December 16, 2024
Written by: The POS Exchange Team
Fast food restaurants face many challenges, but long lines and sluggish service don’t have to be among them. Efficient point-of-sale systems can ensure quick service, allowing you to ring up orders and get meals to customers in a flash. With Restaurant POS Integration, you can streamline operations by connecting your POS system to inventory management, online ordering platforms, and other essential tools.
This article explains why you can’t go wrong with a fast food POS system that integrates with the other restaurant technologies you use. Then, we’ll look at some of the best POS systems for fast-food restaurants so you can find the perfect solution to help your business thrive.
A restaurant POS system is more than just a cash register. It's like the central nervous system of your fast food joint. It’s a single system that handles everything from taking orders and processing payments to managing your inventory, tracking sales, and scheduling your employees. Sounds pretty handy, right? But it gets even better.
A top-notch POS system for your fast-food restaurant offers several features designed to streamline your operations. Here are some things a POS system can help you with:
Say goodbye to messy handwritten orders and hello to lightning-fast, accurate order entry.
Accepting various payment methods - cash, cards, even mobile payments - all through the system makes checkout a breeze.
Change prices, add specials, or 86 items with a few clicks—no more re-printing menus. Plus, online ordering integration lets your customers order directly from your website.
Keep track of your stock levels in real-time. You'll know when to reorder and minimize waste with the power of data at your fingertips.
Track hours worked, schedule shifts, and manage payroll, all from one place.
Get insights into sales trends, peak hours, and popular menu items to make data-driven decisions.
Build a loyalty program, track customer preferences, and send targeted promotions to keep those customers returning. CRM is a great way to gain loyal customers.
Orders get zapped straight to the kitchen screen, reducing errors and improving kitchen efficiency. Say goodbye to misheard orders and missed items.
It's not just about making things easier. The right POS system, including a handheld POS, can help boost your profits.
Imagine speeding up your service times and reducing customer wait times (which you know matters because happy customers return). Your fast-food profit margins will improve by preventing over-ordering and minimizing waste through better inventory management. POS bundles often provide everything you need to run your business.
You’ll also get valuable data. This data analysis can help you tailor your menu and marketing for better results. Want more personalized customer interaction? Some systems let you gather information on customer preferences to cater to those regulars. Providing custom pricing for your loyal customers will keep them happy and coming back for more.
Every fast-food joint has its way of doing things. Before you choose a POS system, consider this list of what matters most:
As an owner, you know every dollar counts, speedy food minimum wages as they continue to rise. Luckily, BPA POS systems are affordable and have the features and integrations you need to be built right in.
We've created a comparison page to see the exact breakdown of the costs of popular restaurant pos systems.
Think about one-time hardware costs, recurring monthly subscription fees, and any processing fees per transaction. You'll also want to consider software updates and tech support. Are there hidden costs, or is it straightforward pricing?
Do you need fancy bells and whistles, or will a simple system get the job done? A simple setup might be great for a food truck or small takeaway counter. But for a drive-thru or more extensive setup, you might want online ordering integration, delivery management, customer loyalty programs, kiosks, or those helpful KDS (kitchen display systems). Modern POS software should include robust reporting tools, so you know what's happening with your sales and food costs.
A POS system that’s intuitive and easy to train your staff on is a huge win. The last thing you want is your staff struggling to ring in orders or fumbling with payments during peak hours. It needs to make sense for everyone.
Will the system work with your existing tablets, or will you need new equipment? Do you need multiple POS terminals for counter service, a drive-thru, or tableside ordering? Will your restaurant POS system require a new credit card reader and receipt printer?
It's not IF something goes wrong – but WHEN. Make sure your chosen POS system offers dependable customer support (whether by phone, email, or live chat). Accessible training materials and user guides make learning the ropes easier for you and your crew.
Using other restaurant pos systems, you would have to worry about your system playing nicely with your other POS hardware and software. We often hear how pos providers charge for extra features or have hidden fees.
Toast POS is an excellent option for fast food restaurants. The software is built for Android devices and has an intuitive interface to help users streamline operations. Specifically, Toast works excellently for delivery and takeout businesses, with features that enable online ordering, delivery management, and contactless payments.
The fast food POS system also offers integrated email marketing tools to help you reach customers and improve repeat business. Also, menu management tools let you quickly change your offerings and organize items for optimal efficiency in order taking. Toast provides solid support options, and the hardware is built to withstand the rigors of a fast-paced kitchen environment.
Lightspeed POS is known for its flexibility, thanks to its numerous third-party integrations. Fast food restaurants can connect apps to Lightspeed to customize the system to fit their needs. This is especially helpful for operations with unique requirements or those looking to add features like employee scheduling or loyalty programs.
