Toast Review

Why Toast Is Best for Hardware

We selected Toast as the best POS system for hardware because the vendor’s offerings are durable and will easily blend in at any restaurant. Restaurant owners and managers can choose from various options, including handheld devices, counter displays and self-service POS kiosks.

“Toast is simple to use, easy to set up and perfect for people who aren’t great with tech,” said Brian Ipuz, a bar manager in New York City who has used Toast for more than five years at multiple restaurants and bars. “I would 100% recommend it.”

Toast offers durable, resilient hardware that can withstand the elements in a busy restaurant, including spills and high heat. Pictured here is a portable card reader, which enables guests to pay with debit, credit, or Google Pay. (Source: Six Point Brewery – Dekalb Market)

We like that Toast’s hardware is spill-proof and can withstand high temperatures so it will hold up well in fast-paced restaurant environments. The displays can be mounted anywhere in the kitchen so employees don’t lose visibility — helping them provide guests with seamless, excellent service.

Whether you run a food truck, cafe, or sit down restaurant, you’ll be able to get the hardware you need with Toast. You can purchase the devices that best suit your restaurant’s size and type; plus, you can further customize your POS system with accessories like flip stands, wall mounts and printers. We also appreciate that all Toast POS devices let customers make contactless payments, including NFC mobile payments — a convenience for all parties.

“The only challenge is that the portable tablets can be slow and sometimes have connection problems,” Ipuz said. However, he noted Toast’s integrations are reliable and customer support is often responsive and helpful.

Toast’s portable card readers offer the same features as the desktop tablet, including a tip screen that makes it easy for your guests to leave a tip for their server or bartender. (Source: Six Point Brewery – Dekalb Market)

Toast’s software is also incredibly customizable. This allows you to manage the entire restaurant, including the kitchen, and customize and refine menus with numerous modifier options.

Toast displays can be mounted anywhere in the kitchen so employees don’t lose visibility. Source: Toast

Usability

We like that Toast is a highly user-friendly POS system with various hardware and software options that will suit restaurants of all sizes. Its restaurant-grade hardware includes POS terminals, kiosks, handheld devices, guest-facing monitors and kitchen display screens.

Toast initially launched as a consumer app to help restaurants process mobile payments and integrate with existing POS systems. Today, its comprehensive features allow customers to book online reservations, order takeout, purchase gift cards and much more. These are useful features for very small restaurants that want to extend the same sophisticated services that customers have come to expect from other businesses.

We appreciate that Toast’s hardware options make managing various aspects of your business easier. For example, the Toast Go mobile handheld POS device can accept contactless, swipe, and dip payments, and boasts a battery that lasts twice as long as iPad POS systems. This device ensures seamless dining experiences and simplifies front-of-the-house operations.

Toast’s software has everything you need to manage the front and back of the house. Its order management feature notifies servers when a customer’s order is ready, providing a better guest experience. It also breaks down everything on your menu at the ingredient level and ensures you have enough inventory.

We also like that you can use Toast’s menu management feature to update your menu from any device and manage your menu availability with item countdowns. New restaurants that are still trying to figure out their menu will especially benefit from these features.

Toast’s hardware devices give restaurant owners and managers all the tools they need to operate their establishments. Source: Toast

Toast Features

All-in-One POS System

We were impressed that Toast’s all-in-one POS system includes restaurant-grade hardware, cloud-based software and payment processing features. We like that its hardware is designed to support a fast-paced restaurant environment and can fit in with any restaurant theme or decor.

Because Toast has its own payment processing features, you don’t have to look to outside vendors for credit card processing or other services. For new restaurants, this makes it easy to get everything they need to get up and running without dealing with multiple vendors.

Toast’s cloud-based software includes the following features:

• Tableside service: Your staff can use handheld devices to take tableside orders, get notified when an order is ready and collect payments.
• Menu management: Toast allows you to manage and update your online menu from anywhere. You can edit an item’s availability, add countdowns for upcoming menu items and include promotions.
• Analytics and reporting: Toast’s POS reports let you monitor sales over time and identify areas for improvement in your restaurant.

Toast’s comprehensive POS reports include detailed sales summaries and real-time data. Source: Toast

Digital Ordering

Digital solutions are one way POS systems are changing and evolving. We love that Toast is at the forefront of restaurant POS technology with a full suite of digital restaurant-specific features, including online ordering, contactless delivery and takeout.

These services can improve the customer experience, boost your profit margins and increase your restaurant’s revenue.

Here are some of Toast’s digital ordering features that stood out the most to us:

• Online ordering: With Toast’s online ordering system, you’ll set up a website landing page that customers can access on any device. They can use this page to browse your menu, pre-order meals and purchase gift cards. The tool is fully integrated, so if you make changes to your menu in the POS system, they’ll appear when customers place an order online.
• Toast TakeOut: The Toast TakeOut mobile app allows customers to place an order and select pickup and delivery options. We really like that, unlike most third-party takeout apps, Toast TakeOut is a commission-free service.
• Delivery: Toast partners with DoorDash to provide Toast Delivery Services, so you don’t need your own fleet of drivers. This feature works seamlessly with Toast TakeOut.
• Email marketing: Toast Now’s fully integrated email marketing software lets you build your email list, create automated campaigns and send weekly email newsletters.

