Hey there, fellow food enthusiasts and small business owners! Are you ready to take your restaurant to new heights of efficiency in 2024? Well, look no further, because we’ve got you covered with our selection of the 6 best restaurant POS systems for small businesses.
Gone are the days of messy order tickets and disorganized payment processes. With these advanced systems in place, you’ll not only streamline your day-to-day operations but also enhance the overall dining experience for your valued customers. So,sit back and enjoy this insightful read of cutting-edge technology that will revolutionize your eatery and leave your competitors in awe.
Whats is Restaurant POS Systems
A Point of Sale (POS) system for restaurants is a comprehensive software and hardware solution designed to streamline and optimize various aspects of restaurant operations, particularly transaction processing. The primary functions of a restaurant POS system go beyond simple order and payment processing, encompassing multiple facets of restaurant management.
Components Of Restaurant POS Systems
Here are key components and functionalities of a restaurance pos system and our expert review and recomendation is base on that:
1. Order Management: POS systems involve any restaurant staff to input customer orders efficiently, be it for dine-in, takeout, or delivery. These orders are sent directly to the kitchen or in any designated preparation area.
2. Menu Management: Restaurants can customize their menus on their POS system. Once this is done, there will be reflections in terms of changes in pricing, seasonal offerings, or new items.
3. Payment Processing: POS systems offer various payment methods like cash, credit/debit cards, and increasingly, mobile payments. This is to ensure that there is a smooth and secure transaction process.
4. Table Management: For any dine-in establishments, POS systems often include table management features, helping staff track table statuses, manage reservations, and optimize seating arrangements.
5. Inventory Management: Restaurants can keep track of all inventory levels in real-time. This situation can help prevent stockouts or over-ordering.
6. Employee Management: POS systems are very useful for tracking employee working hours, managing shifts, and calculating wages. Which also includes role-specific access to features within the system.
7. Reporting and Analytics: Robust reporting tools can showcase insights into sales, customer preferences, and other key metrics. This data can help in making strategic decisions and marketing efforts.
8. Integration with Other Systems: POS systems often integrate with other tools and services, such as accounting software, reservation platforms, and loyalty programs.
9. Customer Relationship Management (CRM): There are POS systems that offer CRM features to help restaurants in building and maintaining relationships with customers. This may include loyalty programs, customer feedback, and personalized promotions.
Also Read: The Best Reputation Management Software For Businesses In 2024
10. Security Features: POS systems have priorities in security, encrypting payment information, and ensuring compliance with industry standards which can protect both customer data and the restaurant’s financial information.
Best Restaurant POS Systems
In this article, we are going to discuss the best restaurant POS systems that you can start using;
1. Toast (our top pick)
Toast is tailored specifically for the restaurant industry, offering a range of features such as order management, menu customization, and tableside ordering. This specialization ensures that the system addresses the unique needs and workflows of restaurants effectively.
This POS system is well known for its intuitive and user-friendly interface. Their designs facilitate quick and efficient order processing, and can also minimize the learning curve for restaurant staff. This feature in particular is extremely crucial in a fast-paced restaurant environment.
This system alone integrates seamlessly with various third-party applications which include accounting software, inventory management tools, and online ordering platforms. This integration streamlines restaurant operations and enhances overall efficiency.
Since this system is a cloud-based POS system, it offers real-time data access from any location with an internet connection. This is valuable for all restaurant owners and managers who truly want to monitor operations remotely.
Toast is a reliable and durable hardware option that includes terminals and handheld devices. This is designed to withstand the demanding conditions of a restaurant environment so that it ensures continuous and reliable service.
Overall features
- Regular updates
- Strong and effective customer support
- Comprehensive Reporting and Analytics
- Customization options
- Cloud base platform
- Reliable hardware
- User-friendly interface
Get Started Here: Toast
2. Square for Restaurants
Square for Restaurants offers a comprehensive set of features designed specifically for the restaurant industry. This includes order management, table mapping, menu customization, and reporting tools, providing a holistic solution for restaurant operations.
Square seamlessly is intertwined with a variety of other business tools like Square’s payment processing, CRM, and marketing features. This integration can provide various aspects of restaurant management and can help in creating a cohesive business ecosystem.
Be it that you are operating a small café or a larger restaurant, Square for Restaurants is scalable to meet the needs and demands of different business sizes. It can adjust to your business as it grows over the years. And because of this, it is suitable for a range of establishments.
This POS restaurant system is often praised for its transparent and competitive pricing. The straightforward fee structure, combined with the absence of long-term contracts or hidden fees has been an attractive choice for type of businesses.
And lastly, Square for Restaurants provides flexibility for order processing and payment acceptance. This is truly beneficial for businesses with outdoor seating or for businesses that are looking to adopt mobile ordering solutions.
Overall features
- Real-time analytics
- Mobile Accessibility
- Affordability
- User-friendly interface
- Comprehensive features
- Customer support
Get Started Here: Square
3. Lightspeed restaurants
Lightspeed Restaurant offers a robust set of features tailored specifically for the restaurant industry. This includes table management, menu customization, inventory tracking, and detailed reporting.
