ChowNow
ChowNow is an online ordering and marketing platform that helps independent restaurants build their own branded digital storefronts to take commission-free orders directly from their customers.
TouchBistro
TouchBistro is an all-in-one point of sale and restaurant management system designed to help you streamline front-of-house operations, manage back-of-house tasks, and improve your overall guest experience.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | ChowNow | TouchBistro |
|---|---|---|
| Website | chownow.com | touchbistro.com |
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Subscription |
| Starting Price | Free | $69/month |
| FREE Trial | ✘ No free trial | ✘ No free trial |
| Free Plan | ✓ Has free plan | ✘ No free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2011 | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, USA | Toronto, Canada |
Overview
ChowNow
ChowNow provides you with the tools to take control of your restaurant's digital presence and eliminate high third-party delivery fees. You can launch your own branded ordering system across your website, social media profiles, and a custom-built mobile app. This allows you to keep 100% of your profits on every order while capturing valuable customer data that third-party apps usually keep for themselves.
The platform focuses on sustainable growth by providing you with automated marketing tools and a dedicated success manager to help increase your order volume. Whether you run a single local eatery or a growing regional chain, you can manage your entire digital menu and track sales performance through a centralized dashboard. It integrates directly with your existing POS system to keep your kitchen operations running smoothly without manual data entry.
TouchBistro
TouchBistro is a dedicated restaurant management platform that runs on iPad, giving you the mobility to take orders at the table or manage your floor plan from anywhere. You can handle everything from menu management and staff scheduling to detailed sales reporting within a single interface. It simplifies complex workflows like splitting checks, managing modifiers, and tracking ingredient-level inventory so you can focus more on your guests and less on administrative tasks.
The platform is built specifically for the food and beverage industry, catering to everything from full-service restaurants and breweries to quick-service cafes and food trucks. By integrating your front-of-house POS with back-of-house tools like kitchen display systems and customer-facing apps, you create a unified ecosystem that reduces errors and speeds up service. You can also add specialized modules for loyalty programs, online ordering, and gift cards as your business grows.
Overview
ChowNow Features
- Commission-Free Ordering Keep every dollar you earn from your online orders instead of paying 15-30% in fees to third-party delivery platforms.
- Branded Mobile Apps Launch your own custom-branded iOS and Android apps so your customers can order directly from their home screens.
- OrderBetter Network Get discovered by new diners through a network of high-traffic sites like Google, Yelp, and TripAdvisor with integrated ordering.
- Automated Marketing Send automated email campaigns and push notifications to your customers to drive repeat business and increase order frequency.
- POS Integrations Sync your online orders directly with your existing point-of-sale system to eliminate manual entry and reduce kitchen errors.
- Customer Data Ownership Access your own customer database including email addresses and order history to power your personalized marketing efforts.
TouchBistro Features
- Tableside Ordering. Take orders directly at the table on an iPad to increase accuracy and speed up your table turnover.
- Floor Plan Management. Design and edit your restaurant layout in real-time to track occupancy and manage server sections effectively.
- Menu Management. Update your menu items, prices, and descriptions instantly across all devices and your online ordering page.
- Inventory Tracking. Monitor your stock levels down to the ingredient to reduce waste and get alerts when items run low.
- Staff Scheduling. Manage your team's shifts and track labor costs directly through the POS to optimize your daily payroll.
- Reporting and Analytics. Access over 50 detailed reports from any device to see your top-selling items and peak labor hours.
- Kitchen Display System. Send orders instantly from the table to the kitchen to eliminate paper tickets and reduce communication errors.
- Customer Loyalty. Create custom rewards programs to keep your guests coming back and track their spending habits over time.
Pricing Comparison
ChowNow Pricing
- Commission-free ordering
- Ordering on your website
- Google Search & Maps ordering
- Digital menu management
- Standard payment processing
- Everything in Free, plus:
- Custom-branded mobile app
- Automated email marketing
- Dedicated Success Manager
- Loyalty program tools
- Advanced data reporting
TouchBistro Pricing
- One POS license
- Menu management
- Table management
- Cloud reporting
- Staff management
- 24/7/365 support
- Everything in Solo, plus:
- Two POS licenses
- Multi-terminal sync
- Shared order queue
- Ideal for mid-sized venues
- Local server support
Pros & Cons
ChowNow
Pros
- Eliminates expensive per-order commissions entirely
- Provides full ownership of customer contact data
- Responsive customer support and dedicated success managers
- Easy-to-use interface for updating menus quickly
Cons
- Initial setup fees can be high
- Requires your own staff for local delivery
- Limited customization options for the mobile app
TouchBistro
Pros
- Intuitive iPad interface is very easy to train new staff
- Reliable offline mode keeps you taking orders during internet outages
- Excellent customer support available 24/7 for urgent issues
- Industry-specific features like floor plan customization work great
- Seamless integration between the POS and kitchen display systems
Cons
- Requires specific hardware which adds to the initial setup cost
- Software updates can occasionally cause temporary sync issues
- Advanced features like loyalty and online ordering cost extra