07-07-05 Zonal covers the rounds at Silverstone Golf Course!

While players enjoy a round at Silverstone Golf Club in Stowe, Buckinghamshire, there is plenty of activity going on in the bar and restaurant. Like all golf clubs, the bar and restaurant is an essential part of its social scene where golfers, partners and friends can socialise and enjoy good food and wine.

Silverstone has 500 members and is also open to non-members and societies who want to play on its excellent course.

In order to cater for them before and after they tee off, food and drink are served in the bar and restaurant from 8.30am until closing time. A wide ranging menu allows customers to choose from breakfast, snacks or a choice of meals in the A La Carte restaurant.

In order for club manager Bryan Major to run the food and drink side of the operation successfully, he uses EPoS (electronic point of sale) terminals from hospitality specialist Zonal Retail Data Systems.

The EPoS system, amongst other things, records every sale, from pints of beer to gifts and golfing merchandise in the course shop. This makes ordering and restocking a far simpler task because Bryan can identify the fastest and slowest selling lines. This helps him make informed decisions on reordering that minimise his storage needs, and ensures he never runs out of popular lines.

All of the information from the different EPoS terminals in the bar, restaurant and shop is directed to Bryan's own computer, so he can analyse the results of trading for the benefit of the club.

The EPoS terminals deliver a significant advantage for the food operation in terms of speed of service and accurate communication between the server and the kitchen staff. Once the order is taken it is entered into the EPoS terminal along with the table number and any specific instructions regarding the food, for example no mayonnaise or a well done steak. All order details are then printed automatically in the kitchen.

The chef can then start to prepare the food, without the server bringing additional orders into the kitchen every few minutes! Another benefit of Zonal's EPoS system valued by Bryan is the way in which it highlights the busiest and quietest times of the day. This information helps him manage his staffing rotas and gives him the opportunity to run special promotions at the quietest times in order to boost trade.

Bryan Major said: "Running a successful golf club takes a lot of time and effort and any system that can assist me in providing the information I need quickly and efficiently is a great benefit.

"EPoS systems are widely used in the pub and restaurant sector and they definitely have their place within golf clubs too."