Choosing a POS system for your restaurant is a critical decision. Whatever you pick will be the glue that holds your business together, and more often than not, POS services require contract periods which means switching systems can be costly. Rather than pay for an expensive lesson learned, the best choice to choose right from the beginning, and Toast is a strong contender (as stated by MustHaveMenus) for best on the market. If you’re a new restaurant looking to get established, or your old POS isn’t doing the trick anymore, here’s a case for why you should give Toast some serious consideration.
Built For Restaurants
Many POS systems are purpose-designed for restaurant workers, but Toast amps this up to a genuinely meticulous degree. The hardware is meant to maximize convenience for your staff, with handheld terminals that your team can carry in pockets or aprons. That portability also means placing orders, and processing payments tableside is virtually seamless, saving time for your staff and guests. Toast hardware is also literally built for restaurant environments, with all of its hardware built to be heat-resistant, spill-resistant, and grease-resistant.
Toast’s software also allows for complex modifiers and detailed instructions on individual items in a way that many of its peers simply aren’t. Most POS systems allow for built-in modifiers based on individual items, but Toast can scale add-on costs to different item sizes or change substitution costs based on quantities.
Versatile and Modular
In addition to hardware built to withstand the restaurant environment, Toast offers a great suite of hardware pieces. Of course, they have the typical touchscreen terminals that one might expect, but they also have the previously-mentioned handheld terminals that your staff can carry, a kitchen display system that’s durable and easy to read, and self-ordering kiosks for quick-service venues where guests handle their own meals.
Toast also has more bell-and-whistle functionality than you can shake a stick at. Built-in online ordering, integration with third-party delivery platforms like GrubHub and DoorDash, gift card systems, loyalty program functionality, employee scheduling, payroll management, and thoroughly granular analytics systems that can analyze real-time sales, guest feedback, promotion success, and more – it’s an absurdly in-depth suite of options. Management can even automate the system to send marketing emails to your guests to ensure your regulars are in the know about events and promotions as you develop them.
Figuring out which of these features is best for you might seem daunting from the outside, but one of the best things about Toast is that sales reps are explicitly trained to assess your needs and recommend the best tools for the job. They can teach you how to use the software and steer you toward the best plans; they even offer a pay-as-you-go model to pay for hardware over the life of your contract.
Fantastic Customer Support
Everyone in the restaurant industry knows the anxiety and frustration that comes with technical difficulties cropping up in the middle of service. Having customer support on hand is crucial, and Toast’s is excellent. The customer support team is available 24/7, a must for restaurants given their unusual hours. On top of that, all service plans include customer support at no additional charge, which is a major selling point if you’re starting with a free plan. If your POS system encounters server malfunctions or other technical hiccups, the knowledge that you can sort them during a phone call is huge.
Go In Informed
There are a couple of things about Toast that can be a little intimidating, too. For one thing, the contract period usually spans two years, which is longer than some other cloud-based POS systems on the market. Breaking the contract can be pricey, too, so knowing ahead of time that you want to commit to Toast is a good idea.
It’s also hard to estimate costs before talking to a sales rep, as most service prices are quote based. But despite the eyebrows these flaws might raise, there’s a good reason. Having a quote-based pricing structure also ensures you aren’t overpaying for services you don’t need by trying to apply a one-size-fits-all model.
Go With Your Gut
There’s no clear-cut answer to the question of the perfect POS system. The best one is going to fit your restaurant’s needs the best. But for its wide range of features, overall versatility, and adaptable payment plans, Toast is a great choice. There may not be an easy answer to the perfect POS system, but when tailored to fit your needs, Toast can probably cater to you and yours.
