At Food Hotel Tech 2023 (14 – 15 March 2023, Porte de Versailles, Paris), international POS solutions provider Star Micronics will be exhibiting its latest solutions for hospitality POS, mobile ordering, food labelling and self-service kiosk applications on Stand B22.

Recognising POS technology has an increasingly important role to play in meeting higher customer expectations as well as demand for greater levels of convenience and choice, Star will be introducing a number of new hardware products for hospitality POS and self-service kiosks alongside unique technologies pivotal to the changing nature of the hospitality sector.

Expanding its offering to existing hospitality partners as well as new labelling markets, Star will be exhibiting its latest printer, mC-Label, which is ideal for a wide range of applications and environments including food labelling. With the recent growth in online orders across multiple channels along with increased allergy legislation, the cloud-enabled mC-Label provides an environmentally friendly solution for printing customer orders for takeaway, delivery as well as item labelling. It can also connect via Star CloudPRNT™ to centrally held allergy labelling software and online databases of product ingredients to directly print label updates as needed, which could prove a significant cost saving for larger chains.

Part of Star’s popular mCollection, this versatile printer can print on a variety of media including die cut, linerless and continuous labels. Offering flexible connectivity including USB-C, LAN and CloudPRNT, the printer is designed to work with traditional systems, network, web-based systems or connected to Apple, Android or Windows tablets, where the printer’s USB-C port can power and charge the device as well as provide network tethering to the tablet via Star’s SteadyLAN+ technology.

Furthermore, Star’s new TetherLAN technology included with the mC-Label allows a tablet or device with an active cellular (4G, 5G) or WiFi connection to share that connection with the mC-Label printer. This enables the printer to then print directly from cloud-based services, including StarPrinter.Online, whilst also enabling remote management and diagnostics, as well as making any supported, connected USB peripherals “Cloud Enabled”.

Building on its POS printer expertise, Star has expanded its portfolio to encompass a range of POS peripherals. As a result, businesses can develop POS systems in the knowledge all products and peripherals are successfully integrated and provided by a single manufacturer. At the event, Star will be exhibiting its range of versatile tablet stands for hospitality POS, visitor management and self-service applications, alongside its CD4 series of cash drawers.

The universal mEnclosure tablet holder for a wide variety of Apple, Android and Windows tablets provides a versatile and secure solution that is compatible with the new range of mUnite stands. Available in black or white, the mUnite stands maintain a clean design, concealing all the cables that keep devices connected whilst routing power supplies under the counter to recapture space in busy environments. With desk mounted, wall mounted and floor standing versions available, the mUnite stands offer a flexible solution for hospitality, visitor management and any environment in which customer interaction is key.

Alongside hardware, Star offers additional software and integration tools for enhanced connectivity. Star’s CloudPRNT technology is available across a range of thermal receipt and label printers as well as matrix kitchen printers, providing the largest range of multi-platform remote cloud receipt and online ordering printers available today. Benefitting hospitality by enabling customer orders to be sent directly to the printer from an online ordering service or app, the requirement for an additional tablet in the bar or restaurant is eliminated. Moreover, Star CloudPRNT enabled printers are able to receive orders from multiple channels including POS, tablet, web and cloud which results in an efficient ordering and transaction process for any hospitality business.

For venues that prefer a fully managed service, Star will be demonstrating its unique StarPrinter.Online dedicated service for businesses to manage the printer estate with minimal setup time and cost as well as near zero integration. This allows printing direct from an ordering website through the REST API or direct from the page with JavaScript, or even via email. The ordering service can not only communicate directly with the printer to create print jobs but also receive the status of the printer estate. Thanks to an online dashboard, users have an overview of all devices and activity including reliable tracking of print jobs with notification of device status changes, barcode scans, new device connections to a group, etc. Additional printers and peripherals can simply be added without the need for server upgrades.

“With many hospitality venues looking at innovative ways to boost business, Star’s unique POS solutions can facilitate the creation of new revenue streams, whilst allowing businesses to accommodate potentially large numbers of customers ordering food and drinks from multiple locations. Moreover, the introduction of StarPrinter.Online demonstrates Star’s focus on providing a comprehensive range of tools for businesses to manage the ordering process and entire printer estate efficiently and cost-effectively”,  states Simon Martin, Director & General Manager, Star Micronics EMEA.