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Ask any retailer what drains the most hours, and the answer never changes: inventory. Not sales. Not marketing. Not customers. Inventory.

Today, OneHubPOS is eliminating that bottleneck. Our new AI engine reads your invoices, understands them, and updates your stock automatically — creating the most accurate, self-maintaining inventory your store has ever had.

Inventory used to take hours. Now it takes seconds. Scan your invoice. AI does the rest.

Introducing AI-Enabled Inventory Operations from OneHubPOS

Scan. Verify. Approve. Your inventory just got autonomous.

This isn’t simply a feature launch. This is a fundamental shift in how retail operators, liquor merchants, and grocery owners think about operational intelligence.

For the first time, OneHubPOS brings enterprise-grade AI inventory automation — historically locked behind high-end ERPs — to every Main Street store.

AI Inventory Management: The New Standard for Retail Efficiency

OneHubPOS now allows merchants to do something profoundly simple:

Upload or scan an invoice → AI extracts every detail → Inventory updates automatically.

Your role? A quick review. One tap for approval. Done.

This system doesn’t just scan text. It understands retail.

It reads invoices the way a seasoned store manager would — but with perfect recall, zero fatigue, and 24/7 availability.

How the AI Works — Beyond Automation, Toward Understanding

Most POS systems automate routine tasks. Few understand the context behind them.

Our AI does both.

1. Invoices become structured intelligence

Every supplier has a different format. Some are typed. Some are printed. Some are messy. Some are handwritten.

OneHubPOS AI detects and interprets:

• product names
• case details
• unit variations
• cost changes
• tax lines
• barcode inconsistencies
• damaged or returned goods
• multi-page invoices
• mixed categories and formats

2. AI maps items to your actual catalog

Retail catalogs aren’t static — they evolve daily.
Our AI learns from:

• your suppliers
• your naming conventions
• your units-per-case patterns
• your pricing history

So when a supplier writes “BL 24PK CAN”, but your system knows it as “Bud Light – Case of 24,” the AI recognizes it instantly.

3. Real-time stock updates — with deep retail logic

The system automatically updates:

• case-level stock
• unit-level stock
• cost price
• margin impact
• expiry timelines
• reorder triggers

All in one pass.

4. What you approve is always accurate

The workflow mirrors how the best operators run their stores — just without the hours of manual work.

Scan/Upload → AI updates → You approve.

Retail intelligence has never been this simple.

Why This Is Transformational for Retail, Liquor, and Grocery

Let’s be direct: Inventory accuracy is the #1 driver of profitability in retail.

But accurate inventory can’t be achieved by manual processes.
It requires systems that:

• understand case vs unit relationships
• interpret supplier formats
• adapt to pricing fluctuations
• track expiry dates
• support barcode-first workflows
• handle SKU volumes at scale

This is exactly where AI delivers exponential value.

For Liquor Stores

Case-based selling is the backbone of liquor operations. AI now:

• Converts cases → units automatically
• Updates bottle-level inventory instantly
• Flags cost changes immediately
• Handles tobacco, cartons, packs, and single units
• Simplifies compliance with built-in age checks

No more “we thought we had 3 cases left” surprises.

For Retail & Convenience Stores

High SKU count? Barcode-first operations?

AI eliminates:

• manual entry
• miscounts
• mislabels
• staff training overhead

With instant updates, stores reduce shrinkage and accelerate restocking decisions.

The Technology That Makes It Work

This launch also brings a deeply upgraded inventory architecture.

✓ Expiry intelligence

Every batch tracked. Every risk flagged early.

✓ Case + unit logic at POS level

Essential for liquor, tobacco, multipacks, FMCG.

✓ Cost management at invoice level

Margin data stays real-time and accurate.

✓ Supplier intelligence

Licenses, tax IDs, and terms auto-mapped.

✓ Audit-ready logs

Every adjustment tied to a user and timestamp.

✓ Real-time reports

Purchase → Sales → Stock movement → Valuation.

This isn’t incremental innovation. This is structural innovation.

Inventory Is No Longer a Department.

It’s a Decision System. With AI, inventory evolves from:

A labor-heavy task → to a self-maintaining system.

A periodic activity → to a real-time intelligence engine.

A guesswork-driven workflow → to a data-driven command center.

And when inventory becomes intelligent, the entire business becomes more profitable.

This is where retail is headed. And with OneHubPOS, retailers don’t need enterprise budgets or complex ERPs to get there.

Built for Real Stores, Not Textbook Scenarios

Our design principles were simple:

• No special hardware required
• Works with any Android POS or handheld device
• Supports every retail segment
• Fast onboarding
• Zero disruption to existing workflows

If you can take a photo of an invoice, you can run AI-powered inventory.

The Future of Inventory Is Autonomous.

This is more than just a module launch.

