Zoho launches restaurant POS platform in India, offers free plan for small businesses

Zoho has introduced a restaurant point-of-sale (POS) platform in India, targeting small businesses such as Asha Sweets, a Kolkata-based sweet shop. The platform, Zoho POS for Restaurants, is provided free of charge to establishments with annual billing of up to Rs 12 lakh. Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu highlighted Asha Sweets as the company's first customer, praising their use of the platform during the bustling festive season.

Vembu also mentioned the team's visit to observe the restaurant's operations. Zoho POS for Restaurants is a cloud-based solution that manages billing, orders, menus, kitchen operations, and inventory. It accommodates multiple channels like dine-in, takeaways, and food delivery platforms, enabling seamless order management. The system supports QR code menus, table management, and kitchen order tickets.

Offline billing capabilities ensure uninterrupted service during internet disruptions, with data syncing once connectivity is restored. The platform integrates with Windows and Android devices and connects to Zoho Books for accounting. Payment options include Zoho Payments, Paytm, Pine Labs, and PhonePe. The software comes with four subscription tiers – Free, Essentials, Signature, and Premium.

While the free plan includes essential billing and inventory features, advanced capabilities like food aggregator integrations, table management, self-ordering kiosks, and loyalty programs are available in paid plans. This launch is part of Zoho's broader strategy in vertical SaaS development, focusing on industry-specific applications alongside its existing business software.

Zoho has targeted seven sectors for this expansion, including retail, automotive, banking, financial services, education, real estate, and restaurants.