Choosing the best POS (Point of Sale) system for a table service restaurant depends on various factors, including the specific needs of the restaurant, budget, and desired features. Here are some of the top POS systems that are often recommended for table service restaurants, along with their key features:
1. Toast: Toast is a cloud-based POS system specifically designed for restaurants. The Toast POS system is a cloud-based restaurant point of sale and online ordering system designed for food outlets such as eateries, cafes, and food trucks. Toast offers large and small businesses a range of functionalities to streamline restaurant management.
Key Features:
User-Friendly Interface
Integrated Payments
Menu Management
Reporting and Analytics
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
2. Square for Restaurants: Square is known for its simplicity and flexibility, making it a popular choice for various types of restaurants. Square for Restaurants is a comprehensive POS solution designed specifically for restaurant businesses like FSRs, QSRs or other advanced operations.
Key Features:
Affordable Pricing
Customizable Menus
Table Management
Integration with Other Tools
3. Lightspeed Restaurant: A versatile POS system that is suitable for both small and large restaurants. Lightspeed Restaurant is a cloud-based point of sale (POS) solution for restaurants suitable for full-or quick-service restaurants, bars, nightclubs, hotel restaurants, cafes and more. Key features include floor management, customer tracking, inventory tracking, gift card support, offline mode and an iOS mobile app.
Key Features:
Cloud-Based
Advanced Reporting
Customizable Floor Plan
Inventory Management
4. Revel Systems: A robust POS solution that caters to larger table service operations. Revel Systems is the leading flexible cloud-based point-of-sale (POS) platform built for multi-location growth. The platform enables businesses to customize an ecosystem of technology that works best for their unique needs, allowing them to integrate industry-leading solutions for offerings like loyalty, analytics, and delivery.
Key Features:
Comprehensive Management Tools
Multi-Location Support
Customer Engagement
Offline Functionality
5. TouchBistro: Specifically designed for restaurants, TouchBistro is known for its ease of use. TouchBistro is our pick for the best restaurant point-of-sale (POS) system because it’s customizable and comes with affordable payment plans. The iPad-based POS system includes features to manage your menus, orders, inventory, payments and staff.
Key Features:
iPad-Based
Table Management
Sales Reporting
Customer Management
Factors to Consider
When Choosing a POS System
Cost: Assess both upfront costs and ongoing fees.
Ease of Use: Ensure the system is intuitive for staff training and daily operations.
Integration: Look for compatibility with existing tools (like accounting or inventory management).
Customer Support: Reliable support is crucial for resolving issues quickly.
Scalability: Choose a system that can grow with your business as you expand.
The best POS system for a table service restaurant will depend on your specific needs, size, and budget. It’s advisable to take advantage of free trials or demos to see how well a system fits your restaurant’s operations before making a final decision.
