Toast POS
Toast is an all-in-one restaurant management platform that integrates point of sale, operations, and digital ordering to help you streamline service and increase your bottom line.
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 | Toast POS | TouchBistro |
|---|---|---|
| Website | pos.toasttab.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 | Boston, USA | Toronto, Canada |
Overview
Toast POS
Toast is a dedicated restaurant management system built specifically for the food service industry. You can manage your entire front-of-house and back-of-house operations from a single platform, whether you run a small cafe, a busy full-service restaurant, or a multi-location enterprise. It combines durable hardware with cloud-based software to handle everything from tableside ordering to complex menu management.
You can take control of your business with integrated tools for online ordering, delivery, and contactless payments. The platform also helps you manage your team with built-in payroll and scheduling features, while providing real-time analytics to track your daily sales and labor costs. It is designed to keep your kitchen running smoothly even when the internet goes down with its reliable offline mode.
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
Toast POS Features
- Tableside Ordering Fire orders directly to the kitchen from the table with handheld devices to speed up service and improve order accuracy.
- Menu Management Update your menu across all devices and online channels instantly from any location to keep your offerings current.
- Online Ordering Accept orders directly through your own website and skip the high commission fees of third-party delivery apps.
- Kitchen Display System Connect your front-of-house with the kitchen using digital screens that track prep times and organize tickets efficiently.
- Restaurant Analytics Access detailed reports on your top-selling items and labor costs from your phone to make data-driven decisions.
- Inventory Tracking Monitor your ingredient levels in real-time and identify waste to protect your margins and simplify your ordering process.
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
Toast POS Pricing
- Cloud-based POS software
- Payment processing
- Real-time reporting
- Standard support
- Menu management
- Everything in Starter, plus:
- Advanced reporting
- Multi-location management
- 24/7 customer support
- Customized hardware options
- Employee management tools
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
Toast POS
Pros
- Industry-specific features designed specifically for restaurant workflows
- Reliable offline mode keeps you taking orders during outages
- User-friendly interface reduces training time for new staff
- Handheld tablets significantly increase table turnover rates
Cons
- Requires use of Toast's proprietary payment processing
- Hardware costs can be high for large installations
- Long-term contracts may be required for certain tiers
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