It is a well-known system because of its intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it easy for restaurant staff to navigate and use. This is very important for minimizing training time and ensuring smooth day-to-day operations.
Being a cloud-based POS system provides flexibility and accessibility. As restaurant owners and managers, you can access real-time data, manage orders, and monitor performance from anywhere in the world with the help of an internet connection.
The ability to take orders directly at the table using mobile devices is a good experience for customers, and it improves the overall customer experience. Lightspeed Restaurant’s tableside ordering is a well-known feature for full-service restaurants.
The company itself – Lightspeed can update its software so that it can add new features, improve security, and address any issues. Their continuous and steady improvement ensures that the POS system stays relevant in a dynamic industry.
Overall features
- Cloud-based flexibility
- User-Friendly Interface
- Cloud-Based Flexibility
- Tableside ordering
- Analytics and Reporting
Get started here: Lightspeed
4. Shopkeep
ShopKeep is known for its user-friendly interface, making it accessible for small businesses and less tech-savvy users. The simplicity of the system contributes to quicker staff training and efficient daily operations.
This POS restaurant system provides robust inventory management features so that it can pave the way for restaurants to track stock levels, manage ingredients, and receive alerts for low inventory. This has a significant impact on reducing waste and optimizing supply chain processes.
They can offer real-time sales reporting so that it provides business owners with insights into their daily operations. This data can help restaurant owners make informed decisions, adjust menus, and identify sales trends.
The order management features of ShopKeep correspond with the ordering process. This is essential for all types of restaurants, where efficient order processing is a factor in providing a good customer experience.
ShopKeep has several features that include CRM features which can help businesses in building and maintaining customer relationships. This is very valuable in the restaurant industry in terms of implementing loyalty programs and understanding customer preferences.
Overall features
- Very cheap
- Easy to use
- Inventory management features
- Intuitive Order Management
- Real-time sales reporting
Get Started Here: Shopkeep
5. Revel Systems
Revel Systems offers a wide range of features tailored specifically for the restaurant industry. This includes order management, menu customization, table management, employee scheduling, and robust reporting tools.
This system is scalable and it is suitable for different types of restaurants starting from small establishments to larger and multi-location businesses. The system can grow as the restaurant grows too.
They can operate on a cloud-based platform that allows real-time updates and data accessibility from anywhere with an internet connection. Because of this feature, there will be efficient management and monitoring of restaurant operations.
While you are using this system, there is integration with various third-party applications. It can connect restaurants to their POS system with other tools like accounting software, online ordering platforms, and loyalty programs.
This was well structured and designed in terms of continuous updates in its technology to incorporate the latest innovations in the POS industry. This is to ensure that restaurants using Revel Systems benefit from state-of-the-art features.
Overall features
- Innovative technology
- Security measures
- Customer engagement
- Scalability
Get Started Here: Revel System
6. TouchBistro
TouchBistro is tailored exclusively for the restaurant industry. Its features are crafted to meet the unique needs of restaurants, cafes, and bars, making it highly specialized and efficient.
We found out that servers can take orders directly at the table using mobile devices, streamlining the ordering process, reducing errors, and most importantly, improving overall efficiency.
The system offers quality menu management capabilities, enabling easy customization of menus, and adding modifiers. It is also known for its feature in handling complex menu structures commonly found in restaurants.
In a restaurant environment, network stability is extremely important. And that is why touchy bistro’s offline mode allows the system to continue functioning. Even if there is a temporary loss of internet connection, it can ensure an uninterrupted service.
The POS system includes several features for staff management like user roles, permissions, and time tracking. All these features can help in managing labor costs and maintaining operational control.
There are some great features that you don’t want to miss out on, like CRM features. This feature allows restaurants to keep track of their customer preferences, manage loyalty programs, and enhance the overall customer experience.
Overall features
- Offline mode
- Effective staff management
- Integration Capabilities
- Menu management
- Tableside ordering
Get Started Here: TouchBistro
FAQ’s
A POS system streamlines operations, improves accuracy, tracks sales and inventory, enhances customer experience, and provides valuable insights for efficient decision-making.
Square for Restaurants is known for its affordability and transparent pricing structure, making it an excellent choice for small businesses on a budget.
Yes, many restaurant POS systems offer integration capabilities with third-party applications like accounting software, online ordering platforms, or loyalty programs.
A: While the learning curve may vary depending on the complexity of the system, most modern POS systems are designed to be user-friendly and intuitive. They often offer training resources and dedicated customer support to assist users.
Consider factors like your specific business needs, budget, scalability, ease of use, available features, and customer support before selecting a POS system that aligns with your goals and requirements.
Conclusion
When selecting your preference in terms of the best restaurant POS system, it’s essential to evaluate the specific needs of your restaurant, the complexity of your menu and operations, and the scalability of the POS solution.
Also, you need to consider some crucial factors like customer support, training, and integration capabilities with other tools your restaurant may use. This is also helpful.
Don’t forget to leave a comment below if this article was insightful. Also let us know which of the above restaurant POS system you have tried and your experience using it.
