Toast POS: A Restaurant's All-In-One Point of Sale System

Toast POS at a Glance

Toast offers a comprehensive suite of POS products and services for the restaurant industry, and their clients encompass around 100,000 restaurants of all shapes and sizes in the United States, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Many insiders and clients consider them the best POS provider for food and beverage merchants. Their focus on this one general industry ensures they can provide specialized service to better cater to your needs whether you have a food truck, fast-casual eatery, bar, or any other type of food business. They will cater to any business size, which means that you may be starting fresh, with very few employees, or running a large enterprise group of such establishments and being equally well-served by Toast's products.

Their offerings cover a wide range of software and hardware solutions that aid with all aspects of restaurant management. That includes tools for in-location, takeout, online point of sale, orders, payment processing, bookkeeping, marketing, team management, and integration capabilities. They boast a user-friendly POS platform with multiple features covering every aspect and need of a restaurant owner. Toast POS offers solutions to help you manage your restaurant better, attract more customers, and keep your employees at maximum productivity. They are compliant with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI-DSS) as a Level 1 service provider, which means that they adhere to the highest payment card security standards.

As previously stated, they enjoy an excellent reputation among their peers and users. They won the Hottest Startup awards at the 2016 NEVY awards and currently rank on Deloitte's Technology Fast 500 list, among other accolades. They hold a B rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and their accreditation.

Toast POS Features

Toast offers a variety of solutions depending on your unique needs, and their various features are developed and geared towards different types of food businesses. Their offerings can be taken as separate software and hardware solutions or bundled with helpful services. With that in mind, the features that they offer include:

• Integrated all-in-one platform: Their cloud-based restaurant software can be accessed anywhere and via any device, on their desktop and mobile app, and syncs to a wide list of your pre-existing software for analytics, accounting, security, CRM, and so on
• Mobile apps: They have apps available on iOS and Android for multiple purposes that cater to managers and operators, guests, restaurant employees, and hosts
• Tableside service: You can accept orders, EMV credit card payments--- whether tap, dip or swipe--- as well as guest feedback with their handheld POS tools
• Online orders and delivery: They provide free online channels for ordering takeout and delivery through their platform, the Toast TakeOut app, as well as by phone. The company's point-of-sale system is designed to help businesses maximize off-premise sales while minimizing third-party commission costs. Toast also provides a flat rate delivery option through an on-demand network of local drivers and integrates with third-party delivery marketplaces to streamline orders
• Analytics and reports: You can track your restaurant's performance via the Toast platform's detailed data analytics. They offer real-time reports and data analytics for monitoring vital business stats, such as net sales, sales growth, and labor cost percentages across multiple stores. Use this information to generate sales summaries and identify areas for improvement. They also allow integration into various third-party accounting and payroll software, among other tools
• Menu and inventory management: You can update your menu on the fly from your terminal or phone, with the benefit of updated, real-time inventory
• Proprietary hardware: Toast advertises many hardware tools using the Android OS to suit your diverse use cases, including Toast Flex countertop terminals, Toast Go handheld system, kiosks, kitchen display screens, and various other accessories. They may include a terminal or handheld kit with your POS plan, but you would have the option to purchase more as needed
• Services and guidance: Toast offers free year-long 24/7 online customer support from restaurant and platform experts. They also provide services to help you run your business with their POS, including team training, onboarding, go-live support, capital support and loans, and consultations with technical help to customize your system and business implementation strategy. These services may come at an added cost
• Training: They offer valuable online training, webinars, and a robust web knowledge base that you can consult at any time. You may also be given access to pre-launch products so that you can provide them with feedback
• Add-ons: Aside from the previously mentioned services, you may also choose to add on other products from Toast. Those products include tools for scheduling and team communication, marketing, gift cards and loyalty, payroll, advanced integrations, bookkeeping, and mobile order and pay (for on-site guests)

Toast POS Plans & Pricing

Toast advertises several plan levels to fit different client needs, most of which with transparent pricing. Their introductory plan, the Quick Start Bundle, is advertised at no upfront fees and starts at $0 a month, although you do pay for hardware and implementation fees. It includes one terminal plus setup and their basic cloud-based POS functionality for order and table management, reporting and analytics, menu management, and invoicing. That plan also comes with mobile dining, payment processing, and customer care features but may not allow you to add features for delivery services or order and pay. Because of its more limited features, this plan is advertised for stand-alone cafes or food trucks.

Other plans come with monthly subscription fees and are as follows:

• Core: This is their lowest paid-tier package, starting at a monthly cost of $69. It includes everything in the Quick Start Bundle but allows you to customize and have more than two hardware terminals and devices and has more optional add-ons available
• Growth: This tier's subscription costs start at $165 a month and includes everything you find with Core plus online ordering features, delivery services, and the Toast TakeOut app
• New restaurant special offer: This limited-time plan comes in between Core and Growth for pricing, costing $110 a month, plus $4 per employee a month. It includes everything found under Core but adds some moderate payroll and scheduling functions, as well as business insurance, 401k plans, and the Toast PayCard. This may be the ideal all-in-one solution for you if you're opening a new restaurant
• Build your own: If you have an established but expanding business or know exactly what solutions you need, they will allow you to mix and match your features for a custom quoted price. You will have all core features pre-included but be able to add features for API integrations, payroll, profit optimization, team management, customer marketing and retention, and online orders and delivery

Again, you can add separate products or services at extra fees with all of these plans. If you have more unique needs, contact Toast Sales for a free demo and price quote by calling (857) 301-6002.

