Upserve Reviews

Pros

The fact that a new-hire can be fully versed in the software within 2 training shifts is impeccable.

Cons

I do no like that the table view shows all open tables and not tables assigned only to the person logged in.

Alternatives Considered

Aloha EPOS and Toast POS

Reasons for Choosing Upserve

The system was incredibly unreliable, uncustomizable and just generally terrible.

Reasons for Switching to Upserve

Pricing was very reasonable, 24/7 support is amazing and the ease of use and reportability are amazing.

Pros

The simplicity of the menu page is awesome. It’s not chaotic or overwhelming, it also allows you to choose your visual style (i.e. listed item, boxed items). Whenever there is a problem, the 24/7 customer service is extremely relieving. They are always so polite, professional and informative. Their customer service employees do not make you feel insignificant, and they go above and beyond.

Cons

The Offline Mode could use a little work. It’s kind of buggy. If there was a way that we could allow customers to tip in Offline Mode, that would be beneficial to all of our employees.

Alternatives Considered

Aloha EPOS

Reasons for Choosing Upserve

LAVU IS ABSOLUTE GARBAGE.

Switched From

Lavu POS

Reasons for Switching to Upserve

Based on reviews of current/former customers, and transparency of the company.

Pros

What is there to like that other POS don't have? Nothing. At least one other POS has the "features" that UpServe claims to have.

Cons

There are many aspects of the system that need to be expanded upon. During the past few months there have been many challenges. There was a period that gift cards were not even redeemable while making online orders.
Currently you can not pick and choose which online items you want to accept preorders for.
Modifiers are a hot mess. It is not as advanced or user friendly as Focus or other POS systems. To make the modifiers easy for online customers they have to be super basic and not advanced enough for same menu items as in house items that staff rings in.
When having online ordering active you are allowed to set the anticipated order time; however, it always gives the customer the minimum time. It does not add minutes on when accepting a few back to back. It does not add time when there is a ticket of many items. Clearly 2 entrees is not going to take the same amount of time as 8 will. When selling on a busy night having to log in and go through a couple screens to change the frame is too much. It needs to be more easily accessible.
There are more things that I dislike about it, and it is the least user friendly system I have used since being in the restaurant business.

Alternatives Considered

Focus X and Toast POS

Reasons for Switching to Upserve

I did not choose it. Someone that is no longer with the company.

Pros

Very cost effective solution that is cloud based. Big upgrade from Aloha NCR. Fast processing speed, mobile reporting on demand, and very secure

Cons

There were a few bugs during deployment including connectivity issues with some terminals.

Alternatives Considered

Toast POS

Reasons for Choosing Upserve

for better processing speed on the cloud, increased security, better functionality

Switched From

NCR Aloha

Reasons for Switching to Upserve

Better deal offered by Upserve

Pros

Intuitive and user friendly design that is reliable.

Cons

We were hoping that the portable POS would not just be shrunken down versions of the normal POS. Some of the charging ports and charging ports have needed to be replace more frequently than we thought they would.

Alternatives Considered

Toast POS

Reasons for Choosing Upserve

We needed a less dated software that was more user friendly.

Switched From

Aloha EPOS

Pros

It is easy to use, easy to train new employees and makes service easy. Customer service is always available and is really helpful!

Cons

There are still a few features that UpservePOS doesn't have that would help my business.

Pros

The ability to do back office reporting ans setup without having to either be onsite or remote into a server

Cons

Ability to do a detailed audit of a check at a granular level.

Alternatives Considered

Toast POS

Reasons for Choosing Upserve

Needed to update to a cloud based system for better implementation

Switched From

NCR Aloha

Reasons for Switching to Upserve

Better options and ease of use on the back office.

Pros

Very easy to use. Great integrations. The software continues to develop and get even better!

Cons

I wish there was a little more flexibility with some of the programming options.

Alternatives Considered

Toast POS

Reasons for Choosing Upserve

Upserve is much more robust and able to handle our needs better.

Switched From

Brink POS

Reasons for Switching to Upserve

Cost, Reporting, Ease of Use

Pros

Very friendly interface for any level user, even the back office is pretty easy to deal with.
There is a 24/7 support that you can contact direct from your terminal.
Good rate when compared to other competitors.
The team that works for Breadcrumb is always willing to help.

Cons

User security is not the best deal, any employee can clock in/out without supervisor approval.
There should be more detailed security levels, for example, I do not want my manager to change roles, but if they can manage users they can manage roles as well.
Split Checks should be easier to deal with. Additionally to that you cannot use the same table until the previous check is closed.

