The Best POS System for New Restaurants: 7 Must-Have Point of Sale Features

So, you’re thinking about opening a restaurant. Let us be the first to say, “congrats!” Deciding to become a restaurant owner is a huge deal. You’re about to embark on an exciting, challenging, and fulfilling journey.  

Whether you’ve always dreamed of opening a restaurant or this is a newfound passion, you’ll quickly realize, if you haven’t already, just how much goes into opening a restaurant. From deciding on your concept to picking out the decor, every little detail helps build your brand and makes an impression on guests.

One of the most important components of a restaurant is the point of sale system. This is how you’ll take orders, process payments, and, in some cases, manage labor. But how do you know which point of sale system, also known as a POS, is best for your new restaurant?

Today, we’ll cover some popular POS platforms and which features to look for when evaluating the right POS software for you.

And to help you evaluate more tools along the way, you can download the POS Comparison Tool and check out the Toast vs competitors compare guide.

Toast for new restaurants

Toast’s Restaurant Basics package is ideal for new restaurants who want to get started with Toast and save money by bundling POS and Payroll. Or, if you’re looking for just a couple of terminals to get up and running, Toast’s Starter Kit package may be the right fit.

Whether you're a foodie who's always dreamed of owning your own restaurant or an industry pro ready to take the leap with a new concept, Toast is here to help. With Toast, you can serve up food and drinks fast using easy and efficient tools, all at your fingertips.

But don’t just take it from us. Here’s what others have to say:

Quick to learn, and even easier to use: Toast's restaurant-first platform is built with you in mind. Interested in learning more? Request a demo with a Toast specialist.

The best restaurant POS systems for new restaurants in 2023

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 methodologies are 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, Revel
• Top left quadrant — Contenders: POS systems with weak satisfaction scores and a strong market presence 
• Ex. NCR Aloha POS, Touchbistro
• 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 incorporate several attributes to surface the most helpful reviews for prospective technology customers. Some of the factors in satisfaction rates include customer satisfaction with product features, popularity, quality of reviews, age of reviews, net promoter scores (NPS), and more.

The top 7 features of a POS system for new restaurants

Here are some of the top point of sale hardware and software features to look for when evaluating the best platform for your restaurant. 

1. Easy-to-use touchscreen POS terminals with payment processing

Modern point of sale (POS) technologies, like touchscreen terminals, exist to increase efficiency. They ensure that you and your team are always operating at the pace customers expect from your restaurant.

Many POS systems today feature guest-facing screens which allow guests to follow along as they order as well as quickly pay and tip on the screen. This improves order accuracy and speed so your team can keep the line moving.

Best-in-class POS terminals can also take credit card and mobile payments via a reader directly integrated with the POS. Whichever payment processing device you go with, make sure it supports contactless Near Field Communication (NFC) — like Apple Pay and digital wallets — Europay Mastercard and Visa (EMV), and Magnetic Stripe Card (MSR).

The POS terminal is basically the heart of your restaurant technology. When choosing which POS platform to use for your new restaurant, make sure to keep speed, reliability, durability, and the ability to grow with your restaurant in mind. You may just be opening, but choosing a POS platform that can adapt as your restaurant concept pivots or grows is a must — your future self will thank you! 

2. Pricing (and your return on investment)

Of course, the cost to open a restaurant is a huge component. From construction and licenses to decor and technology, a lot goes into getting your restaurant ready for a grand opening. 

When choosing a POS platform for your new restaurant, it’s important to not only consider pricing but also your return on investment, commonly referred to as ROI. Good technology isn’t cheap; it’s an investment — one that should consistently pay you back. 

But ROI isn’t just about saving money. You can calculate your restaurant technology ROI by evaluating how your POS system helps you save time, serve more guests, and turn those guests into loyal customers. 

Overall, try not to get tempted by the cheapest POS platform when evaluating options for your new restaurant. Instead, focus on whether the platform offers what you need, how it will help to build and grow your business, and whether it’s something you can see yourself happy with down the road.

3. Online ordering

There’s no denying the power of online ordering. After all, it’s growing 300% faster than in-house dining.

