Toast POS Reviews

Pros

Compared to POS systems I've used in the past, Toast is a lifesaver! It has tremendously improved efficiency and flow of our Taproom. We now have the ability to swipe a card and store credit card information; which is a huge benefit for those of us in co-op spaces. Although they look bulky, their handhelds fit into your back pocket and allow us to close tabs out table side. They are shock and water resistant, plus you can log into more than one device at the same time so if you're working alone, you can close out multiple parties at once. As a GM, I'm grateful that Toast is not only cloud-based, but allows me to access the back end from my laptop or smart phone so I don't have to be onsite to make system changes. Updates are incredibly quick so there's not a ton of down time. There is also Toast Central, where you can troubleshoot issues yourself rather rather than immediately calling Support. They are helpful instructions with screenshots and videos.

Cons

Customer Support is hit or miss. I always get an answer, it's just a matter of when I get it. After hours and on weekends, I feel like their staffing is very limited which leads to delays in getting immediate help. Thankfully it's only happened once where I needed a quick answer and wasn't able to get it.

Alternatives Considered

Aloha EPOS

Reasons for Choosing Toast POS

The main reason was functionality. TouchBistro required us to use card readers attached to iPads, but finding iPad protectors that would allow enough room for the card readers was extremely difficult. I also had to be onsite to make any changes to the back end which was extremely inconvenient.

Switched From

TouchBistro

Reasons for Switching to Toast POS

While it has a lot of features, we couldn't justify the cost versus the features we would actually be using. Since we don't have a kitchen in our Taproom, we didn't need the inventory and recipe features that make Aloha a standard in our industry.

Pros

I love that Toast supports their product. You can call and get someone on the line that will help you answer your questions. They also provide the hardware necessary to run their software. They are constantly updating their software to meet the needs of their users and are staying current with the technology. One option that is particularly useful to us is printing individual labels for each shake. In other words, we could have a bus of individuals come to our restaurant, and we need to print individual labels on each shake to identify what is in the shake so that it gets to the right person. In the past, we had to individually write on each cup.

Cons

The most difficult part to swallow is the fact that you have a monthly payment for the software--even if you are a seasonal business and only open for less than half the year. Toast will make some concessions for that, but it still seems costly since our other solution we used was free and pretty much did everything we needed short of printing individual labels for the shakes.

Alternatives Considered

Square for Retail

Reasons for Switching to Toast POS

We chose Toast over Square because of: 1. Dedicated support 2. Individual labels for each shake 3. Text notifications to customer when their food is done 4. More reliable KDS (Kitchen Display Systems) 5. Much larger and more functional KDS screens

Pros

*user friendly
*online reporting accessible from anywhere
*online food ordering
*easy to add menu items

Cons

*excessive hold times to reach support, ie: more than one hour and no way to email support anymore (as was the previous system.)
*no way to reach support via email, even when Toast emails a restaurant, the restaurant can't reply because the email gets bounced back...instead you have to get off email, find a computer, log in and navigate to support, find the case and respond there. This is a big problem when managers are not on site at the restaurant but still managing a support issue.
*support cases opened on their online platform are not addressed and no one calls restaurant to resolve
*No way to email a receipt to a guest until AFTER they have paid and the transaction is over...a big problem for CATERING needing preapproval.
*Upsell feature with online ordering has Toast making strange pairings. For example, the restaurant guest orders a breakfast sandwich and Toast suggest an upsell of a bottle of salad dressing (instead of a breakfast side)! Only Toast can control the upsell so the restaurant can't promote the items it wants to promote.
*Handheld device does NOT support ApplePay.
*ApplePay on POS terminal is additional. Actually, a lot of things with Toast cost more money than what sales tells you up front.
*No way to comp a gift card online and email it to a guest from Toast Central online.
*No way to offer a promo code on your online gift card sales....like during the holidays when you want to offer gift cards for a certain percentage off the regular price.

Pros

The ease of use of Toast makes it very convenient for training of new employees. Jelly for Toast makes payroll integration simple and fast. Sales and labor reports are clear and easy to understand making decisions for labor control simple to make.

Cons

Offline payments can create issues if the customer doesn't have funds on the card used. Ghost checks can occur if handhelds are not synced daily.

Pros

TOAST is a solid point of sale system available for a very reasonable price. Adding, editing and removing menu items can be done quickly and remotely. Printer routing and other back of house set up is a breeze. Customer service staff is well trained and very reliable.

Cons

Not really designed for large scale/ high volume operations. KDS screens have some issues.

Alternatives Considered

Maitre'D, Square Point of Sale, Upserve, Lavu POS, TouchBistro and Revel Systems

Reasons for Switching to Toast POS

Was able to negotiate a great price and has some really fantastic features.

Pros

I loved a lot of the features of this software but my favorite was the user interface. It was so sleek and modern and very straightforward to use. Lots of great features to make transactions go smooth.

Cons

I was frustrated that it is more suited for just restaurant use as I really wanted it to work for my business.

Alternatives Considered

KORONA

Reasons for Choosing Toast POS

I was looking for something more modern and minimalist.

