Restaurant POS: More Than Just Taking Payments
A restaurant POS handles orders, sends tickets to the kitchen, manages tables, tracks inventory, processes payments, and generates reports. The right system reduces order errors, speeds up service, and gives you real-time visibility into your business.
Quick Comparison
| POS | Starting Price | Hardware Cost | Online Ordering | Kitchen Display | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toast | $0/mo (Starter) | $0 (with plan) | Yes (built-in) | Yes | Full-service restaurants |
| Square for Restaurants | $0/mo (Free) | $0 (reader) | Yes (built-in) | Yes | Quick-service / cafes |
| TouchBistro | $69/mo | $999+ (iPad setup) | Via integration | Yes | Bars + nightlife |
1. Toast — Best for Full-Service Restaurants
Toast is built exclusively for restaurants and is the #1 restaurant POS in the US by market share. Its hardware is purpose-built for food service environments — grease-resistant, spill-proof, and designed for kitchen heat.
Key Features
- Toast Go — handheld for tableside ordering and payment
- Kitchen Display System — digital order tickets replace paper
- Online ordering — built-in (no DoorDash/UberEats commission)
- Menu management — real-time changes across all channels
- Tip management — tip pooling, auto-gratuity, tip-out
- Inventory tracking — ingredient-level tracking with waste management
- Payroll — built-in restaurant payroll (tips, overtime, tip credit)
- Loyalty program — reward repeat customers
- Reporting — sales mix, labor cost, food cost dashboards
Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Processing Fee | Hardware |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter Kit | $0 | 2.99% + 15¢ | Free (1 terminal) |
| Point of Sale | $69/mo | 2.49% + 15¢ | Custom quote |
| Custom | Custom | Negotiable | Custom |
Best For
Full-service restaurants, fast-casual, and multi-location chains that need kitchen management, tableside ordering, and built-in online ordering.
2. Square for Restaurants — Best Free Start
Square's restaurant POS is free to start and works with affordable hardware. For cafes, coffee shops, and quick-service restaurants that don't need tableside ordering, Square delivers everything you need at the lowest cost.
Key Features
- Free POS software — no monthly fee on the Free plan
- Order management — dine-in, takeout, delivery
- Kitchen display — digital tickets for the kitchen
- Online ordering — built-in website with ordering
- Menu management — modifiers, combos, auto-86
- Employee management — clock in/out, permissions, labor reporting
- Reporting — real-time sales, labor, and menu analytics
- Loyalty program — Square Loyalty add-on ($45/month)
Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Processing | Hardware |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 2.6% + 10¢ | Free card reader |
| Plus | $60/mo | 2.6% + 10¢ | Varies ($149–$799) |
| Premium | Custom | Negotiable | Custom |
Best For
Cafes, coffee shops, bakeries, and quick-service restaurants that want free POS software with no long-term contracts.
3. TouchBistro — Best for Bars and Nightlife
TouchBistro is an iPad-based POS designed for bars, pubs, and nightlife venues. Its tab management, happy hour pricing, and floor plan features are tailored for high-volume drink service.
Key Features
- Tab management — open, transfer, split, and close tabs quickly
- Floor plan management — visual table layout with section assignment
- Happy hour pricing — automatic price changes by time of day
- Menu management — timed menus, modifiers, forced modifiers
- Staff management — clock in/out, role-based permissions
- Kitchen display — digital order routing by station
- Reporting — hourly sales, server performance, menu analytics
- Inventory — recipe costing and ingredient tracking
Pricing
- Software: From $69/month
- Hardware: iPad-based setup, $999+ for a basic station
- Add-ons: Online ordering ($50/mo), loyalty ($99/mo), marketing ($99/mo)
Best For
Bars, pubs, and nightlife venues that need fast tab management and floor plan features.
For MENA Restaurants
| Restaurant Type | Best POS | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Full-service restaurant | Toast | Kitchen display + tableside |
| Cafe / quick-service | Square | Free, no contract |
| Bar / lounge | TouchBistro | Tab management |
| Cloud kitchen / delivery | Square or Toast | Online ordering built in |
Note: Toast is currently US-focused. For MENA restaurants, Square works globally and supports multiple currencies. Local alternatives like Foodics (Saudi-based) are also worth evaluating for Arabic POS needs.
All pricing verified from official sources, Q1 2026.