Online ordering systems help drive revenue for your restaurant, allowing guests to order wherever and whenever. And with no one in line behind them, guests have the opportunity to linger over a menu with no pressure, making them more inclined to get that extra menu item. Plus, allowing the guest to place their own order online leads to more accurate orders, which means happier customers and less wasted inventory.

When choosing whether to go with a third-party online ordering service, such as Grubhub or Uber Eats, or an in-house online ordering solution, be sure to weigh the costs and benefits. While third-party services may allow you to reach customers who haven’t heard about your restaurant before — a huge benefit when you’re opening a new restaurant — they also come with a price: commission fees and no ownership over your own customer data. An in-house online ordering solution helps you control your brand and keep money in your pocket.

But if you do decide to use third-party online ordering services in addition to your own online ordering platform, be sure to go with one that directly integrates to avoid extra tablets cluttering the counter or double entry by your staff.

Offering online ordering is a great way to get your business in front of folks when they’re hungry and looking for a solution. If your restaurant isn’t online, they’ll find one that is.

4. Employee management 

When opening a new restaurant, having your basic operational tools integrated into one system can be a game changer. Rather than jumping from software to software, the convenience of having an all-in-one platform can simplify your tasks as a restaurant owner. 

Choosing a POS system that will help speed up employee onboarding, facilitate payroll, and ensure your team is paid on time can be a big stress reliever. Then, add in the ability to schedule employees and communicate with your team, too?!

With Toast Payroll & Team Management and Sling by Toast, restaurateurs can do all of that and more. Save time, reduce miscommunication, and streamline vital HR processes with an integrated POS platform like Toast.

5. Menu management

If the POS is the heart of the restaurant, the menu is the backbone. 

Having a POS that allows for easy, on-the-fly menu updates is a must. Being able to 86 menu items helps to avoid poor customer experience and streamline kitchen operations. With a legacy POS platform, every time an ingredient runs out or a menu item needs to be updated in the POS, the entire system needs to be restarted. Imagine that during a lunch rush!? With Toast, it’s as easy as using Quick Edit Mode to mark an item as out of stock. 

Plus, Toast uses a hierarchal system to organize your menu offerings into menus, groups, subgroups, and items for better organization and easy access.

6. Sales reporting

When you’re just getting started, it’s important to know what’s working — and what’s not.

Choosing a POS platform that offers integrated restaurant reporting and analytics lets you keep pace with performance in real time. Plus, cloud-based POS platforms like Toast allow you to access this data from anywhere, at any time. You won’t have to wait days or weeks to see how your restaurant is performing. With Toast, you get automatic nightly business metrics straight to your inbox.

If this is your first time owning a restaurant, having sales reporting like this can help you make sense of your business’s strengths and weaknesses. You’ll be able to evaluate the strength of your menu, quickly view table turn times if you’re operating a full-service restaurant, and review any voided orders or refunds — all of which will help you become a smarter, more efficient business owner. 

7. Restaurant-grade hardware 

If there’s one thing you need to know about running a restaurant, it’s that it’s not always glamorous. 

And you know what they say about the heat in the kitchen... if you can’t take it, get out (or at least make sure your restaurant hardware can!) 

Toast offers restaurant-grade hardware options for all parts of your restaurant. Whether you’re looking for spill-proof terminals and drop-proof handheld POS devices for your front-of-house or a kitchen display system (KDS) that can handle the heat of your back-of-house, Toast has you covered. This is especially important if you’re opening a food truck or bar, where you’ll be no stranger to bumps and spilled booze.

And remember, Apple iPads may be great for games and social media, but they’re not built to withstand the rigors of a restaurant. When looking for POS hardware for your new restaurant, make sure to go with something you won’t regret in a few months.

Use this guide to get your small business started on the right foot

Trusted by restaurants of all sizes, Toast is built for you.

Set your new restaurant up for success by opting for a cloud-based POS system, like Toast, that will grow with you and allow you to drive great hospitality. 

Ready to get started? Request a demo today and chat with a Toast specialist. Our flexible payment options make it even easier to get started.