Data processing system and method for retail stores

Abstract

A computer system for entering, processing and recording sales of items is provided, which is especially suitable for use in retail sales, particularly quick service restaurants. The system includes a plurality of programmable POS registers for entering and tabulating customer orders, an off-line processor for programming the programmable POS registers, shared memory for recording data entered and tabulated by the programmable POS registers, and a communication structure for networking a plurality of programmable POS registers, the off-line processor and the shared memory. In one embodiment, the system includes an access control system for enabling access to the POS registers, the off-line processor or the shared memory if operation of those are authorized. In another embodiment, each POS register includes a programmable display for displaying a hierarchial menu of a plurality of keys, each of the keys being visually associated with a label of salable items or categories of salable items, and a touch sensitive apparatus for detecting when one of the keys has been touched by a human operator. The programmable display is responsive to the touch-sensitive apparatus so that a human operator can enter a particular salable item into the programmable display by touching the key which is visually associated with the label corresponding to the particular salable item or category in which the particular salable item is included.