Of course, Lightspeed isn’t all about third-party integrations. The interface utilizes inventory management features that can help you to track ingredients. A photo-supported menu provides descriptions of menu items and a floor plan display, allowing servers to see order progress at individual tables. Some of the key features of Lightspeed include tableside ordering, kitchen display, integration library, analytics, and menu management.
The regular Lightspeed price starts at $69 per month per location, though they bill annually. The cost includes one feature-filled register and free software/data backups and updates. Considering the tableside service and menu and employee management options with Lightspeed, it’s a top-notch POS system for fast-food restaurants and beyond. Plus, the software is incredibly scalable. No matter what size venue you run, you can integrate Lightspeed to fit your needs.
If you’re looking for the best, ShopKeep is a perfect choice. This POS solution comes with various tools to boost margins and productivity. Implementing ShopKeep in your business can increase your order-taking and create repeat customers. Plus, ShopKeep features a wide variety of fast food-specific features. The aspect we love the most is that this system is scalable and can keep up with a growing business.
There is an integrated marketing tool suite in ShopKeep to help attract more customers as well. You’ll be able to input email addresses and customer details. You can use all of this collected information to generate ultra-personalized marketing campaigns. Another great thing about ShopKeep is that you can quickly take orders and process payments. Servers can send orders to the kitchen as soon as they are taken. ShopKeep also allows employees to write extra notes on orders and modifications. This feature can curb mistakes and improve overall customer service.
Upserve is a restaurant-specific POS system with many features that can help fast food operations. If you’re looking for a POS system tailored to your industry, researching Upserve will be worthwhile. This solution comes with various features you won’t find on many other systems, including offline functionality, training mode, bill-splitting options, tableside ordering, and online order management. Plus, they have tools to track inventory and sales! One reason to love Upserve is that it provides profound analytics presented on an easy-to-read dashboard.
You can easily spot business trends and stay up to date as to how your fast-food restaurant is doing. Analytics can improve guest retention and staff performance. Plus, you’ll be able to predict dish popularity and make the necessary changes to your business! The Upserve support team is one characteristic that makes this POS solution so attractive. At the start, you’ll spend $59 monthly per terminal. You'll enjoy optimizing your daily needs if you can afford to spend that much. It is important to note that you don't get some crucial features with the $59 every month plan. You must pay $99 every month to add inventory management.
Overall, Upserve has many impressive restaurant-specific features, and it is best for those who want a feature-rich system.
If you’re looking for a fast food POS system with industry-specific features for delivery management, Harbortouch is an excellent choice. The cloud-based POS system offers a handy delivery dashboard that gives fast-food restaurant owners total oversight of drivers and delivery vehicles. The dashboard provides driver status at any time, so you’ll always know which drivers are out for delivery and which are still available.
You can also gauge how long an order has been waiting in the queue, allowing more efficient deliveries and driver scheduling. Harbortouch provides inventory control so that you can keep your business stocked. You can easily import the inventory in your restaurant into your Harbortouch database. The POS system automatically tracks your stock levels and sales in real-time and creates automatic purchase orders when stock runs low.
It is worth noting that the Harbortouch POS system is tied into the payment processing system from HarborTouch, so you will have to use their payment processing. However, this might be an advantage if you don’t already have a payment processor and like what they offer. It depends on your situation.
If you’re looking for a fast-food POS solution to help you get started, Loyverse is an excellent choice. This POS system is free and can be installed on just about any device, whether it is an Android or iOS operating system. Although Loyverse is free, it contains robust features. For starters, Loyverse can email customer receipts beyond allowing printed receipts. The system accepts cash and credit and can quickly process refunds or discounts when necessary.
The software can also create tickets and save them for processing later. This allows customers to pay later if they call in an order and allows for items to be modified once orders have been placed. Loyverse offers multi-location management and per-location tracking. If any of your store locations go offline, the system will continue tracking, processing, and uploading orders. You’ll never have to stress about a technical blackout during a lunch rush again.
One impressive thing to note is that Loyverse employs ingredient inventory tracking, sending out notifications when specific items are low in stock so that you can avoid running out of essential items. Loyverse computes reports for you to create a predictive analysis of inventory trends. The reporting also shows how the business is running and why.
You can see which items perform well or how many customers order certain dishes at specific times. As for customers, you can keep track of them using the loyalty program and award points to those who frequently dine. Having a loyalty program helps to bring in more and more customers. Overall, Loyverse is an excellent option for beginner business owners who want a free option to get things off the ground. This POS solution should not be underestimated, even with the “free” stamp.
If you’re looking for a single, cloud-based POS platform to manage your fast-food establishment from front to back, then LS Retail is an excellent choice. With innovative technology and unified commerce solutions, LS Retail allows fast-food restaurant owners to manage their businesses efficiently. The POS system also provides owners with actionable business data, which can be used to make better decisions or eventually scale out in the future.
