What Makes a Good Restaurant POS System? (Plus Our Top 3 Fast & Affordable POS Picks)
Choosing the best POS system for your restaurant is difficult. So many options out there.
As experts in restaurant technology, we’d like to share with you our top picks. But first, what makes a good restaurant POS system?
The best point of sale solutions are cloud-based systems that are also hardwired into the network. They should have competitive processing rates, allow for multiple tax rates, multiple kitchen printers/KDS devices, and have 24/7 support.
With dozens of platforms to choose from, ranging from dedicated restaurant facilities to more generic retail systems, it can feel like navigating a minefield. We’ve done the hard work for you with this restaurant POS systems list to identify the best and worst options.
Need help with your Toast POS? Annoyed at all the problems it keeps giving you? You need experts that can solve issues fast. Give Science On Call a call at 312.521.0016 and we’ll help you with your issue, fast!
What Really Makes a Good Restaurant POS System?
Source: Square Youtube
We've worked with dozens of POS systems for hundreds of restaurants across the nation.
The best point of sale solutions have four features:
Cloud-based POS systems that use hardwired network connections.
Competitive processing rates and allow multiple kitchen printers/KDS devices.
Allows for multiple tax rates.
Include 24/7 support in case of issues.
You’d think this comes standard across POS systems. But it doesn’t. Some systems have incredibly slow and spotty support services. And when your internet goes down or the system freezes, your restaurant can easily fall into disaster mode.
That’s why at Science On Call, we offer 24/7 tech service for restaurants. We work with and support all types of POS systems. With one call or text, our team will help you with common restaurant tech issues like internet outages, online ordering, 3rd party delivery, menu edits, printers, and more!
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Here are the Best Restaurant POS Systems (Our Top 3)
Every restauranteur should know that there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to POS tools. You will need to identify exactly what you need. Still, our restaurant POS systems list has picked out three of the best items on the market.
Our #1: Square
Source: Square.com
Square offers POS solutions for various retail and restaurant businesses.
We like that there are no monthly fees, just a 2.6% + 10¢ processing fee. The menu management is great because you can group your best-selling items for marketing purposes. This is crucial as 3 out of 4 diners research menus beforehand.
There are no long-term obligations and the organization provides exceptional customer service. The kitchen display system of orders also ensures cooks and wait staff efficiency.
They offer quality customer success live chat, phone, or email. Their support number is 1-855-700-6000. It takes about 10-15 mins on average to speak with someone. Sometimes less.
A bonus is that you can create multiple tax rates and customize how tax is applied to your items and products.
Our #2: TouchBistro POS
Source: TouchBistro.com
TouchBistro POS isn't the cheapest solution on the market at $69 per month, but it fits most restaurants' budgets.
To be honest, it's one of the most accessible POS choices for restaurateurs looking to promote a great dining experience.
TouchBistro is designed to save chefs and waiters time and money. The kitchen display has an impressive UI. The system has over 200 elements, making it a diverse solution. Menu management software, for example, reduces comped meals.
While extras like online ordering ($59/mo) increase expenditures, they also allow you to focus on the essentials. It also means you can learn existing features before introducing new ones.
The only minor annoyance is that you have to use iOS as there is no Android app available. For non-Android users, though, this won’t be an issue.
Our #3: Toast
Source: Toast
Toast has a lot going for it, which is why over 40,000 eateries utilize it. We like that it has a wide choice of equipment so you may customize it to your restaurant's needs. The Toast Go mobile POS terminals and cloud-based services could revolutionize retail.
A free program is available for establishments wishing to reduce financial risk. So even small firms may benefit from powerful POS control.
The Basics and Essentials packages allow your facility to grow at a suitable pace. While just 21% of the companies of POS users are large, the Enterprise and Custom packages provide real-time management of hundreds of branches.
However, the customer service can be a challenge, with long hold times. Plus, their payment processing is high with a per-transaction of 2.99% plus 15 cents.
The Worst Restaurant POS Systems
Beware, there are bad POS systems out there.
NCR Aloha and Micros are pretty bad. They are legacy hardware, not cloud-based, have a high cost of ownership, and are very slow to deliver new features or integrate with other systems.
POSitouch is kind of a mystery as well. It’s very hard to understand why anyone would continue to use it. It gives us Windows 95 vibes.
Other POS systems we’d say away from are:
AccuPOS: It’s not so much that AccuPOS is bad at what it does, but rather the fact that it is restricted in what it does. Some businesses that only need a basic POS system may still find that it’s OK, but given that 86% of consumers are happy to pay extra for a better customer experience, missing out on key features is probably ill-advised.
Maitre’D: The main issue with Maitre'D is that it markets itself as a restaurant service yet is clearly built for other areas of hospitality. The name says it all. These features may sound fantastic for restaurants and catering organizations but aren't exactly suited for them. Some may like it. Sadly, there isn't a trial version. We wouldn't risk it.
Hunger Rush: Hunger Rush's high pricing, antiquated UI, and limited payment gateway alternatives frustrate users, despite great personnel management and customization capabilities. With over a million eateries in the US, you can't afford to be left out. Sadly, despite being average in most elements of payment processing, reporting, and integrations, Hunger Rush may hold you back.
Outsourced Restaurant Tech Services
Restaurants are dependent on technology to run their business. But when the internet goes out or their POS system causes issues, it disrupts operations, devours potential revenue, and leaves customers upset.
Science On Call guarantees that restaurant technology tension will be eliminated in 30 days or you will owe us nothing. We provide restaurants with 24-hour technical support. There is only one hotline to call for any type of technology concern and we’ll fix it with lighting speed.
Visit our page here to book your free, no-risk discovery call.