The Toast TakeOut app helps restaurants reach new guests and makes ordering easier for regulars. Source: Toast

Order and Pay

We were impressed by Toast Mobile Order & Pay, a mobile ordering feature that lets customers browse your menu, place an order and pay for it right from their table. This feature is convenient for guests and offers greater flexibility for servers.

Waitstaff can focus on upselling customers and providing a higher quality of service instead of dealing with repetitive tasks like processing payments and closing out checks. You can also use Order & Pay to gain valuable customer data.

Toast’s Mobile Order & Pay feature allows customers to place and pay for orders at their table. Source: Toast

Inventory Management

Restaurants tend to have low profit margins. However, POS inventory management functions can help minimize waste and ensure the correct amount of ingredients are on hand. For this reason, xtraCHEF, Toast’s inventory management system, impressed us. It breaks down everything on your menu at the ingredient level and lets you track how different items’ pricing has changed.

After you place an initial inventory order, Toast will create an order guide based on what’s on hand and your restaurant’s needs. You can set up recurring inventory orders and send them directly to your suppliers.

xtraChef allows restaurant owners to monitor costs across menu items and recipes. Source: Toast

Toast Costs

We were pleased that Toast offers competitive and straightforward pricing while providing an easy-to-use system to run your entire restaurant. The platform has all the features you’d expect from one of the best restaurant POS systems, including taking orders, managing your menu and monitoring your restaurant’s performance.

Here’s a breakdown of Toast’s pricing plans:

• Starter Kit (free): The Starter Kit is designed for single-location restaurants that only need one or two terminals. This plan is free, though you may have to pay for add-on features. It includes cloud-based POS software, a terminal or handheld kit, table and order management tools, digital menus, and mobile payments. We recommend this plan for new or very small restaurants that want to set up a POS system but aren’t ready to commit a large investment.
• Point of Sale (starts at $69 per month): The Point of Sale plan is designed for restaurants looking to streamline their operations. It comes with many of the same features as the Starter Kit, but you can choose your own hardware and a custom configuration.
• Build Your Own (custom pricing): The Build Your Own plan is best for larger restaurants that want to optimize their operations. It includes everything in the first three packages, as well as gift cards, loyalty programs and email marketing tools. You must contact a Toast sales rep for a custom quote.

Toast Setup

We like that setting up your POS system with Toast is straightforward. After signing your contract, a Toast Onboarding Consultant will reach out to schedule a kick-off call. During the 30-minute call, you’ll review the onboarding process and determine a timeline for implementing the POS system. Your Onboarding Consultant will confirm your hardware list, and it typically takes between seven and 14 days to receive your hardware.

Once your hardware arrives, the Toast team will begin building your menu and configuring your software. We also like that the company will train you and your staff to use the software so you feel comfortable managing it on your own.

Toast Customer Service

Toast’s customer service options are on par with many competitors we reviewed. As a Toast customer, you can access 24/7 customer support via phone, email or live chat. We like that service options are available for all customers, regardless of their plan tier. The company also provides training videos, free tools and templates, and troubleshooting support.

Toast Drawbacks

Toast is a great choice for restaurants, but the following considerations may affect your decision:

• No third-party payment processing: Toast’s biggest drawback is that you must use its payment processing services and can’t opt for a third-party payment processor. This means businesses must accept whatever fees Toast charges, which might be higher than those of other payment processing services. If you prefer a POS that allows third-party payment processing, check out our review of Epos Now.
• No iOS devices: While Toast’s hardware is excellent, some restaurant owners may prefer an iPad-based POS system. If that’s your preference, read our review of TouchBistro, which operates via iPads.
• Can’t use existing hardware: Toast is compatible with some third-party hardware, but the system is meant to work with Toast’s proprietary devices. Some business owners may want to save costs and use their existing hardware. If this is your preference, read our review of Lightspeed. This vendor has an extensive list of compatible hardware.

Methodology

When researching the best POS systems for hardware, we looked at hardware durability, accessories, options, and look and feel. Additionally, we evaluated crucial POS features restaurants need, including digital and mobile ordering and stellar customer service. When evaluating Toast, we compared the platform’s offerings and services to more than a dozen other POS systems. Our research helped us determine where Toast stands out among competitors and where improvements are needed.

We also attended an hour-long demo with the Toast team, during which we learned how the software works. We were impressed by how simple the POS system is to use and how the company is constantly improving its software to make it more functional for its customers.

Overall Value

We recommend Toast for …

• Restaurants of all sizes looking for an all-in-one POS system.
• Restaurants that want long-lasting hardware solutions.
• Restaurants that want to offer online ordering, tableside ordering and delivery.

We don’t recommend Toast for …

• Restaurants that want to use a third-party payment processor.
• Businesses that aren’t in the restaurant industry.