TouchBistro POS Review 2021

TouchBistro POS: Core Features

While this review focuses on TouchBistro's full-service restaurant POS app, the vendor offers four more POS apps aimed at more specific niches within the food industry. The Quick Service, Bars and Clubs, Food Truck, and Brewery POS apps all offer their own venue-specific features and benefits.

Tableside Order Management

TouchBistro makes tableside ordering simple. A server can place an order and send it directly to the kitchen, while still standing in front of the table they're serving.

You can create a bespoke table plan for your restaurant and use it to identify slow-turning or high-value tables, as well as add or remove seats, change parties, and more. Servers can access the table plans on their iPads and carry them around the restaurant as they're serving.

Servers can select the quantity and type of menu item, sorting by both seats and courses in order to get everything right. Automatic prompts can remind servers what potential upsells could be suggested with each item. Then, when the meal's over, servers can separate or join seats with a simple swipe, or tap in orders to split the bill with minimal effort.

Menu Management

Managers can create, edit, and upload customized menus to TouchBistro’s app, adding and subtracting menu items as needed.

Low inventory alerts can help managers know which items to remove before a customer orders something that isn't available. In addition, data reports help managers know which menus and items sell the best, allowing them to create even better menus in the future.

Servers can route orders to different kitchen printers or displays – useful if you need to send different orders to the bar or the kitchen. You can also add modifiers on-the-spot so that servers can react to customer needs.

CRM Features

TouchBistro’s customer relationship management (CRM) features allow servers to reward repeat visitors.

Once an account is set up for a regular customer, favorite items can be suggested to servers whose memories might not supply “the usual” quite as quickly as TouchBistro's software can. These customers' favorite orders can also help guide managers as they build new menus or consider special promotions.

TouchBistro's CRM software can also help your restaurant communicate with customers about loyalty programs and discounts through SMS, push notifications, or email.

Floor Plan & Table Management

TouchBistro also offers table management options, a staple feature of restaurant POS services. A customizable floor plan allows you to layout your entire operation, even down to the table size. Servers can then move parties around as needed. The result? Portable maps that update in real-time, putting everyone on the same page and speeding up service.

Staff Management

With TouchBistro POS, staff can clock in and out, and managers can easily track their hours.

Each employee can get an individual account, allowing managers to keep staff-specific details in mind, as well as ensure everyone gets paid.

Comprehensive security controls and access rights keep everything safe, while in-app messaging allows staff members to contact each other throughout a shift.

Seamless staff management pays off. TouchBistro has already helped restaurateurs save up to 4% on labor.

Mobile Sales

TouchBistro supports a host of mobile payment processors, including Square, iZettle, Chase Paymentech, Moneris, Worldpay, and PayPal. Servers will be able to take cash, card, and debit.

Inventory Management

TouchBistro has fantastic inventory management.

It allows restaurateurs to track items sold, and the ingredients which make up each dish. Alerts let managers and staff know when an item needs to be restocked.

In addition, profit margins for each item can be tracked, letting managers know which items offer the worst return on investment.

Reporting & Analytics

TouchBistro can deliver daily reports to senior staff members.

Managers can use the data collected from each of the platform's features in order to determine future plans. Which tables are most popular? Which menu items should be promoted? Which servers work the fastest, and at which times? Since inventory and sales are tracked to the last detail, theft can also be noted and deterred.

TouchBistro Hardware

TouchBistro runs on all iPads after the first four generations. You’ll need a wireless router, which allows the TouchBistro POS to run on a secured local network. If you're a small operation, one iPad and a router should be all the hardware you need.

If you're using multiple iPads, you'll need a central hub to serve as the ‘brain' of your POS software. If you use five or fewer iPads, an Apple Mac Mini Computer is best. If you use six or more iPads, try an iMac Computer, whereas if you have fifteen or more, TouchBistro recommends a Mac Pro.

However, unlike lots of other POS providers, TouchBistro won't sell you the hardware your business needs. Instead, you'll have to source the hardware yourself. That needn't be too much of a pain, however – iPads (as you'd expect) are pretty easy to acquire, as are cash tills and card readers. But we'd still prefer it if TouchBistro would sell compatible hardware directly.

Hardware Highlight: TouchBistro Kiosk

TouchBistro's hardware product line isn't as extensive as those of many other POS vendors.

However, one hardware item stands out: a kiosk that lets customers tap product buttons to compose and pay for their unique order.

If you manage a cafe, or a quick service or fast-casual restaurant, a self-service kiosk might be the hardware investment you need to fill orders faster – and save money in the process.

The TouchBistro Kiosk works with an iPad, but lets customers place their own orders instead of doing it through your staff. That might sound impersonal, but it can often lead to customers placing more expensive orders, with access to combos and options at their fingertips. It also leads to fewer mistakes from your staff, as well as increased productivity.

The Verdict

TouchBistro's many features cover all the basics of restaurant operations, as well as a few bells and whistles – and they're highly configurable to boot. Both pricing and support meet or exceed industry standards. TouchBistro is a solid choice for most restaurant businesses, and a particularly great option for a restaurant with iPad-powered tableside service.

Before you start rushing off to sign-up for TouchBistro, though, it's worth taking a look at the competition. There are loads of great restaurant POS systems out there, and the easiest way to compare the different providers is by filling in our quick and easy form. You'll get tailor-made quotes for your business in minutes, with no obligations.

Frequently Asked Questions