This is a commitment:

To give small and mid-sized retailers the operational capabilities of national chains.
To automate the hidden work that drains time and profitability.
To make retail smarter, faster, and more resilient.

Inventory should not be a burden. It should be a superpower.

With OneHubPOS AI-enabled Inventory, it finally is.

See live how your invoices become real-time inventory.

The retail world calls it "Black Friday chaos"—stampedes for flat-screen TVs and camping out for gaming consoles. But for the restaurant industry, the day after Thanksgiving represents something entirely different: refuge.

Hungry, exhausted shoppers need fuel. Families who are tired of turkey leftovers want a different flavor profile. And smart diners are looking for the same thrill of a "deal" on their dinner plate as they did in the department store.

However, capturing this traffic requires more than just a discount sign in the window. It requires the right strategy and the right technology to handle the surge. Here is why Black Friday restaurant deals work, what your guests actually expect, and how utilizing a robust POS system like OneHubPOS is the secret to executing them without a hitch.

See Also: Holiday Rush Survival Guide: 5 Simple Steps to Using Your POS to Make More Money

Free Download: 💡 Revenue is vanity, profit is sanity. Simplify your financial tracking today with our ready-to-use Restaurant P&L Template. 👇

5 Psychological Reasons Why Black Friday Deals Work

Why does a diner who ignores a 10% coupon in July suddenly rush to buy a gift card in November? The answer lies in consumer psychology.

1. The Dopamine Rush (The "Win" Factor)

Shopping deals trigger the brain’s reward system. Finding a great offer feels like winning a game. When a guest sees a "Buy One, Get One" burger deal, it’s not just about the food; it’s about the emotional high of securing a bargain.

• The Takeaway: Your deal needs to feel like a "score," not just a standard markdown.

2. Scarcity and FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)

"Available Today Only" is a powerful phrase. Scarcity creates urgency. If a guest knows your exclusive Black Friday "Shopper’s Platter" vanishes at midnight, they are significantly more likely to order it now rather than risk missing out.

3. Mental Accounting

Consumers categorize money differently during the holidays. The "holiday budget" is often seen as separate from "daily expenses." People are already in a spending mindset, meaning they are less price-sensitive if they perceive high value or festivity in the offer.

4. The Anchoring Effect

Diners judge the value of a deal based on the original price (the anchor). A $50 Family Bundle sounds incredible when they know the items individually cost $85. The contrast makes the deal irresistible.

5. Social Proof

Crowds attract crowds. When potential diners see a busy restaurant or a social media feed full of people enjoying a specific Black Friday special, they assume it must be good. This "bandwagon effect" validates their decision to choose you over a competitor.

What Diners Expect from Black Friday Restaurant Deals

Shoppers are sophisticated. They don't just want cheap food; they want specific types of value.

• Gift Card Bonuses: This is the #1 expectation. Diners want to buy a gift for someone else and get a little reward for themselves (e.g., "Buy $50 in Gift Cards, Get a $10 Bonus Card").
  

• Bundles Over Discounts: Rather than just 20% off, guests prefer "All-Inclusive" bundles—like a meal for two with appetizers and drinks—that eliminate decision fatigue.
• Escape from Retail Stress: They expect convenience. If the mall is chaotic, your restaurant should be an oasis of calm organization. They want fast service, accurate orders, and seamless payments.

How Your POS Can Help Execute Black Friday Deals

Great deals can turn into an operational nightmare if your technology can't keep up. A promotion is only as good as your ability to deliver it. You need a Point of Sale (POS) system that acts as a command center, ensuring the "deal" doesn't destroy your service speed.

Here is how a modern system like OneHubPOS ensures your Black Friday runs smoothly:

1. Effortless Combo & Bundle Creation

Manually calculating bundle prices slows down servers and leads to math errors at the register.

• The Fix: With OneHubPOS, you can build custom "Black Friday Combos" in the backend. When a server selects the bundle, the system automatically modifies the inventory and applies the correct price instantly.
  

• Example: Create a "Shopper’s Recharge Combo" (Burger + Fries + Shake) that prints as a single ticket to the kitchen but tracks inventory for three separate items.

2. Smart Inventory Management

Nothing kills a deal faster than running out of your best-selling items.

• The Fix: OneHubPOS tracks your inventory in real-time. You can set "low stock" alerts for your high-demand Black Friday items, like a special steak dish. The system will notify you when you are running low, allowing you to reorder before you sell out and miss out on revenue. This ensures your most popular deals are always available for your customers.

3. Seamless Gift Card Integration

Managing physical gift cards, digital codes, and bonus tracking can be messy on paper.

• The Fix: Use your POS to activate and track gift cards instantly. OneHubPOS supports loyalty and rewards integration, making it easy to issue that "$10 Bonus Card" digitally or physically without holding up the line.

