4 Best POS Systems for Quick-Service Restaurants (QSR)

This blog post compares the best POS systems for quick service restaurants: KORONA POS, Lightspeed Restaurant, Toast POS, and TouchBistro. It outlines the key features of each system, including order management, delivery integrations, payment processing, analytics, customer engagement tools, and more.

To help quick-service restaurants select the right POS solution for their business, this article analyzes each system’s strengths and potential drawbacks. It also provides details on pricing models and hardware requirements.

KORONA POS: Best Solution For Processing Processors

Key Features

• Graphical table layouts: One of the standout features offered by KORONA POS is the graphical table layout management. This allows staff to visualize table occupancy and availability with an interactive floor plan, making table management much more efficient. The easy drag-and-drop function also enables quick changes to table layouts when needed. With KORONA POS, managers can always have a bird’s-eye view of the restaurant floor, ensuring smarter table utilization and better planning. The graphical table management feature is one of the ways this leading POS for quick-service restaurants helps restaurants deliver prompt and seamless service.

• Multiple order printers: With KORONA POS, quick-service restaurants can optimize their kitchen workflow by directing orders to dedicated printers based on the items ordered— appetizers, main courses, or desserts. This targeted approach ensures that kitchen staff can focus on their respective responsibilities, leading to faster and more accurate food preparation. For quick-service restaurants that serve a high volume of customers, having multiple order printers can dramatically improve your QSR business‘s order processing speed and efficiency.

• Table management: KORONA POS allows staff to easily manage table status across multiple floors or zones for cafes, coffee shops, and other quick-service eateries with dine-in seating. Managers can see at a glance which tables are occupied, reserved, or available for seating. Servers can quickly enter new table reservations, assign orders to table numbers, and change table status as customers are seated or leave. The table management features in KORONA POS give quick-service restaurants the flexibility to track dine-in customers separately from takeout and delivery orders.

• Employ time clock-tracking: KORONA POS makes employee management and payroll easy for quick-service restaurants. Employees can conveniently clock in and out directly through the POS system. Store owners can set customized access controls for each employee and track their hours worked through automated shift reports. These detailed reports can then be imported into payroll systems to accurately calculate pay. The highly customizable POS keypad allows owners to tailor it to their specific needs. KORONA POS provides robust employee time tracking and permissions settings that streamline payroll and staff management for busy quick-service restaurants. Automating these processes saves managers time and reduces potential payroll errors.

• Item transfers & check-splitting: The item transfer functionality ensures efficient order management by allowing staff to move menu items between orders effortlessly. This feature is particularly useful when accommodating guests who change tables or need to adjust their orders. Furthermore, KORONA’s check-splitting feature is invaluable in busy environments, enabling servers to effortlessly divide a single bill into multiple checks to accommodate groups of customers who wish to pay separately.

• Integration with any payment processor: KORONA POS is processing agnostic, meaning it can integrate with any major payment processing solution. This allows businesses to choose the payment processor that best fits their needs without being locked into a proprietary system. KORONA’s open API allows seamless integration with top processors like First Data, Square, etc, and others. The setup process is quick and easy, allowing merchants to be up and running with their preferred processor rapidly.

Pros

• Flat rate with no contracts
• 24/7 In-house support
• Unlimited free trial
• 60-day money-back guarantee

Cons

• Steep learning curve
• No Kitchen display system
• Not ideal for complex menus or full-dining restaurant

Pricing

KORONA POS has two core monthly plans:

• KORONA Core: $59/month with basic POS features.
• KORONA Retail: $69/month and adds inventory management and more automation.

KORONA also provides optional add-on modules. Click here to see KORONA POS’s pricing plan.

2. Lightspeed Restaurant: Best For Multi-Location Eateries

Key Features

• Speedy service tools for swift food delivery: Lightspeed Restaurant provides invaluable tools to enhance the customer experience at quick-service restaurants. Its integrated point of sale and delivery systems allow customers to order remotely from anywhere, increasing revenue potential. Staff can view and fulfill these orders rapidly on one centralized screen. Features like custom combo creation, Quick Service Mode, and self-order kiosks connected to the POS system all enable swifter order taking. The Customer-facing display ensures orders are prepared accurately even when things get hectic.

• Lightspeed’s delivery integration: Lightspeed’s restaurant solution offers a vital tool for quick-service establishments looking to expand their reach and cater to a broader customer base. Through seamless delivery integration, restaurants can take their quick-service menus beyond their physical locations and sync with major food delivery apps like UberEats, Foodora, and DoorDash. This integration streamlines operations by directing orders straight to the point of sale, allowing for efficient order management on a single screen. Lightspeed’s reporting tools empower businesses to analyze performance, identify successful strategies, and uncover new growth opportunities.

• Various payment methods: Lightspeed’s integrated payment solutions allow quick-service restaurants to offer flexible and mobile payments that speed up transactions. By letting customers pay directly at the table via credit card, debit card, or mobile payment, staff no longer need to run back and forth to a fixed POS system. Moreover, the platform provides a dedicated team of experts offering chargeback management and fraud assistance, allowing quick-service restaurants to focus on delivering.

• Quick service multi-location capabilities: Lightspeed Restaurant is designed to manage multi-location quick service businesses and enable rapid scaling. The POS system simplifies operations across all locations from one centralized platform. Built-in reporting can be filtered by specific sites or provide a big-picture view of the entire business. Menu editing for different locations takes seconds with a click of a button. Employee permissions can be customized by site or managed collectively.