Pros

Upserve is a solid choice for restaurants. Lots of features and functionality. Unlike a lot of POS systems, I like the versatility and ability to manage the floor plan and some front of house features. They have some good online resources for teaching staff and overall I enjoyed using the product compared to other restaurant POS systems.

Cons

Initially setting up menus was a little tedious for me but overall I still really like the system. Lots of functionality. Seems like a good option for all sizes of restaurants.

Pros

Ease of use - even without training, anyone can figure out their way around the POS. It's very intuitive. No back office computer! This is HUGE. Everything is cloud-based, so you can edit menu items on the fly from your phone, laptop, or ipad while you're not on site. Reporting is easily accessible. System is clean, sleek, and blends in easily with its surroundings. The fact that it is app-based is key to the overall savings you see - you never have to worry about paying to update your system like you do with Micros, Aloha, etc.

Cons

Offline Mode (though I haven't found a POS with a better solution). The limitations on customization of comping/voiding abilities. There isn't a way to schedule happy hour/food discounts without having to create duplicate items with different pricing and placing that menu on a timed schedule - however, these items are always searchable no matter day or time. There is no visibility into user changes of things like timesheets - i.e. a manager could change their own timecard, and there would be no way to prove/cross check. There's no accountability with timecard fraud possibilities.

Pros

For new front-of-the-house employees the learning curve is easy - if you have ever used an app then you've already started your training in Upserve. Also, equipment replacement (iPads, routers) will be relatively cheaper and much easier than full system upgrades.

As restaurant infrastructure goes it's great not needing a back office computer, and yet reports and menus and setup can still be handled through any web-browser. This is great for those of us who can't always be present.

Cons

There can be connectivity issues, but they're much fewer since this company took over. If you or Upserve are offline then things go into Offline Mode which still is buggy at times - especially with credit cards. Also, Offline Mode puts the onus on you to trust whether a card will be approved or not. But, this is rare. Not a huge issue with us where our average check is low, but high-end places may want to be aware of workarounds and fixes.

Pros

After doing computer repair for 20 years and point of sale for retail, restaurants, and hotels - I can honestly say that Breadcrumb offers one of the best solutions. Apple Hardware-based, good hard-wired printers, good quality, and solid router/firewall installs with the best equipment out there. I feel like this POS offering is more resilient and reliable than the competitors due to the good hardware and the easy to use APP. Calling into support day or late at night you will speak to a knowledgeable and helpful tech who gets you the info you need to carry on business. They have remote access and can see where the problem is - instead of sending you an overpriced technician from out of state at twice the price because you're mysteriously not up and running (rare). No service is perfect but having a reliable tech on the other end of the phone is worth it's weight in gold.

Cons

I would guess that a con is the high price of hardware but that's unavoidable - if you're using the best hardware available (Apple, StarTSP, Cisco Meraki) then it might carry a higher price tag but the tradeoff is reliability. You wouldn't get Breadcrumb if you're trying to cut corners and save money - this is the real deal iPad based and dependable system. Cost is always on the mind of business owners so this could be an issue for some business owners but if you aren't spending an hour a day working through tech issues aren't you really just saving money in the long run?

Pros

Ease of use. Simplicity. And in the beginning, responsiveness of Breadcrumb to improving the product.

Cons

Today, lack of responsiveness. There are bugs, glitches and programming errors that are repeatedly dismissed and pushed aside. It seems that internal priorities seemed to have shifted toward investor demands. Upserve's guests are not as important as they once were.

Pros

-Overall customizability for modifications and personalization
-Exceptional interactions and support from representatives throughout set-up and for occasional questions
-Constantly improving dynamics and usability
-Development of new features that make the program even more of a "one stop shop" (ie. processing, scheduling staff, inventory, accounting, menu management, etc.)
-Consistent quality and service (software doesn't glitch or freeze, equipment is great quality, and super easy to use)

Cons

-Initial set-up cost was a little intimidating, however well worth it long term
-Merchant pricing was a little difficult to understand, however our representatives walked us through everything
-Would like to automatically receive one monthly summary/billing statement without having to "subscribe" to multiple reports

Pros

Upserve is an easy point of use system to set up and use. New employees require very little training, as the interface is simple and intuitive. Likewise, setup and admin work is quick and easy to figure out, even for those of us who are not all too tech savvy. It is far more affordable than most POS software/hardware options, is reliable, and has great customer service.

Cons

It should upload to quickbooks without a third party software.