Advantages of Toast POS Solutions

There are a lot of perks to using this restaurant POS provider, some of which are:

• Free introductory plan: If you're starting out or have limited needs, Toast will allow you to use their system with no upfront or monthly fees and will even supply you with a terminal. You will be responsible for the flat rates charged for payment processing, as well as for hardware, installations, and extra features you choose
• 24/7 customer service: They are always available via live chat and can be reached by phone or email follow-ups
• Lots of restaurant-specific features: Because they specialize in the food and beverage industry, their features are better tuned for your needs whether you run a hotel restaurant, fine dining establishment, pizzeria, or any other type of food business. They have comprehensive solutions for everything that your business might need, such as guest engagement, back-of-the-house management, team and kitchen staff building, and online ordering systems
• Robust order management choices: Toast enables restaurants to accept orders through multiple channels such as self-service kiosks, online, and the Toast Takeout app while notifying the staff when meals are ready to be served
• Various hardware choices: Not only do they supply you with a free terminal, even with free plans, they have many other such tools that you can add on. These include desktop terminals and kiosks, handheld devices, mobile tools, and many other accessories
• Customer retention: They offer features that help you attract, manage, and retain your customer base, including marketing tools, loyalty programs, gift cards, and so on
• Transparent pricing: Toast advertises prices for most of their plans, as well as limited-time promotions, and they list all the features included in those plans so you know what you are paying for. Of course, if you need to see those features in practice, you may also request a demo

The Disadvantages of Toast POS Solutions

Of course, no POS solution is perfect, and the following are reasons why you might not choose Toast:

• Limited to the restaurant industry: Their solutions are specific to only the needs of food and beverage establishments and cannot be made to fit any other kind of shop or business
• Long commitment: While they advertise their costs as monthly, Toast may require you to sign up for a contract of at least two years
• May not integrate to third-party hardware: They do not list any potential integrations to outside hardware tools, and warn that using those may prevent them from 'ensuring your success'

The Toast POS Customer Experience

Toast receives predominantly positive customer feedback online, although they do also receive their fair share of criticism. They hold a 3.7 out of 5 review score on Trustpilot, and a similar score of 7.0 out of 10 on TrustRadius. However, they get a much better 4.2 out of 5 score on Capterra. They also receive a moderate amount of complaints on the BBB, which they often respond to promptly through private channels.

Positive reviews

Their platform and software tools get high marks for their ease of use and industry-specific comprehensiveness, although some users sometimes suggest that extra functions can still be built in. Users found their products to be intuitive and well-suited to the unique needs of the food industry, even if some initially had difficulty using them, and a few praised them for being able to work offline. They also praised the rich backend interface, reports, and robust integration capabilities.

Some reviewers were also satisfied with Toast's customer service, finding them attentive and helpful. That being said, some said that it depended on the representative you got in touch with, as not all are similarly knowledgeable.

Critical feedback

Some users report having uneven or unsatisfactory experiences with support representatives and expert guides because they were not always able to assist with issues like onboarding, payroll integration, implementing advanced system functions, or being charged after cancelation. A few said they were redirected between many departments when requesting phone service, or were disconnected during live chat.

Other users stated that Toast's platform capabilities were too simple and not as easy to use as platforms from other POS providers, making it difficult for more advanced inventory and sales analyses. A few clients, even those otherwise satisfied with Toast by and large, were unhappy with their payroll and tax features, with problems like withheld funds and improper tax reporting. Also, because of issues at onboarding, one reviewer reported having different menus between locations and could not fix this issue. Some clients even found that they paid more than they had for other providers, with one client saying they were mistakenly charged more than they were quoted and had to spend a lot of time with Toast to get reimbursed.

As they do with BBB complaints, Toast responds to some reviews with short messages stating that the feedback will be passed along to their team. Because they deal with critical feedback privately, we cannot comment on the quality of those responses. However, a few clients have confirmed that Toast will satisfactorily address issues brought to their attention.

Customer Support at Toast

Toast boasts that they offer their technical support at any date or time, 365 days a year. You may reach them via live chat at their support page or by logging in to Toast Tab. You may also call them at (617) 682-0225. If you prefer to access written information or documentation, you can find useful articles at Toast Central or their community forum.

Final Verdict

If your business is in the food and beverages field, Toast's point-of-sale products and services certainly present as a good option for you. The Toast POS system offers comprehensive point-of-sale solutions for the restaurant industry, with a growing client base across four countries. Their all-in-one platform integrates cloud-based software and cutting-edge hardware, offering tableside service, online orders and delivery, analytics and reports, menu and inventory management, and more.

Toast seems committed to customer satisfaction with a range of support channels, transparent pricing, and flexible plans. While occasional challenges with support experiences and certain platform functionalities exist, Toast POS remains a well-regarded choice for streamlining restaurant operations and enhancing business performance. Toast plans' starting costs and services are listed clearly on their website, and you can request a demo before purchase.

Whether you are a restaurateur with multiple locations or just opening your first fast eatery, there are many POS systems and service providers that you can consider. Start by looking at our reviews page of the top providers, then compare your favorites against each other. If you need help understanding industry-specific standards and jargon, we regularly post blog articles that you may find helpful. Selecting a POS that fits your business can be challenging, but we hope to make the process easier for you.

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