Switched From

SpotOn

Reasons for Switching to Toast POS

I thought the interface was a lot nicer.

Pros

There are a lot of features and functionality with Toast, how to use them is another thing

Cons

Not very intuitive to use. Also i have not been able to get ahold of customer service

Pros

One stop shop plug and play solution! I was not interested in having to switch between systems and wanted easy reporting across the business.

Cons

Takes a while to learn all the functionality but worth it once learned. Although it’s not a problem with the software itself, either a better hard copy training manual or disk would be helpful.

Alternatives Considered

Time Tracker and NCR Aloha

Reasons for Switching to Toast POS

More robust and offered more scale as we grow to keep everything on one platform.

Pros

Ease of use. Intergrations. Overall it is a decent software. Just service and support sucks

Cons

Poor customer service. Reps don't call back or followup. Customer support is always busy with long hold times. Waiting 2 months for a refund on equipment that was returned that they charged my account for. Get run arround from customer support. Account rep never replies to emails or calls.

Alternatives Considered

Square Point of Sale and NCR Aloha

Reasons for Switching to Toast POS

Ease of use and overall value seemed better. I would not choose again given the support and customer service issues

Pros

Toast is easy for employees and customers to use! The processing time is quick, it accepts all forms of payment even tap, able pay, & Samsung pay, and it’s easy to troubleshoot!

Cons

I love toast! There’s not a single feature I’d change about it!

Pros

I have been using restaurant POS for over 20 years and Toast has shown itself to be one of the best on the market. It is so user-friendly and easy to work in, including the handhelds, that it's amazing. In training new teams they offer a great program and support team. The layout is ideal for high-volume. Reporting is excellent. I refer Toast to most of our clients.

Cons

As with any new system you install, there will be issues and "clunks." Toast is no exception. The worst was the display screen and the use of it on the line. If you do not set aside enough time to train, prior to opening or first use, it will be challenging to understand, especially if you are not used to systems other than tickets and calling out. It just takes time getting used to and working out the kinks upon install.

Alternatives Considered

CAKE POS, Clover and NCR Aloha

Reasons for Choosing Toast POS

We needed to have a better system than the old one we were using, as in most places. Toast offered the package at a wonderful price and the system supports the costs.

Switched From

NCR Aloha

Reasons for Switching to Toast POS

Price, support, system use

Pros

Nice features and ways to set up the menu for ease of use by employees. User-friendly up to a certain extent.

Cons

Most of the features promised by the sales rep were all available at an extra cost, after paying a lot of money already for the system and the hardware, you have to pay extra for EVERYTHING. Their customer support is very unreliable, sometimes you have someone great who knows exactly what you are talking about, sometimes it seems like the person has never even used the POS before... They put you on hold for 10+ minutes at a time too.

Pros

Customer Support! - I rate them 100 on this!! Any questions I have big or small, they are just a phone call away! If my call isn't answered right away or I get busy, they have the feature to leave your number and they will call you back ASAP.
Customer Service - Being a tech and answering some of the crazy questions (I'm one who probably has the most) they are always patient, friendly and very professional when answering questions.

Cons

Credit Card Processing Fees - With other Processing companies out there some are cheaper but overall with Toast, they win. It's the hidden fees you have to watch. Toast fees appear to be higher but what you see is what you get where with the other guys you have to read the fine print.

Pros

That is super user friendly. Fast and overall a great system. Seriously aside from what I write in the CON section. Toast REALLY is the best software POS system I have worked with. Hands down.

Cons

The credit card processing fees they initially promise you they can match your current rates which they DO NOT its a LIE. Then customer service never gets back to you or passes you on to someone else then someone else and someone else. Never follow through with their promises and never can get ahold of your sales rep and he doesn't reply or follow through when you finally do get him on phone. Beware they will not match your credit card rate like they promise you. They will overcharge you if you don't watch exactly what they are taking out of you bank account. You will get charged for modules they say they will " give you for x amount of months free" and then continue getting charged and have to wait months and months and make a million phone calls to try and get your money back for 'free trials they charged you for and your money back for when you told them you didn't want them at all after "free trail" and they continue charging you. Biggest advice is get your credit card rates in clear upfront writing and sit down and figure it out. Make sure they are not screwing you. Because its not only happened to us but several other businesses.

Pros

I was hired to help customize, train, and implement this new software at a friends restaurant. I have worked with a few different POS systems and this was by far the most user friendly. Easy to customize their menus and check preferences. Easy to update if we figured out how we originally entered in an item needed to be changed. Cloud based so when not on sight I was able to fix remotely when not at the restaurant. Also the handheld option is great for taking orders and splitting checks on the fly. Also were able to implement gift cards with the new system.

Cons

No real cons. The only downside was the initial few days after switching for the staff to get used to it.

Pros

Very feature rich with a robust online delivery platform that seamlessly integrates with the POS solution. Synchronization is almost immediate and we have seen a huge increase in online ordering already. The self service kiosk was easy to setup and has a great look and feel

Cons

Overwhelming and we have barely begun to turn on all the other features - customer loyalty, customer feedback, delivery and so on.

