Most “best hospitality EPOS system” articles are really about software. That makes sense, because the software runs the business. But on a Friday night, when the bar’s three-deep and the kitchen’s buried in tickets, it’s the hardware that decides whether service flows or falls apart.
So here’s a hardware-first look at building a complete hospitality EPOS setup with HiStone: a main till, a handheld for the floor, and a kitchen display to keep the pass under control.
1. The main till: HK788 or HK568
HiStone HK788: the big screen
Got a big menu, lots of modifiers or a bar that sells 200 different drinks? The HK788 gives you an 18.5″ Full HD screen, so there’s room for bigger buttons and fewer screen changes. That means faster service and fewer mistakes.
- Intel 11th Gen Core i3 as standard, Core i5 optional
- 4GB to 16GB RAM, 256GB to 512GB M.2 SSD
- Windows 11 LTSC or Pro
- Die-cast aluminium housing
- Low-profile foldable base, adjustable height, and VESA mounting with a converter
- Optional 10.1″ customer display, MSR or MSR + RFID for staff and loyalty cards
HiStone HK568: the all-rounder
For most pubs, cafés and restaurants, our best-selling HK568 is the natural choice. It has a 15.6″ Full HD screen, and its fully sealed housing is waterproof, dustproof, and oil and soot resistant. That’s exactly what you want next to a beer tap or a fryer.
2. On the floor: the HM638N tablet terminal
Table service, queue busting, taking orders in the garden: a mobile terminal pays for itself fast. The HiStone HM638N is an 11.6″ Windows 11 tablet that works as both a handheld and a fixed till.
- Lift and go: a magnetic lock on the back lets staff lift it off the dock and take it to the table.
- Two docks: a charging dock for simple charging and network, or a smart dock with seven USB ports, PoweredUSB, two serial ports, LAN and a cash drawer port for a full counter setup.
- Everything built in: a 3-track MSR as standard, plus an optional 2D barcode scanner, under-screen NFC and a fingerprint reader in the power button.
- Fast and connected: Intel N-series or Core i3, up to 16GB RAM and 512GB storage, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1.
- Light: the tablet weighs 888g, with an optional hand strap for all-night service.
Because it runs Windows 11, it can run the same EPOS software as your main tills. Staff only learn one system.
3. In the kitchen: the HD220R kitchen display system
Paper tickets get lost, splashed and misread. A kitchen display system (KDS) puts every order on a screen, in order, with timings, so the kitchen and front of house stay in sync.
The HiStone HD220R is built for hot, greasy kitchens:
- 21.5″ Full HD bezel-free multi-touch screen
- IP54-rated front panel, protected against oil, water and corrosion
- Rockchip RK3568 quad-core on Android 11
- Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2
- VESA mounting (75 x 75mm and 100 x 100mm) for walls, arms or above the pass
See the full kitchen display range for other sizes and options, or read our UK guide to KDS hardware.
Putting it together: three example setups
| Venue | Suggested HiStone setup |
|---|---|
| Small café | 1 x HK568 with customer display, plus a receipt printer and cash drawer |
| Busy pub with food | 2 x HK788 at the bar, 2 x HM638N for table service, 1 x HD220R in the kitchen |
| Restaurant | 1 x HK568 at front of house, 3 x HM638N on the floor, 2 x HD220R (hot and cold sections) |
Why one hardware family makes life easier
Mixing brands across tills, handhelds and kitchen screens is a recipe for driver headaches and finger-pointing when something goes wrong. With one family, you get consistent quality, one supplier and one warranty process.
And that quality has real pedigree. HiStone started out as Hisense Intelligent Commercial Systems, the commercial POS business of Hisense, and has more than 30 years of POS engineering behind it. In a hospitality environment, where hardware gets abused nightly, that build quality is what keeps you trading.
Plan your hospitality EPOS setup with us
B-Spoke Systems is the official UK distributor for HiStone. We can image your software across every till, tablet and kitchen screen, test it all together, kit it by site and deliver it ready to install, with UK warranty support and spares.
Call 0116 260 3100, email sales@b-spokesystems.com, or visit our Leicester showroom to see the whole setup working side by side.