with an Automated Kitchen Display System?

GoTab helps restaurants unify ordering, kitchen operations, and guest engagement in one flexible platform.

Learn more about GoTab’s restaurant POS solutions.

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Situated “in the heart of it all, yet tranquil enough to make you feel away from it all too,” The Limelight Hotel Snowmass offers 99 hotel rooms and 11 residences, as well as footsteps-to-gondola access in winter and summer — right in the middle of Snowmass Base Village.

The Situation

Especially over the last few years, the Limelight Hotels IT team had witnessed a significant shift to contactless technology in the hospitality industry. After evaluating friction points in the guest journey, aligning with modern technology platforms in their restaurant was determined to be an effective way to offer elevated contactless dining experiences to their guests while also evolving their technology platforms to continue to support long-term company goals. Limelight Hotel partnered with GoTab to provide an enhanced on-demand dining experience on par with the brand’s reputation for exceptional guest service.

The Solution

Reducing Staff Touch Points Without Sacrificing Guest Experience

Guests are now able to begin a tab from their room or the property’s restaurant by scanning a QR code, texting a link to friends or family members on the ski slope to add in their orders, then meeting up together at the patio or lodge to enjoy their meal and après ski festivities without interruption. By streamlining tasks like inputting orders and processing payments, this eliminates friction for hotel staff and allows them to focus on delivering renowned guest service for a memorable experience. Since partnering with GoTab, Limelight Snowmass has consistently seen higher check averages and sales.

“We found the Point of Sale platforms we were looking at offered the guest and staff limited opportunities to further reduce touch points or improve the traditional restaurant experience. The GoTab platform enabled the guest to take an active role over the flow of their experience while simultaneously reducing touch points and further streamlining restaurant operations.”Nick Giglio, Manager of Hotel IT Operations, The Little Nell Hotel Group

According to the Limelight Hotels team, some of the other platforms that were evaluated were either missing some of the pieces they were looking for, had weak customer support models, or had little willingness to develop integrations to existing hotel platforms already in place. To that end, GoTab integrated with cloud-based platform, Infor. Together, GoTab and Infor are providing dynamic solutions to support central, efficient service across hotel amenities and deliver exceptional guest experiences.

“Previously, guests would call down to the restaurant to begin an order from their room or while they were out enjoying the ski slopes. Using GoTab, guests can now place orders from anywhere on the resort, giving them the on-demand service they want without interrupting their day. GoTab empowers us to give control to the guest, reducing touch points and streamlining overall restaurant operations, making Limelight Hotel the resort of choice for Snowmass.”Nick Giglio, Manager of Hotel IT Operations, The Little Nell Hotel Group

Since introducing GoTab, The Limelight Hotel has seen a consistent level of upsells and items sold per check resulting in additional revenue capture. They have been able to maintain service levels in their restaurants during periods when there was reduced staffing available without significantly diminishing the guest experience.

The Benefits

Eliminate Phone Orders – Take Orders from the Slopes. Guests can start a tab from their room or on the mountain without interrupting the flow of their day.

Future-Proofed Technologies – Delivering elevated contactless ordering via integration with the Infor hotel management platform.

Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.

  • Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
  • Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
  • Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
  • Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.

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