Alternatives Considered

Square Point of Sale

Reasons for Switching to Upserve

Price, ease of use, recommendations from other restaurant owners, previous experience with the system.

Pros

The PEARL is a bar. We don't sell food yet. The software makes it fairly easy to set up new menu items and categories. I love the useful reports that you can make, like find top 100 customers; which beer we sold the most on any one night. And customer support is excellent. By far, I'd say that the customer support is the best ever.

Cons

The only thing I can think of is that we have Happy Hour prices and then regular prices. When I want to try to keep tract of inventory of a beer, I might put in that we have 24 or 48 beers of a certain brand. When they are sold the two categories of say Bud Light and HH Bud Light do not merge as they count down. So, using it for inventory is not working for me.

Pros

The tech support provided by Breadcrumb is what I wish all our technology partners (wifi support, social media support, computer tech, customer reservation software) used here at Boulder Creek Lodge could emulate. My experience has been that the tech support is fast, polite, talented knowledgeable of the Breadcrumb software to provide quick and effective tech support.

Cons

Often our resort hosts corporate guests that stay with us over more than just one day. The guest has a desire to "run a tab" over perhaps a month. Right now from what we are told we need to close out every night. It would help us avoid recording restaurant purchases in a note pad and adding then creating a ticket the last day of their stay.

Pros

Upserve has been easy to use since day one. The user interface is set up logically, it has the ability to make changes quickly and seamlessly, and it is very easy to train staff on the system.

Cons

There have been a couple of instances in which we wanted to make a customization, but then found that it was not an item that could be customized. We've been told that it may get added to a future feature, but it hasn't come to fruition yet. It is a bit pricer compared to some POS systems, but it suits our needs and gives us access to a lot of data about our business and customers that it feels worth the extra cost.

Pros

We’ve used Upserve for 4 plus years now and we have never had an issue that wasn’t resolved in more than 24 hours. The product is wonderful and the service we’ve experienced is great.

Cons

The only change we would make is to the EMV processing speed. I know it’s being worked on so that’s really all they can do at this time. Maybe a nice display on the EMV reader to make it easier for guests to use

Pros

This software is great and the analytics are super powerful. It can tell you what sever's are performing best, new vs repeat customers based on credit card data etc. Definitely ahead of the curve technologically. It's efficient and incredibly stable. We are VERY happy customers.

Cons

The only two con's (I have) are that:
1) there's not a "No Sale" report for people opening the cash register without a sale.
2) If you are a bar where more than one person touches a tab, the employee performance analytics are useless as it assigns the sale to the person who opened/closed the tab (not the person adding items to it).

Pros

Very easy to setup.
Very easy to train.
Figuring out solutions without contacting support is straightforward

Cons

Still needs web enabled tweaks to reduce repetitive entry on setup
Inability to set printers based on role (not just iPad location) means lots of thrown away tickets
Doesn't always find new IP based on mac address, sometimes has to be manually set
Tech support not well-versed in the Meraki setup so not very good at troubleshooting (Even Tier 2 clearly doesn't know how to solve lots of problems)
Software updates are tenuous and can require a lot more interaction than I prefer. Often having to turn off the other tablets or rebooting tablets multiple times before it will update.

Pros

Having trained lots of people to use it, everyone seems really impressed with how 'easy' it is to learn. I like that there are several ways to do almost anything. Also, on the admin side, the reporting is fantastic. I love being able to edit items and check reports for multiple locations in real time, from anywhere.

Cons

I only have a few real complaints. First it would be very helpful to transfer tabs in bulk. In some locations there is a changeover that occurs everynight which is common going to back to old 'banger' days, where bartenders each had their own drawer. Breadcrumb does not make this very easy as each tab has to be transferred one at a time and approved one at a time, small issue, but a bit of nuisance. Also, it would be helpful if modifiers could have more options, not just up a dollar or two / down a dollar or two, but include multipliers.

Pros

Great for online ordering! Easy to update. Good reports!

Cons

Inventory control for online orders (preorders)

Alternatives Considered

Aloha EPOS

Reasons for Choosing Upserve

Cost, technology, ease of use

Switched From

Clover

Reasons for Switching to Upserve

Cost

Pros

This is actually a great product, with the platform that is more expensive than any other that I've seen without costing $ and being hardware focused.

Cons

We took on this product in October 2016, and it has gotten progressively worse since then. We trained and showed everyone how to have a system work, and now we are shopping for other options, as this system regularly fails in the middle of service creating mass chaos for all of my staff who have to deal with crash kits and do their best to continue service. The system has offered a serious hit to our staff morale.