TouchBistro Inc. is an all-in-one mobile Point of Sale (POS) and restaurant management system that helps to streamline the running of your restaurant.
It often comes up in conversations about the best POS systems for restaurants, thanks to its ease of use. Although, some online reviews suggest that it might not be quite as good as it appears at first glance.
In the rest of this TouchBistro review, we analyze every aspect of this company to help you determine if it’s a viable option for your next restaurant POS solution. We evaluate TouchBistro prices, main features, user interface and support, plus more, so you don’t have to.
TouchBistro POS plans and pricing
How much does TouchBistro cost? Good question! Expect to pay into triple figures each month to get the best from TouchBistro’s restaurant management systems.
The TouchBistro website provides a small amount of pricing information, but there isn’t nearly as much transparency as we would have liked to see. According to the company’s website, POS licenses start from just $69 per month, which is comparable to the entry-level plans of most other companies.
This includes:
- Various menu management
- Table management
- Analytics tools
- 24/7/365 customer service support
Unfortunately, though, there’s no readily available information about what higher-end plans are available or what they include.
Add-ons
There are various TouchBistro POS add-ons, shown below.
| Add-on | Cost |
|---|---|
| Online ordering | From $50/month |
| Reservations | From $229/month |
| Gift card support | From $25/month |
| Loyalty | From $99/month |
| Self-serve kiosk | From $69/month |
| Digital Menu Boards | From $20/month |
| Kitchen Display System | Hardware costs only |
| Customer Facing Display | Hardware costs only |
On top of this, you can expect to pay some sort of card processing and/or transaction fees. However, these will vary according to your country/region, and the TouchBistro website provides no information about exactly what you will pay.
How does TouchBistro’s POS system work?
TouchBistro POS software
Is TouchBistro POS cloud-based? Yes, partly. Although their software is hosted through an on-site server, the data in the POS application is stored in the cloud. Not only does this mean you can continue with customer sales without an internet connection, it also allows you to access company data from any browser.
The user interface itself is quite attractive and functional, if a little clunky. There are various add-on integrations available, including a kitchen display system, a self-ordering kiosk display, and a customer-facing display.
TouchBistro POS hardware
TouchBistro uses an iPad-based system that’s designed for ease of use and flexibility. Getting started is quite simple, and, in many cases, you’ll be able to access professional technical assistance to ensure you’re up and running as soon as possible.
Small businesses will benefit from a streamlined single-iPad POS system, suitable when you have one terminal to take payments and manage orders. Medium-sized systems with up to five iPads can be used with a sixth iPad acting as the central terminal, for seated table transactions.
Larger systems can be custom-built with a more powerful computer as the central hub, allowing you to connect as many mobile devices as required.
TouchBistro POS features and services
Like most restaurant-specific POS systems, TouchBistro offers a range of features designed to help you maximize occupancy, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.
✓ TouchBistro table management tool
One of our favorite features is TouchBistro’s table management tool. Sure, this isn’t unique by design, but it does let you create a unique floor plan that mirrors your restaurant to make order management easier everyday.
✓ TouchBistro Tableside ordering and payment
TouchBistro’s tableside ordering and payment tools stand out as excellent. Each feature provides staff with everything they need to maximize order value, ensure accurate order placement, and process payments fast and flexibly.
✓ TouchBistro analytics and reporting
There’s nothing worse than being forced to make important business decisions without knowing what you should be doing. TouchBistro POS systems assist you in making informed business decisions, by providing a range of powerful reports and in-depth analytics.
✓ TouchBistro’s staff management and scheduling tools
Save time and simplify the scheduling process with TouchBistro’s in-built tools. Easily create new rosters with the click of a button, track employee working hours and labor costs, and communicate directly with employees if there are any concerns.
✓ Inventory management
Calculate basic stock inventory at speed and monitor beverage costs with ease, thanks to TouchBistro’s user-friendly inventory management feature.
✓ TouchBistro application integration
From WorldPay to Xero, 7shifts and QuickBooks, TouchBistro POS systems easily integrate with many of the restaurant industry’s favorite applications.
✓ TouchBistro’s Kitchen Display System (KDS)
With real-time performance feedback, order accuracy improvement and communication transparency between back of house and front of house staff, TouchBistro’s KDS is one not to miss. Your team can minimize human errors and optimize every order without a blink: TouchBistro’s POS will do the thinking for you!
TouchBistro POS support and customer care
TouchBistro provides a a great range of support services, including multinational phone support and email service through its online contact form. They also have local offices in the United States, Canada, the UK, and Mexico, which have their own local phone numbers and contact information.
So, wherever you are, help is easy to reach anytime. And we do literally mean anytime: you can contact TouchBistro 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days of the year.
From the very start of your experience with TouchBistro you are supported. Their “one-box POS solution” is can be setup fast so you can start using your POS system straight away. If you prefer in-person help, they can also delegate an expert installation specialists to assist you remotely.
Their online self-help resources are plentiful too, and available through the Support & Training centre. There, you’ll find various setup tutorials and user guides. There are even useful videos detailing specific actions.
However, online customer reports don’t paint a mixed picture of TouchBistro’s support and post-sales customer care. The company receives a commendable rating of 4.2/5 stars (from 308 reviews) on Capterra, but its customer service rating is slightly lower at 3.9/5.
A large proportion of reviews touch on poor customer care and support services, which is a major concern.
TouchBistro’s POS competition
TouchBistro has the hospitality industry pretty well covered when it comes to point of sale systems. They cater for every business from the humble food truck to the fancy fine dining restaurant.
However, if you’re looking for a higher-rated restaurant POS service provider, we’d recommend checking out Upserve POS. Its software prices start from $59 per month, it uses a very flexible system, and its customer service is reported to be excellent.
Another great option is Square POS, which offers flexible POS services tailored to various industries. It doesn’t charge any monthly software fees, but you will be hit with 2.6% + 10c transaction fees.
Final verdict
All things considered, TouchBistro provides excellent restaurant POS solutions. Its customer service receives poor online ratings, but reports suggest that this is largely because its agents are slow and response times can be long.
At the end of the day, the company’s feature-rich software, competitive prices, and simple setup process more than outweigh these negatives. We’d recommend checking out TouchBistro if you’re looking for a powerful, customizable, data-driven POS program that’s designed specifically for restaurants.
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