Common POS Systems For Restaurants

Modern technology has changed the way that restaurants conduct business. We’ve traded in ordering pads and pens for computer networks and advanced POS software.

While there are plenty of popular POS systems on the market today, not all of them are made for businesses in the food service industry. 

The best restaurant POS systems do much more than process payments. Your restaurant point of sale software can track inventory, manage employees, integrate with your accounting system, and connect to your backend kitchen workflow.

Whether you have a bar, cafe, diner, food truck, ice cream parlor, brewery, or traditional sit-down restaurant, there is a POS system out there designed for your business. I’ll show you how to find the best one.

5 Common Restaurant Point of Sale (POS) Softwares

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of POS systems out there. But for restaurants and businesses in the food service industry, there are only five that I would recommend. 

TouchBistro —  POS System For Full-Service Restaurants.

TouchBistro stands out as the commonvoverall restaurant POS software. The reason why it’s so popular is because the system was developed by people in the restaurant industry. 

With TouchBistro POS, you can set up self-ordering kiosk stations for your customers. The platform also has tableside ordering capabilities, with the ability to accept payments directly at the table as well. 

Restaurant businesses don’t operate under traditional 9 to 5 work hours. TouchBistro knows this, so their customer support team is available 24/7/365. If you need assistance at night, on the weekends, or on a holiday, they’ve got your back. 

TouchBistro Benefits

• Tableside ordering
• Payment processor integrations
• Inventory management
• Backend kitchen management tools
• Built-in upsell suggestions for ordering

Potential Drawbacks of TouchBistro

• Initial setup for full-service restaurants can be complex
• Limited to iOS hardware only

TouchBistro Price

TouchBistro POS is sold one of two ways; software only or as a software and hardware bundle. 

Pricing starts at $69 per month and $105 per month for each single license plan, respectively. Prices increase based on how many licenses you need to operate. 

Upserve — Restaurant POS Features.

Formally Breadcrumbs POS, Upserve is another full-service restaurant POS system. They offer a wide range of products from POS software to workforce management tools.

Upserve also has free resources, videos, guides, and ebooks for things like opening, managing, and expanding a restaurant. They even have tools for things like calculating the cost of your food.

I recommend Upserve because it provides deep insights and analytics that are easy to read directly from your administrative dashboard.

Upserve Benefits

• Bill splitting capabilities
• Compatible with both iOS and Android devices
• Inventory and sales tracking
• Versatile enough to accommodate any food service business
• Fully integrated EMV terminal

Potential Drawbacks of Upserve

• Added costs for premium features
• Pay extra for each terminal using the software

Upserve Price

• Upserve Core — $59 per month + $60 per terminal
• Upserve Pro — $199 per month + $50 per terminal
• Upserve Pro Plus — $359 per month + $40 per terminal

Contact the Upserve sales team to request a free demo.  

Dinerware — Microsoft-Based POS Software For Restaurants.

Dinerware is owned and operated by Heartland. The company actually has two other restaurant POS systems as well; Digital Dining and XPIENT. But Dinerware is my favorite of the three, and it’s the best one to use from the restauranteur’s point of view. 

Heartland has been in business for more than 85 years. Dinerware has been on the market since the year 2000. Today, more than 35,000 restaurants across 75,000+ sites are using Dinerware. 

National chains like Denny’s, IHOP, and Hardee’s trust Dinerware to run their operations.

Dinerware Benefits

• Quick and easy checkout process
• Automatically enable combo pricing to applicable meals
• Cloud-based reporting and management tools
• 24/7 dedicated phone support
• Card processing solutions available from Heartland

Potential Drawbacks of Dinerware

• Not as modern as other systems on the market
• Can only be purchased from a qualified dealer

Dinerware Price

Dinerware’s pricing isn’t very transparent. It’s one of the only POS solutions that can’t be purchased directly through the company. Instead, you’ll have to fill out an online form to be connected with a local authorized dealer. 

The dealer will give you a quote and demonstration based on your specific needs. 

Revel — POS For Restaurants with Multiple Locations.

Revel is an iPad-based POS system. They provide solutions for full-service restaurants, quick-serve food businesses, and even have software specially designed for pizza shops. 

It’s the perfect solution for restaurant owners with multiple sites. 

In addition to tools for managing staff, inventory, finances, and customer loyalty programs, Revel has tools for delivery services. You can manage driver monitoring, dispatching, and delivery time estimations directly from this platform. 

Revel Benefits

• Ideal for local and large chain restaurants
• Online ordering and food delivery management
• Built-in payment processing
• Personalized onboarding
• Customer-facing display systems

Potential Drawbacks of Revel

• Expensive onboarding
• 3-year contract required

Revel Price

Revel POS starts at $99 per month per terminal. Onboarding and setup starts at $649. 

Toast — Restaurant POS For Android Users.

If you don’t want to be forced into using iOS software and iPads for your restaurant, Toast will be your best option. This POS system is a dream for Android lovers. 

Toast POS has solutions for a wide range of restaurant types, including cafes, bakeries, fine dining, casual dining, fast-casual, bars, and nightclubs. 

So no matter what type of food service business you have, Toast can accommodate your needs. 

Toast POS Benefits

• Integrated payment processing
• Wide variety of hardware options
• Software integrations with 70+ popular restaurant partners
• Cloud-based reporting from any device
• Tableside ordering and payments

Potential Drawbacks of Toast POS

• Pricey installation fees
• Not available for iOS

Toast POS Price

Toast POS software starts as low as $79 per terminal. Installations start at $499. Hardware prices vary, and flat-rate payment processing is customized for each individual business. 

Final Thoughts

If you own a restaurant, you’ll be able to find the best POS software for your business using this guide. From quick-serve coffee shops to fine dining restaurant chains, there’s something for everyone on this list. 

Still have trouble deciding? Check out our guide on how to choose the best POS system for your business. 

You can always contact our team here at Merchant Cost Consulting as well if you have any other questions. We can even help you save some money on your credit card processing fees.