One of the top features of LS Retail is its diverse inventory management. It’s probably the number one reason that most customers go with LS Retail. Of course, standard inventory management ensures items remain in stock by notifying those in charge when items get low. Beyond standard inventory management, LS Retail works by organizing items with low inventory thresholds. It sorts items by the vendor if you want and prints out reports.
These inventory management tools are incredibly accurate and help keep business running smoothly. LS Retail helps create discounts and custom prices as well. It places various products into subgroups to help with the organization. For those who like visual platforms, you’ll love LS Retail. The interface is best described as a visual interface, which makes it much easier to navigate. Overall, LS Retail has all of the necessary tools to run a successful fast-food establishment, and it is one of our favorites on the list.
ConnectPOS offers a range of advanced features to help fast-food restaurant owners manage their businesses efficiently. Let’s look at some of these features and their value to the restaurant industry. Omnichannel Features: ConnectPOS offers great omnichannel features that allow fast-food restaurants to sell their products online and offline. With the click-and-collect feature, customers can order online and pick up from the store, which helps save time and increase customer satisfaction.
Real-time synchronization helps maintain a consistent database, reducing the occurrence of stockouts or dead stocks. According to a study by the National Retail Federation (NRF), businesses that have implemented omnichannel strategies see an average 9.5% increase in annual revenue.
PWA Consumer App: ConnectPOS’s PWA Consumer App helps fast-food restaurant operators streamline the ordering process for their customers. The self-checkout feature allows customers to order easily and quickly, providing a better customer experience. Additionally, the app accepts various payment methods, including cash, cards, gift cards, split tenders, and layaways.
Touchbistro is an iPad POS system that is designed for fast-food-selling operations. Thanks to its self-service technology, it has become outstanding, which boosts sales and speeds up other activities. POS features: A smart customer kiosk is offered where customers can be guided step-by-step to make a custom order.
This can not only ensure an accurate order but also save labor costs. Although its strength is in the self-service experience, Touchbistro can still help fast-food business owners maintain a smooth backend operation. With Touchbistro, store owners can manage staff schedules, customers’ redemption points, and payroll.
Your fast food joint is unique. So, don’t just use the default settings on your new POS system. Tailor the menu items, pricing, and modifiers to mirror your restaurant's operations. You’ve put a lot of love into those recipes. Let the POS show it. Your POS allows you to customize your settings, so use it.
Have you ever seen someone pulling out their phone at a fast food joint? You’ve probably done it too. Customers today want the power to order from their own devices. Integrated mobile ordering features and QR codes (scan and go) are all the rage these days. This is especially important for food trucks and other mobile businesses, so make sure your new POS software allows you to take orders online from your online store. Speed up service and watch your efficiency soar.
A lot of fast-casual businesses see great success using these features. For example, some restaurants are noticing as much as a 10% revenue boost by using mobile order & pay. That extra revenue adds up. Customers using their phones for payment processing has increased tremendously, and offering multiple venues to order from makes life easier for everyone.
That kitchen display system (KDS) is your chef's command center. Get everyone up to speed on how it works. Orders are beamed straight from the POS, minimizing errors and making communication smoother between the front and back of the house.
Numbers don’t lie. Look at those sales reports and customer data. Discover your bestsellers, when your busy periods are, and what your customer's favorites are. With those nuggets, you can make menu adjustments and target your marketing like a boss. Your sales stability will thank you. All the data from your POS system can show you real-time sales data for better decision-making.
In the fast food biz, customer loyalty is HUGE. Getting new customers is more expensive than retaining existing ones. With US restaurants facing customer retention rates of around 30%, rewarding those regulars with programs and perks integrated into your POS is a clever play. Create a loyal fan base with rewards, birthday treats, or targeted offers. Keep ‘em coming back for more.
The POS Exchange brings over 20 years of restaurant expertise, serving 200,000+ merchants and processing billions annually. Our tailored POS system solutions help businesses speed up checkouts by 30%, implement dynamic pricing, and manage customer reviews while reducing overhead. Perfect for full-service restaurants, pizza shops, coffee houses, and multi-location enterprises. We offer end-to-end service, from brilliant consultation and interactive demos to local installation and 24/7 support. Our mobile iPad POS systems streamline operations with features like order management, bill splitting, and inventory control.
With integrations for business management tools and advanced security measures, we ensure your POS system grows with your business. Trust our expertise to help you avoid the common pitfall that affects 38% of new business owners who choose the wrong POS system. Whether managing a busy restaurant, a local café, or operating a multi-location business, The POS Exchange delivers customized POS system solutions that tell your unique business story. Book a free demo with POS exchange to learn about our customized POS system solutions today.
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