4. Speed and Mobility

On Black Friday, table turnover is key. You cannot afford a bottleneck at the checkout counter while hungry shoppers are waiting for tables.

• The Fix: OneHubPOS is cloud-based and hardware-agnostic. You can equip servers with handheld tablets (mPOS) to take orders and process payments tableside. This "bust-the-line" capability gets guests fed and on their way faster, increasing your table turns per hour.

See Also: Cut Wait Times by up to 50% Using Mobile POS (mPOS)

5. Data That Drives Decisions

Was the BOGO deal profitable? Did the Happy Hour extension work?

• The Fix: Instead of guessing, use OneHubPOS analytics. You can view real-time sales data to see exactly which promotions are driving revenue and which are costing you money, allowing you to pivot your strategy for Cyber Monday or the upcoming December rush.
  

Bonus: Pre-Black Friday POS & Operations Checklist

Before the doors open on Friday, run through this checklist to ensure your system is ready for the rush.

Menu & Deals Setup

• Create "Forced Modifiers": Ensure your POS forces servers to choose options (e.g., "Fries or Salad?") immediately. This prevents servers from having to run back to the table, saving 2-3 minutes per turn.
• Test Your Bundles: Order every Black Friday special on the POS to ensure it prints correctly to the kitchen (e.g., Drinks to the bar printer, Food to the kitchen printer).

Inventory & Stock

• Set "Low Stock" Alerts: Configure alerts for high-volume items (like burger buns or steak cuts) so you are notified before you run out.
• Audit Gift Cards: Ensure you have enough physical gift cards in stock and that your digital gift card link is working on your website.

Hardware & Staffing

• Charge All Handhelds: Ensure all mobile order tablets and card readers are fully charged and updated.
• Test "Offline Mode": Verify that your POS can continue taking payments even if the mall Wi-Fi crashes due to high traffic.
• Create a "Fast Lane" Layout: If you expect a line, set up a specific terminal or kiosk dedicated solely to "Express/Takeout" orders to keep the dining room guests relaxed.

Is Your Current POS Holding You Back?

Black Friday is the ultimate stress test for any restaurant. If you found your operations struggling to keep up with the rush this year—whether it was slow processing speeds, inventory errors, or inflexible bundle options—it’s a clear sign that you’ve outgrown your current system.

Don’t let legacy technology bottle-neck your growth another year.

Start planning for a more profitable future today. Upgrade to OneHubPOS and ensure that next year’s holiday season is your smoothest and most profitable one yet.

Book a Free Demo to See What OneHubPOS Can Do For Your Business.

It’s Thanksgiving afternoon. The tables are dressed, the ovens are humming, and before your first guests even arrive, the phone is already buzzing with the same question:

“Are you open today?”

More restaurants are now saying yes, and not just out of necessity. Thanksgiving is changing. Families are going out instead of cooking in. Travelers want familiar comfort. Locals want convenience. And increasingly, it’s becoming a smart business decision to be one of the restaurants open on Thanksgiving. According to an independent study, restaurants recorded an 8.2% sales growth on Thanksgiving 2024 compared to the previous year.

In this post, we’ll break down why more restaurants are choosing to stay open in 2025, and how you can prepare for the holiday rush, especially by leveraging your POS system to stay organized, efficient, and profitable.

Must Read: Is Your POS Ready for the Holiday Rush? A Step-by-Step Guide for Your Restaurant

Why More Restaurants Are Staying Open on Thanksgiving

Demand for convenience and flexibility

These days, many families don’t want to host a massive meal. They may:

• live in smaller spaces
• be travelling
• prefer a relaxed night out instead of stressing in the kitchen
• want to treat themselves

That means a growing number of diners look for restaurants open on Thanksgiving—to eat out, to pick up a full meal, or to enjoy a portion of the holiday without the prep.

Pre-orders, bundles & off-premise boosts

Staying open doesn’t always mean full service only. Many restaurants are capturing the holiday by offering:

• turkey meals to go
• side trays, dessert platters
• family-style bundles
• scheduled pickups

One survey found that nearly half of guests said they’d order a Thanksgiving meal from a restaurant. That’s a major shift from “everyone cooks at home.”

Must Read: How to Create Holiday Menu Combos that Boost Profit

Thanksgiving Eve and the lead into the larger holiday season

Even if the main day is slower, the night before—Thanksgiving Eve—is a powerhouse. Guests out for one last night of freedom before the family gathering. And that helps justify being open on Thanksgiving Day itself as part of a larger holiday arc.

Less competition = more opportunity

With some chains choosing to remain closed on Thanksgiving (to give staff rest, or for strategic reasons), independent restaurants and smaller operators that are open can fill the gap. That can lead to higher market share, stronger positioning, and repeat business post‐holiday.