Alternatives Considered

Revel Systems, NCR Aloha and Lightspeed Retail

Reasons for Choosing Toast POS

Looking for increased capabilities such as kds and better customer support

Switched From

Clover

Reasons for Switching to Toast POS

Lower TCO and features we were looking for. Also has a bigger footprint in our city

Pros

functionality. We have used for 10 years about, since they started I guess we are early adopters. It has truly developed into a great pos, with lots of flexibility. The online ordering portal is second to none. Though they should have some features, like car color and make type options.

Cons

Credit card fees for card not on hand is exorbitant and you can't use other cc companies with this software/tablet. The customer service might be the worst I have ever experienced. "we will escalate this to tier 2" blah, blah, blah.. hilarious. We have a mountain of open cases. Our first pos was with a local guy who built his own software. It was incredible how flexible the software was. It even downloaded directly into our quickbooks without any third party having to do translation. Amazing!! ultimately he retired and never took the software to the next level. Too bad.

Pros

User friendly and efficient. That pretty much sums it up but they said my response was too short.

Cons

Many additional charges after purchase
Reports cannot be easily pulled for long date ranges
LACKING IN CUSTOMER SUPPORT

Alternatives Considered

Clover

Switched From

NCR Aloha and POSitouch

Reasons for Switching to Toast POS

Price point and referral

Pros

Toast has been a serious upgrade to our establishment. It is very user friendly and operates off a more "in the times" type of software than some other very outdated POS systems. All of their staff is friendly. The third party integrations are endless and offer something for all kinds of businesses. Online ordering and the ability to have an unofficial doordash partnership is very helpful and easy to use.

Cons

Support is not always the most efficient or informative. We often find where they simply cannot help us during odd inquiries or glitches, or we get multiple answers from different people. We also would like to see toast work on a table management and waitlist system that is actually functional for the restaurant. Currently, they offer third party table management integrations, but we have done trials with a few and none have quite what we are looking for.

Pros

Relatively easy to use if set up properly. Easy to adjust menu on the fly. Offline CC processing. Payroll is responsive.

Cons

They do not give you the time of day unless they are trying to sell you something. Waste of money paying them to set it up. We can't even get good support using a free trial of their new service modules . They will just tell you how much this will increase your sales.

Pros

- User friendly
- Intuitive
- Fantastic customer support
- Self updating
- Good price
- Integrated with most scheduling platforms

Cons

There's not much I dislike about Toast. With that said, it can be a bit glitchy at times. It's also a relatively new company, so some of the functions haven't quite been worked out perfectly yet.

Alternatives Considered

Aloha EPOS and Revel Systems

Reasons for Switching to Toast POS

Revel Systems

Pros

The inventory feature on Toast has revolutionized the way we track our products. Being able to enter recipes, add invoices, track waste, etc. - and do it all in one place - is awesome. And the fact that it is all so easy and user friendly is just a bonus!

Cons

We receive a sales report from Toast each morning, which is great. It would be nice if in this email there were a few specific reports that were pushed to you, as opposed to having to click "full report" and pick and choose what you'd like to view on the website. For example: weekly sales summary, hourly sales, payroll detail, etc.

Pros

This POS system is much more advanced compared to others I have used prior. There are many options for inputting whichever items and functions are needed within your business. The overall appearance of this software is much nicer. I also enjoy how user access changes with position ranking, and verification can be implemented for certain features which helps to deter possible theft or misuse. The sales reports are also extremely thorough
. Overall, this is a great pos system for all occupancy levels.

Cons

There have a been a few issues with the connection dropping/printer not receiving orders despite our internet working fine. This has caused quite a few times of commotion due to our high volume occupancy levels which left our kitchen backed up for at least 30 minutes to an hour depending on how fast customer service could resolve the issue. Of course since it is an app it will be prone to crashes, but it is extremely inconvenient when it happens during a rush.

Pros

I enjoy how many items can be displayed throughout the system within endless categories. It is very simple to edit the spelling of a product, the price or the quantity you have remaining. Adding more products is just as easy and for the food and bar industry we all know how many modifications guests request (and you can never have that many buttons), so the "special request" option, which allows you to type and charge whatever you would like below a certain item ordered is a lifesaver.

Cons

It is frustrating that Toast categorizes every product alphabetically. Additionally, our company has had better credit processing company offers but we are locked into Toast's credit processing and higher fees.

Pros

Toast POS system has a VERY short list of pros from my time using it in my restaurant. One of the only pros is the easy-to-read menu set up. While There are not many features or anything about the system that I found unique or helpful, there are not to many bad elements that stand out either. It is a simple and mediocre system.

Cons

The biggest con of this program to me is the ridiculous amount of time it takes the systems to download and log on, not just first thing in the morning but periodically throughout the day. There are also issues with set times and online orders being updated because all systems must sync variously throughout the day as well. The system is not user friendly or easy to use right away and takes more time getting use to than past systems I have used.