Quick Answer
A bar POS in India should send drinks to their own bar printer and display, keep a running tab per table, split one bill into separate food and drinks invoices, deduct liquor stock in ml per peg size, and record age consent for alcohol orders. Restrofi does all of these today. It does not yet do happy-hour pricing, liquor VAT or excise billing, or bottle-level end-of-day liquor reconciliation.
What a bar needs that a restaurant POS may not have
| Need | Why it matters | Restrofi today |
|---|---|---|
| Separate bar KOT printer | Drink tickets should not queue behind food in the kitchen | Yes: items assigned to the bar station print on the bar KOT printer |
| Bar display | Bartenders should see only drinks | Yes: the display filters by station, not by menu category |
| Running tabs | Rounds keep coming to the same table | Yes: each table keeps a running tab until it is settled |
| Split food and drinks bill | Guests often claim food on a company card, not alcohol | Yes: two separate invoices, each with its own bill number and tax |
| Liquor stock in ml | Bottles are poured by the peg | Yes: recipes deduct ml; 30, 60 and 90 ml size options each deduct their own ml |
| Wastage | Spills and breakage are part of bar stock | Yes: wastage can be recorded against stock |
| Age consent | A record that the guest confirmed the legal drinking age | Yes: captured at order time for orders with alcoholic items |
| Alcohol off delivery | Home delivery of alcohol needs a specific licence in most states | Yes: alcoholic items are kept off the delivery menu by default |
| Happy-hour pricing | Time-based drink prices | Not yet |
| Liquor VAT or excise billing | State liquor tax on the bill | Not yet |
| Bottle-level end-of-day reconciliation | Count bottles against sales each night | Not yet |
How to set up liquor stock by peg
- 1
Add the bottle as stock in ml
Create the spirit as an inventory item measured in ml and enter the opening stock.
- 2
Add the drink with peg sizes
Create the drink on the menu with size options such as 30 ml, 60 ml and 90 ml.
- 3
Link a recipe to each size
Give each size option its own recipe line so a 60 ml peg deducts 60 ml from the bottle stock.
- 4
Assign the bar station
Set the drink's station to bar so it prints on the bar KOT printer and shows on the bar display.
- 5
Record wastage
Log spills and breakage as wastage so the stock figure stays close to the shelf.
Stock is deducted when an order is accepted. Restrofi does not yet reconcile bottle counts against sales at the end of the day, so a physical bottle count is still part of closing.
Billing at a bar
Each table keeps a running tab: guests can reorder from the table QR or through a waiter, and the new items join the same tab. At settlement the bill can be split into a food invoice and a drinks invoice, each with its own bill number and its own tax worked out from the items on it. Restrofi applies the tax rate set on each menu item; it does not calculate liquor VAT or excise duty.
Hardware
The bar display runs in a browser on any tablet, monitor or TV. KOTs print through Restrofi Connect on a Windows or macOS PC, or through the Restrofi Android app with a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi thermal printer. Map one printer to Kitchen KOT and another to Bar KOT.
Frequently asked questions
Does Restrofi route drinks to a separate bar printer?
Yes. Each menu item is assigned to the kitchen or the bar station. With the bar station on, bar items print on the bar KOT printer and food prints on the kitchen printer, from the same order.
Can Restrofi track liquor stock by peg or ml?
Yes, through recipes. Track the bottle in ml and set pegs up as size options such as 30, 60 and 90 ml; each size deducts its own ml from the bottle stock. Bottle-level end-of-day reconciliation is not available yet.
Can Restrofi split a bar bill into food and drinks?
Yes. One order can be split into two tax invoices, food and drinks, each with its own bill number and tax.
Does Restrofi verify the guest's age for alcohol?
Restrofi captures age consent: an order with alcoholic items asks the guest or staff member to confirm the legal drinking age and saves that record against the order. It is a self-declaration, so staff should still check ID as local excise rules require.
Does Restrofi support happy-hour pricing?
Not yet. Restrofi does not have time-based happy-hour pricing.
What does Restrofi cost for a bar?
Premium is ₹699 per outlet per month and includes the bar station, running tabs, split bills, recipes and stock. Groups of 6 to 12 outlets use Chain, and larger groups Enterprise.
Shashi Mishra
Founder, Restrofi
Shashi Mishra is the founder of Restrofi, a zero-commission QR ordering and restaurant POS platform used by 500+ outlets across India. He writes about restaurant technology, aggregator economics and GST-compliant operations.