The core: something to take orders and take payment
At minimum you need a way to accept orders and a way to accept payment. That’s usually a POS terminal or a tablet running POS software, paired with a card reader. Some systems include the tablet; others sell proprietary hardware you buy or finance. This is the single biggest hidden cost difference between platforms — included hardware vs. a multi-terminal hardware invoice.
The kitchen: printers vs. screens
Orders have to reach whoever’s cooking. Traditionally that’s a receipt printer that spits out tickets (Star and Epson are the common brands); increasingly it’s a kitchen display screen (KDS) that shows orders digitally and tracks timing. Printers are cheaper and simpler; screens reduce paper and give better visibility in a busy kitchen. Many restaurants run both.
Customer-facing extras
Beyond the essentials, hardware is about customer experience: self-order kiosks that cut lines and lift average ticket size, digital menu boards that let you change prices and items instantly (some run on inexpensive streaming sticks rather than dedicated signage hardware), and QR codes for dine-in ordering. None of these are mandatory — they’re levers you add when the volume or the concept justifies them.
What you can skip
Plenty of successful small restaurants run on a single tablet, a card reader and one printer. Don’t buy kiosks, multiple terminals or menu boards until your traffic actually calls for them. The right question isn’t “what’s available” but “what does my format and volume need” — a food truck, a fast-casual counter and a full-service dining room have genuinely different hardware answers.