CAKE Review

Why Cake Is Best for Customer Loyalty

Cake is our pick as the best POS system for customer loyalty because of its wide array of guest-focused features. Its guest management functions let you accept online reservations, set up a waitlist, and provide waiting guests with real-time status updates. 

Cake equips servers with tablets for tableside order-taking and payments to help you boost service speed and turn over tables faster without rushing your customers. This service reduces the likelihood of mistakes as well. 

Cake also provides restaurants with self-service POS kiosks and helps them accept QR code payments. Customers can enjoy the freedom and flexibility of ordering and paying independently, further reducing wait times and freeing your staff to focus on other tasks. 

One of Cake’s newer features is its customer loyalty program, built directly into your POS system. Customers can collect points in-store and online and track them through their phone number or email address. And the data you receive will help you learn more about your customers and create future promotions for them. 

Usability

Cake’s usability is one of its primary benefits as a POS system. We like how user-friendly the system is and how easy it is to operate and navigate. Cake’s system usability is a huge benefit for restaurants that must quickly and effectively train employees. 

We were also impressed by how easy it is to edit menu items in Cake’s system. Menu changes happen frequently at restaurants, and Cake’s software lets you make adjustments with just a few clicks. This functionality was more intuitive than many POS system competitors we reviewed. 

And Cake provides robust customer support which will help shorten your learning curve. New customers will receive an onboarding manager and customer success manager to help you customize your settings and learn to navigate the software. 

Cake Features

Hardware 

Cake’s hardware was designed specifically for the restaurant industry so it’s built to handle everyday wear and tear. The hardware is black with 15-inch touch screens, and the screens are flush with the frames so nothing can get stuck inside the gaps.

Cake provides handheld devices for tableside ordering and self-serve kiosks. It also offers a variety of accessories like a cash drawer, thermal printer and payment cube for contactless payments. 

Cake’s proprietary hardware is designed to withstand a busy restaurant environment. Source: Cake

Online Ordering

Cake’s online ordering features will reduce errors by directly integrating with the restaurant’s POS system. After a customer places an order, it’s sent directly to the kitchen, so orders never have to be entered twice. Cake also prompts customers to upsell their items at checkout, which can boost your average order value (AOV). 

You can personalize the platform to include your company’s logo, custom branding, and images of your most popular menu items. Once customers place their orders, they’ll receive text messages telling them when their items are ready for pickup. We also like that guests can opt for contactless payment options like Apple Pay and Google Pay. 

If you want to provide customers with delivery options, you can integrate your POS system with a third-party delivery service. Cake offers third-party app integrations with DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub and ChowNow. 

Cake offers integrated online ordering and curbside pickup. Source: Cake

Contactless Payments

We appreciated the wide variety of contactless payment options Cake lets you offer customers. For example, you can include QR code payments on every receipt. Customers will scan the QR codes on their phones and pay from their devices. 

You can also provide self-service kiosks to reduce wait times and increase the average order value (AOV). Cake’s self-service kiosks let customers choose between dine-in and takeout options — another perk customers will appreciate. 

With QR code payments, customers can pay their bills from their own mobile devices. Source: Cake

Menu Management

We were impressed by Cake’s menu management features that make it easy to customize menu items. You can edit your menu from any device, and changes will appear online and in your restaurant. Real-time menu management ensures your staff is always on the same page — and you’re not selling menu items that are no longer available.

Cake also provides POS inventory management features that help you track inventory and adjust prices as needed. We particularly liked its ingredient-tracking option, which makes ordering easier for customers who have dietary issues.

Use Cake to track your inventory and edit your menu in real time.  Source: Cake

Cake Costs

We found Cake’s pricing to be relatively straightforward, especially when compared to other POS providers. The company offers three different pricing plans, so it’s an affordable option whether you’re just starting a restaurant or running an established eatery. 

Costs start at $69 monthly and include the following features:

• Online ordering
• Menu management
• Secure payment processing
• 24/7 customer support
• QR code payments
• Reporting and analytics tools
• Smart chargeback assistance
• Offline mode
• Access to the Cake University training portal

If you run a large restaurant or operate multiple business locations, you may need a more customized POS solution for your business. For example, you’ll have to upgrade to one of the more advanced plans to take advantage of online ordering, gift cards and customer loyalty programs. 

Cake Setup

We were impressed that setting up your POS system with Cake is easy and seamless. Its onboarding resources surpass many of its competitors. As a Cake customer, you’ll have access to an onboarding team that will schedule training for you and your staff. During our demo with the Cake team, they specified that new customers have access to the onboarding team for the first few months. You’ll also have access to Cake University training, which will walk you through installing and activating your POS system. 

Cake University provides detailed resources for implementing and managing your Cake POS system.  Source: Cake

Cake Customer Service

We were pleased with Cake’s customer service options. When you sign up for the Cake POS system, you’ll have access to Cake’s excellent customer support. The company is available 24/7 via phone, text, email or chat. This is especially important for restaurant owners, who often have emergencies outside 9-to-5 business hours. 

The company also provides a resource center filled with white papers, e-books, case studies and videos. You should always be able to get your questions answered. 

Cake Drawbacks

There’s a lot to like about Cake’s POS system, but there are a few drawbacks to consider. 

• Fees: Cake charges an activation fee and a one-time signing fee for its guest management add-on. The additional charges may not make much of a difference to established restaurants but could be prohibitive for new business owners.
• Contract required: We were also disappointed to learn that the software comes with a two-year contract. That means you must be sure Cake is the right POS system for your business before you sign up. 

Methodology

When researching the best POS systems for customer experience, we looked at self-service features, online reservations, online ordering, mobile ordering and other guest-focused functions. We attended an hour-long demo with the Cake team to see Cake’s software and hardware in action and ask questions. Our in-depth process included comparing Cake to over a dozen competing POS systems. Our research helped us understand where Cake stands out and where it falls short compared to competitors. 

Overall Value

We recommend Cake for …

• Restaurants of all sizes looking for an easy-to-use POS system. 
• Eateries in need of durable hardware options. 
• Restaurants looking for ways to improve the guest experience.

We don’t recommend Cake for …

• Restaurants looking to avoid lengthy contracts.
• Restaurants that want to avoid activation fees.