Finding the Best Restaurant POS System: An In-depth Look into TouchBistro Reviews (2024)

Searching for the best POS system for your restaurant business? As you explore options, we’ve reviewed the top choices on the market, like TouchBistro, to see how they stack up. 

TouchBistro positions itself as a fully integrated restaurant management system with a powerful POS designed to increase sales, enhance the guest experience, and save time and money.

So, what makes this POS system popular? TouchBistro stands competitive for its myriad of features built to support modern-day restaurants. Floorplan and table management, menu/ inventory management, staff management, and reporting and analytics are standout features that make any restaurant or bar owner’s life easier. 

TouchBistro offers pathways to improve the guest experience as well. With this POS, you can split bills, take payments at the table, make reservations or order online, and manage loyalty programs. In addition, TouchBistro has a customizable customer-facing display screen.

These features are all attractive on paper. But, how well does TouchBistro serve businesses in its day-to-day customer interactions?

To help you get a comprehensive overview of how TouchBistro's POS system can work for your restaurant, we've collected a range of customer reviews, highlighting this solution's strengths, weaknesses, and features.

How does TouchBistro compare to the best restaurant POS systems on third party sites?

When evaluating software for your restaurant tech stack, it’s important that it meets your individual needs as a business owner. Whether you’re running an intimate French bistro, a bustling quick service restaurant, or a franchise of ice cream shops, making sure that the systems you choose work for your specific restaurant or bar type will pay off in the long run. 

The software that you power your business with can impact the customers you’re able to reach, as well as the dining experience and your employee experience. At a time where hiring staff can be a challenge and many restaurants are operating with a lean crew, it’s essential to have the best possible technology available supporting your business.

To explore how TouchBistro compares to other restaurant software platforms and what they have to offer, we turned to G2, a leader in business software ratings and analysis, powered by 1.7M+ authentic user reviews. For each specific software product category, like marketing automation platforms or restaurant POS software, G2 creates a G2 Grid® based on customer reviews and sentiments, plotting the top performing software platforms by user satisfaction and market presence.

Toast ranks #1 in the restaurant POS system category based on consumer reviews. G2 examines over 15 data points to determine market presence, using a combination of proprietary and third party data, and exclusively uses consumer reviews to determine satisfaction. All of their scoring methodology is explained in more detail on the G2 website, but we’ll provide a bit more information below.

How the G2 Grid Restaurant Review Scoring System Works

G2’s scoring system is based on thousands of customer reviews and a unique algorithm that helps to process the data and find meaningful patterns and results in real time. Here’s a breakdown of the different elements in the grid and scoring system.

• X Axis: Satisfaction, based on user reviews and feedback

• Y Axis: Market presence, based on proprietary usage data, third party data, and customer reviews

• Top right quadrant — Leaders: The restaurant POS systems that have both strong customer satisfaction ratings and a strong market presence 
  Ex. Toast, Square, Lightspeed

• Top left quadrant — Contenders: POS systems with weak satisfaction scores and a strong market presence 
  Ex. NCR Aloha POS

• Bottom right quadrant — High performers: POS platforms with strong satisfaction scores, but a weak market presence
  Ex. Upserve, CAKE

• Bottom left quadrant — Niche: These platforms have weak satisfaction scores and a weak market presence
  Ex. POSitouch, Payfacto

The G2 scoring methodology and grid system incorporates several attributes to surface the most helpful reviews for prospective technology customers. Some of the factors in satisfaction rates focus on product features, popularity, quality of reviews, age of reviews, net promoter scores (NPS), and more.

Third Party Customer Ratings and Reviews of TouchBistro

TouchBistro ranks relatively well on third-party review platforms, with a 4.05 to 4.1 out of 5-star rating across all leading sites. Software Advice rates TouchBistro 4.05 out of 5 stars based on 340 user reviews. Trustpilot rates TouchBistro 4.1 out of 5 based on 231 user reviews. And Capterra and GetApp rate TouchBistro 4.1 stars out of 5 based on 340 reviews on each review site.

Overall, TouchBistro reviews show that the solution is easy-to-use and simple to train staff to use the software. Many TouchBistro reviews praise the software for simplifying the ordering process, describing the tiered pricing structure as offering good value for the money. 

However, multiple TouchBistro Reviews reveal that its reporting features are lacking in many areas, leaving room for improvement in terms of generating valuable sales, employee performance, and inventory reports. Many TouchBistro Reviews also highlight poor customer support as a common issue with the software.

Now, let’s dive into the strengths and weaknesses of TouchBistro, based on credible customer reviews.