The holiday season begins with Thanksgiving

Finally: Opening on Thanksgiving isn’t just about one day. It’s the kickoff to the holiday season — gift card sales, catering orders, party bookings, repeat visits. When you’re visible on that day, you position yourself for weeks ahead.

Should You Be One of the Restaurants Open on Thanksgiving?

Before you commit, ask yourself:

• Does your concept fit the holiday mood (family friendly, special menu, gatherings)?
• Can your kitchen and team support a busy or different service flow?
• Are you equipped operationally (menu, staffing, supplies) for that day?
• Can your POS handle the special flow (pre-orders, bundles, schedule pickups, reporting)?
• Is the local market likely to support a restaurant open on Thanksgiving (are people in your area likely to dine out)?

If you answer “yes” to most, then staying open can pay off. If you answer “no”, it may still pay to focus instead on the surrounding days (Thanksgiving Eve, Black Friday, etc.).

How to Get Holiday-Ready (With Your POS at the Core)

Here’s a tactical checklist to prepare your restaurant for Thanksgiving 2025. Think of your POS not just as a cash register, but as your strategic operations hub.

1. Review last year’s holiday performance

Pull up data:

• last Thanksgiving week vs normal week.
• busiest hours.
• top‐selling items, check averages.
• takeout vs dine-in mix (Use that to estimate potential demand, staff levels, and menu focus.).

2. Build a dedicated Thanksgiving menu in your POS

• Create a “Thanksgiving 2025” menu category: prix‐ fixed dinners, family bundles, à-la-carte turkey/sides, holiday desserts.
• Enable modifiers (gluten-free sides, vegetarian bundles, extra portions).
• Schedule the menu to appear only for that day (or adjacent days if you offer pickup).
• Set pricing that reflects holiday value and margin.

Must Read: Top 5 Thanksgiving Foods Your Restaurant Must Offer [2025 Edition]

3. Enable pre-orders and scheduled pickups

• Configure in your POS: allow orders to be placed ahead of time (e.g., up to 3-4 days in advance).
• Set pickup time slots (e.g., 11am-1pm, 2pm-4pm) to level kitchen load.
• Enable deposit or full payment when order placed (reduces no shows).
• Use POS reporting to forecast how many bundles to prep.

4. Update hours and visibility

• In your POS, set your holiday opening hours (start & end time).
• Push that to your website, Google listing, delivery/third-party partners.
• Let guests know you’re listed among the restaurants open on Thanksgiving (helps with local search visibility).

5. Staff smartly

• Use your POS labour reports to forecast staffing needs by hour.
• Consider shorter shifts or staggered shifts to avoid burnout.
• Factor holiday premiums, bonuses, or incentive for staff working the day.
• Train your team on the special menu, workflow, and expected service pace.

Free Resource: Employee Scheduling Template for Your Restaurant

6. Streamline service flow

• For dine-in: pace the courses (appetiser, main, dessert) so kitchen isn’t overwhelmed.
• For takeout: use your POS to batch prepare orders and mark time slots.
• For bundling: label all items clearly in kitchen and for pickup.
• Consider adding an automatic service charge or tip option in your POS for big-booking groups.

7. Promote early and consistently

• Use your POS or CRM to pull guest email/SMS lists and send out: “We’re open on Thanksgiving — reserve now!”
• In receipts, on the check presenter, signage in the restaurant: advertise your Thanksgiving menu and pre-orders.
• On social media: “Join us or pick up your feast from one of the restaurants open on Thanksgiving”.
• Consider early-bird incentives: limited number of bundles at a special price.

8. Tag and analyse post-holiday

• After the holiday, tag all transactions in your POS as “Thanksgiving 2025”.
• Review: revenue, check size, labour cost %, takeout vs dine-in split, top/bottom menu items.
• Document what worked and what didn’t — so next year you’re even sharper.

👉 See Also: Holiday Event Guide for Your Restaurant

Why Staying Open Matters for Your Restaurant

Being one of the restaurants open on Thanksgiving isn’t just about capturing one night’s revenue. When done right, it builds:

• Brand visibility: You become the “go-to place” when others are closed.
• Guest loyalty: A strong holiday experience means guests remember you next year.
• Operational rhythm: Managing a major holiday gives your team experience for high-volume service.
• Revenue tail: The holiday week feeds into December bookings, gift cards, and catering.
• Community position: Local diners appreciate the convenience and service when others don’t show up.

Final Thoughts

In 2025, being closed on Thanksgiving may feel like the safe path, but for the restaurant willing to plan, prep and perform, being open can be a strategic opportunity.

Set yourself up with smart menus, clear hours, pre-order systems, well-trained staff, and a POS that can manage the flow. Then, when the phone rings on Thanksgiving morning and a guest asks, “Are you open?” you can answer with confidence: “Yes. We’ve got you covered.”