Incredibly Efficient!

Overall, I'm thrilled we switched to Toast. It's simple to use, has made us more efficient, and wasn't as expensive as similar systems.

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.

I'd give it a 10 but then it would be perfect!

Overall, I really enjoy the system. It's simple to program and they have a great support system. It's worth the investment to pay for extended support until you or a manager has the ins and outs of the backend in hand. The reporting is awesome and when used the right way, you have your answers to questions you didn't even know you needed to ask.

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.

Beware!

Pros

I signed on to Toast because they touted themselves as software specifically for restaurants so I thought it would be an easy transition. It was not. As a POS system the functionality is fine. Servers can ring in food and it prints where we tell it but good luck pulling even basic, typical reports any restaurant would need. A lot of the reports I would want are listed as possible but then they don't populate with actual numbers. Support has no clue. I can wait to talk to a support person for 20 minutes sometimes or even get a "we'll call you back" which comes 24 hours or more later which is such a bummer when I have a guest waiting for a check and I need support to do it. When I do get them on the line they know about as much as I do about how to work the software.

Cons

Toast talks big and presents a front like they know what they are doing but they don't seem to grasp even simple financial or restaurant concepts. Do your servers split tips with a bartender or other support staff? Too bad because you are going to need to create your own spreadsheet outside the system to do that and then tediously go day by day to get the tip info for payroll. It is significantly more expensive than what I was doing before and they forced me to buy all their hardware, like printers and tablets which is dumb. Any old tablet would work better than theirs because they have it locked so we can't play music through it or manage our Instagram account. The list of problem s is too long to even go into here. DO NOT GET SUCKERED INTO RUNNING PAYROLL THROUGH THEM. The payroll program is a complete and utter joke. They have no clue.

An Affordable Alternative to Aloha and Micros

A perfect system for a small restaurant with a lot of very handy features. They are extremely flexible with pricing options.

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.

Toast--Support when you need it.

We are still early in the implementation of using Toast, but thus far I have been very impressed with their customer service and professional manner in which they have trained and supported our company.

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.