TouchBistro Reviews: Strengths

Ease of Use and Quick to Train Staff

TouchBistro reviews confirm that the solution is approachable and quick to train staff on. Many reviewers mention that the interface is straightforward and intuitive, making it simple for waitstaff to take and process orders efficiently. 

Below are a few examples of customer feedback that reflect this strength:

• Ashley notes in her SoftwareAdvice review, "the ease of my staff being able to use it daily to change or revise orders is much simpler than what we had prior" as her top Pro.

• Christina G says in her GetApp review, "I love how easy it is for my staff! Even new staff pick up on it within 30 minutes!"

• Waldo C writes on GetApp, "Easy to use and program. Very user friendly". 

Offline Transactions

TouchBistro reviews show that this restaurant POS system allows for seamless offline payments. Maren M says, "I like that I do not have to be connected to the internet to use it!" and Jason W echoes this sentiment, noting "the fact that you don’t need internet at all" to use it is a drawcard. Paul M comments that "the system works incredibly off its network (yes you lose internet and never skip a beat.)"

TouchBistro Reviews: Weaknesses

Payment Processing and Faulty Hardware

Several TouchBistro reviews highlight difficulties with the payment processing features and unreliable hardware. The customer reviews below further explain this TouchBistro weakness in real-time.

• Dayana C writes “After lots of time and paperwork ended up switching to Chase for TouchBistro and guess what? The integration doesn’t work. We have had to switch to the stand-alone mode to be able to take payment from our customers.” 

• Chip’s TouchBistro review adds that “the tools used to close out tickets and process payments at those outdoor tables did not work as sold or promised. TouchBistro has refused credit on those devices and has yet to offer a workable solution.” 

Monty writes in their TouchBistro Review "hope you never have a problem because you can't see customers tabs and can’t [take] credit card payments when the system freezes... No contingency to take payments.” 

iPad Challenges

TouchBistro's reliance on an iPad to function has received some negative responses. Lisa writes "The iPad solution is bulky." In addition, Joseph H's TouchBistro review points out that "Numbers between in-store iPads and Cloud Reports were never in sync, meaning you couldn't trust the numbers on either data source." Another verified reviewer agrees, adding " First issue - you have some features in the cloud and some features on the Ipad that don't sync."

Customer Service

TouchBistro reviews on customer service do not reflect an outstanding level of customer support promised on the site. Stephanie C writes, "They may claim to have 24/7 customer service but that has only worked for us for two of our more than 30 issues in the past two years." This sentiment continues in Michelle C's review saying, "Support and customer service is atrocious."

How TouchBistro Compares to Toast, the Leading Restaurant POS

Rated #1 Restaurant POS system by the world's largest tech marketplace G2, Toast offers a comprehensive POS solution intuitively designed with restaurants' foremost needs in mind. Toast's wide range of user-friendly features speaks to the leading concerns of successful restaurant businesses, such as enhanced efficiency, business growth, managing a productive team, and customer retention.

When it comes to customer service, TouchBistro lacks support for its users. On the other hand, Toast stands out in its customer support. 

Toast's 365/24/7 customer service upholds exceptional standards, recognized in its Silver Stevie award-winning support. Upon signing up, Toast users can work with a dedicated success manager to configure their settings and customize the POS system to suit their business's needs. 

In addition, a Toast team member is assigned to each new user to provide in-person training and support on the day you go live with your new system. Support technicians can access systems remotely to identify issues quickly and accurately, providing real-time, efficient solutions. 

In terms of efficiency, Toast's Point of Sale hardware is restaurant-grade, IP54 spill-proof rated and features a sleek, compact design that doesn't sacrifice power. Toast offers different hardware to choose from too.

The Toast Go® 2 mobile handheld POS allows restaurants to enable line-busting and table-side ordering so that servers can take orders and payments quickly without returning to a central POS station. Toast Mobile Order & Pay™ allows guests to scan a QR code to browse the menu, order, and pay from a mobile device. Additionally, Toast's self-ordering kiosks let guests order and pay themselves, reducing the burden on servers. Digital ordering features empower guests to order and pay online, which is essential in a post-pandemic market.

When it comes to TouchBistro, this POS relies on an iPad. This hardware can be bulky and less adaptable to restaurant or bar needs.

Is TouchBistro the Right POS System?

TouchBistro is a proven competitor in the POS space, offering perks and downfalls that any restaurant or bar owner should consider. Using credible customer reviews can help you discover if TouchBistro or another POS will suit your business needs. Just remember: At the end of the day, the right POS system is a unique choice for your business. Your business has specific needs - your POS must support them to ensure success!

Curious to learn more about Toast and other POS systems? Learn more about how Toast compares to top restaurant POS systems, and use our guide to select the best POS for your restaurant or bar.

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