Elite Restaurant Equipment / Restaurant Equipment / Education Center / The Best POS Systems for Restaurants
A good restaurant Point of Sale (POS) System can make a world of difference in the efficiency and profitability of your restaurant's day-to-day operations. Since restaurants vary by size, style, demographic target and many other important variables, so do restaurant POS software systems.
The appropriate POS software for your restaurant will track much more than just sales and reservations. Sophisticated POS software will track which orders come from which table, the amount and cost of ingredients in every dish, the number and cost of orders placed, aid servers in interacting more effectively with the kitchen, and much more.
Before deciding on the best POS software for your restaurant, it is important to understand which features to look for that will meet the specific needs of your restaurant and the differences among the various leading POS software systems on the market. Ready to find the most appropriate POS software for your restaurant? Let's dig in.
POS Software for Restaurants
Why does your restaurant need a good POS system? Because a good POS software system will help keep your restaurant organized. It will centralize operations within your restaurant while collecting data that a manager can analyze and base decisions upon that will shore up problem areas and fortify existing strengths in your restaurant business.
Through POS software, a manager can utilize months of data to create detailed reports and growth forecasts. Employee hours can be easily tracked and schedules constructed. During mealtime, servers can be tracked - which server is working at which table - and during what times. Table service can track which table is to receive which orders in real-time.
The order process itself can become streamlined, with online ordering enabled and e-mail receipts generated. Inventory can be tracked and alerts sent when specific ingredients require re-ordering or re-stocking. Reservations can be taken weeks in advance, loyalty programs can be designed to attract regular customers, and customer marketing can be further improved through maintaining a database of contact information.
And let's not forget billing and payments, which will all be tracked and enabled through your POS software. As you can see, a lot can be accomplished for your restaurant with the appropriate restaurant POS software. But that leads to the question - What is the right restaurant POS software for my restaurant?
Choosing the Right POS Software for Your Restaurant
There are several factors to consider when evaluating which POS software to choose for your restaurant. Is your restaurant a quick-service venue, a single large layout restaurant, or something mid-sized, in-between? Do you have multiple locations?
What is your target demographic - are they older or younger - have they embraced the digital world of contactless payments and QR-codes or are they indifferent to these options? Do you want an IOS-based POS system, or an Android-based POS system? How large is your restaurant - the larger it is, the more POS features you are likely to require.
And let's not forget your budget - most POS software providers require up-front monthly payments, and you should take into account that as your restaurant business grows, so will the cost of your POS software and any attendant hardware expenses such as an increasing number of terminals.
Budget accordingly. Let's take a closer look at five of the best POS restuarant software systems available in the marketplace.
Touch Bistro Restaurant POS Software
With more than 12,000 venues in over one hundred countries relying upon TouchBistro POS software to process over $6 billion in transactions since its introduction, TouchBistro's leading IOS-based restaurant POS system makes the top of the list.
The TouchBistro system offers a versatile interface boasting over two hundred features covering all facets of restaurant operations management for both quick-service outlets and larger restaurants of any size. In fact, the TouchBistro POS system is found in restaurants, cafes, nightclubs, food trucks, bakeries and fast-casual establishments.
Think an Ipad tableside POS that allows servers to greatly improve service efficiency by explaining the menu visually, taking orders, and processing payments.
In addition to providing tools for inventory management, menu management, staff management and scheduling, the TouchBistro POS system produces voluminous amounts of business data that can lead to better planning and decision-making that result in higher sales. Finally, TouchBistro POS comes with strong 24/7 customer support.
Toast POS
Toast POS is a leading Android-based restaurant POS system with a highly flexible and configurable toolset suitable for quick-service and full-service restaurants, as well as bars, pizzerias, bakeries, fast casual and nightclubs.
It offers a clear, intuitive interface that includes sales, billing, and inventory management, as well as detailed analytics reports and customer loyalty programs capabilities.
Toast POS is a full end-to-end restaurant management system that streamlines front-end and back-office processes, thereby improving customer service while enhancing staff efficiency and generating cost savings.
The system offers menu customization, time-specific menu pricing, efficient order-taking, improved server-kitchen communications, bill-splitting and payment processing, digital gift cards and online ordering. Toast POS offers reliable 24/7 customer support, as well.
Revel POS
Revel POS is another comprehensive IOS-based option, designed to manage sales, inventory, staff, finance and accounting.
The Revel POS system is suitable for full-service and quick-service establishments, and offers dedicated options specifically for bars, breweries and nightclubs.
This POS system is also designed to be a full end-to-end solution, offering table management, cash management, staff management, inventory management and delivery management, along with a customer display system that can be utilized to showcase menu items and promotions.
Delivery is co-ordinated via scheduling, dispatching, monitoring of drivers and "smart" delivery time calculations. Backed by 24/7 customer support the Revel POS system features Customer Relations Management for developing customer profiles and loyalty programs, and maintains precise inventory management by providing alerts when specific ingredients are running low.
Upserve POS
Upserve POS offers intuitive dashboards and features rich in analytics that help uncover trends within restaurants, bars, cafes and nightclubs, helping with identifying VIP customers and aiding in guest retention while strengthening the overall quality of service.
Upserve POS offers unique features that include a training mode and initial staff training, quick menu searches and the ability to split checks, offline functionality, as well as easy digital online ordering and billing.
Backed by a 24/7 support team, Upserve POS optimizes menu management, enhances server performance, enables tableside ordering, and offers a broad suite of sales and inventory tracking. Upserve POS, when integrated with Upserve Payments and Upserve HQ, completes a comprehensive POS system that streamlines the entire restaurant operations process from end-to-end.
CAKE POS
The CAKE POS system includes both software and hardware, offering a complete package to full-service restaurants, quick-service outlets, pubs and bars. It processes online and traditional reservations, and informs waitlist walk-ins via text when their table is ready, cutting back on lost business due to walkaways.
The CAKE POS reporting functionality delineates sales by item, net sales, discounts, refunds, and taxes over pre-set timeframes while its table management features facilitate effective coordination between the kitchen staff and servers on the restaurant floor.
The system comes with analytics and reporting tools that make it easy to generate reports for effective decision-making to help drive traffic and sales growth.
Designed by Sysco, the CAKE POS integrates well with other Sysco CAKE software offerings (CAKE GuestManager and CAKE OrderPad), as well as with various accounting programs such as Quick Books and Xero. The CAKE POS is backed by 24/7 customer support -despite being available only in the United States.