Operations

Operations 

Point of Sale (POS) System

You will need a point of sale system to manage the cash flow of your business. In addition to payment processing, this system may also assist with front of house management and online order processing. Depending on your business size and the type of business you have, here are some POS options to consider:

• Square for restaurants (best for new restaurants). 
• Clover (best for quick service restaurants). 
• Lightspeed restaurant (best pos for small and medium sized restaurants). 
• Touch bistro (best for full service restaurant). 
• Toast (best system for Android systems). 
• Loyverse (best free post software)

Food service supplies and commercial kitchen space

• Second Chance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides people, materials and the environment with a second chance. The non-profit deconstructs buildings and homes, salvage usable materials including furniture, appliances and dishware, and make those and other donated items available to the public for reuse at a more than 200,000 square foot retail center. With the revenue generated, Second Chance provides job training and workforce development for those with various employment obstacles in the Baltimore region.
  
  
• B-More Kitchen is committed to providing Baltimore's food entrepreneurs with the space and the resources they need to grow their businesses. First and foremost, B-More Kitchen is a powerhouse of a shared commercial kitchen. It’s a 10,000 square foot facility with a 65-foot hood line, an arsenal of equipment, dedicated prep and storage areas, and shared office space.
  
  
• Our Time Kitchen Our Time kitchen supports minority women, and marginalized genders, who want to build food businesses by lowering systemic barriers and creating access to resources in a supportive environment. They offer a commercial kitchen with a by-the-hour rental program to support businesses taking the step from home cooking to being fully permitted by creating a collaborative environment, reducing the upfront investment small businesses usually have to invest in making that transition.
  
  
• The Kitchen Door connects you with commissary kitchen spaces that are available for rent. So whether you are a chef, caterer, baker, food truck, or any other food entrepreneur, The Kitchen Door will help you find an extraordinary place where you can cook.

Employment and Human Resources

As you launch and grow your business, you may need to hire employees. This process includes writing a job description, posting the position on various jobs boards, and completing the necessary legal steps to officially hire new staff. 

There are many factors and laws to consider when you hire an employee of your business. There are many different State and Federal requirements you'll need to complete when you hire an employee, including obtaining your Federal Employment Identification number (EIN), your state’s Taxpayer Identification number, and workers compensation insurance. As you hire employees, be sure to follow all wage and employment guidelines.

Following are examples of local job training and placement services and workforce development programs:

• The Maryland Food Bank's FoodWorks program offers a fresh start to low-income individuals with 12 weeks of intense culinary training. FoodWorks students learn basic cooking skills while converting fresh produce and other perishable foods into healthy meals for distribution to those in need.
• Ground Works Kitchen  is a social enterprise and expansion of Paul’s Place, a nonprofit organization, in Southwest Baltimore. Nestled in the neighborhood of Pigtown, Groundwork Kitchen is a full-service restaurant offering a free culinary training program for individuals interested in a career in hospitality. The training program will prepare individuals to be qualified employees, advance their career, and become competitive while receiving real-time experience working in the industry. It was created to transform lives, disrupt poverty and offer life skills and career training to nourish the community through food.
  

Many of the business assistance programs listed in this portal also offer job training and workforce development services. Go to the business assistance resource page here for more information.