Pros

• Supports multiple locations
• QR code ordering
• Kitchen display system
• Loyalty programs

Cons

• Limited inventory management features
• Offline functionality
• Limited reporting
• Poor customer service
• No free trial

Pricing

• Starter: Starts at $69 USD per month for a single register. This is their most basic plan, suitable for small restaurants with limited needs.
• Essential: Starts at $189 USD per month for a single register. Includes additional features like table management, inventory control, and basic reporting.
• Premium: Starts at $399 USD per month for a single register. Their most comprehensive plan offers advanced features like loyalty programs, online ordering, and labor scheduling.
• The Enterprise plan is custom quoted. It includes all Advanced features plus extras like personalized consultation and discounted payment processing.

3. Toast POS: Best Overall Solution For QSRs

Key Features

• Tableside Service: Toast’s tableside ordering and payment solutions can make a big difference for quick-service restaurants looking to accelerate service and improve guest satisfaction. With Toast’s handheld POS devices designed for restaurant environments, servers can take orders and payments directly at the table, eliminating trips back and forth to a central terminal. Guests can pay via tap, dip, or swipe right from their seats. Staff can also collect instant feedback and address any concerns immediately.

• Third-party delivery integrations: For busy quick-service restaurants, integrating with third-party delivery platforms like DoorDash, Grubhub, and UberEats through Toast POS can provide much-needed simplicity and efficiency. By centralizing all incoming orders from multiple providers into one system, Toast eliminates the need for staff to monitor different tablets and manually enter orders. The direct integrations allow orders to flow directly from the third-party apps into the Toast system, treating delivery orders like in-house orders.

• Restaurant loyalty programs: An effective loyalty program is crucial for quick-service restaurants to increase guest frequency and build lasting relationships with customers. Toast Loyalty offers a seamless, integrated rewards program that lets diners earn points simply by swiping their credit card when checking out. There’s no need for extra steps or separate loyalty cards. Restaurant owners can easily customize the program’s accrual rates, redemption options, and bonuses to suit their needs. With Toast’s reporting tools, owners gain valuable insights into their regular diners’ purchase patterns and preferences. For a flat monthly fee, Toast Loyalty provides quick-service restaurants with an intuitive system to reward loyal guests, drive repeat visits, and boost revenue through smarter customer intelligence.

• Toast payroll & team management: Toast POS can be an invaluable tool for quick-service restaurants looking to streamline operations and payroll. With Toast, managers can process payroll for their team in 30 minutes or less, with 32% finishing in under 10 minutes. The system integrates seamlessly with employee timesheets, allowing punches to sync directly to payroll each period. Toast also makes scheduling easier by enabling managers to build schedules efficiently, communicate with staff, and reduce time spent on exhausting weekly scheduling.

Pros

• Intuitive user interface
• Offline transaction support
• Cloud-based menu

Cons

• Hardware easily breaks and/or malfunctions
• Poor quality of hardware

Toast POS costs can vary depending on your specific needs and setup, but here’s a breakdown of the main cost components:

• Quick start bundle: Free for the first month, then $0/month (limited features)
• Core: $69/month
• Growth: $165/month
• Custom plan: Available for larger businesses, price determined upon consultation
• Payment processing fees: 2.49%-3.69% per transaction, depending on whether you purchase hardware upfront or pay monthly.

4. Touchbistro: Best For Graphical Floor Plan Features

Key Features

• Restaurant reservation: An effective reservation system like TouchBistro can be a game-changer for quick-service restaurants looking to maximize table turnover and revenue. By integrating online and walk-in reservations with the point-of-sale system, restaurants can closely monitor upcoming bookings and current capacity. This allows them to prepare ahead of time for expected guests, ensuring prompt seating and service. Personalized reservation notes for regular customers also foster loyalty, while features like waitlist management help restaurants seat walk-ins efficiently during peak periods.

• Floor plan and table management: TouchBistro’s point-of-sale system includes an intuitive table management module to help quick-service restaurants optimize seating capacity and provide better service. The easy-to-use floor plan maker allows staff to design, edit, and update the layout of tables, walls, and sections with just a few clicks. This automated sync with the real-time floor plan ensures seating updates reflect availability. Features like table transfers enable smooth customer flow without losing orders when parties switch tables mid-meal.

• Reporting & analytics: TouchBistro’s robust reporting and analytics tools provide quick-service restaurants with valuable data and insights to optimize operations and the guest experience. The cloud-based POS system offers real-time reports on over 50 KPIs that managers can access remotely anytime. This empowers data-driven decision-making on menu design, promotions, staff scheduling, training, and more. TouchBistro’s user-friendly interface enables easy data sharing with the management team through automatic emails and integration with accounting software.

• Customer-facing display: The Touchbistro customer-facing display (CFD) allows guests to review their orders before sending them to the kitchen, helping quick-service restaurants avoid costly errors, keep lines moving efficiently, and ensure guest satisfaction. The CFD clearly shows menu items, modifiers, and pricing so guests can confirm their order is exactly how they want it. The CFD also serves as an advertising screen highlighting special offers, new menu items, loyalty programs, and social media when not confirming orders. Restaurants can customize the CFD with their own branding, logo, colors, and fonts for a consistent on-brand experience.

• Tableside ordering system: TouchBistro’s offline mode allows quick-service restaurants to continue operating smoothly even when the internet goes down. Servers can still take customer orders, send them to the kitchen display system, and process payments – avoiding frustrated guests and lost revenue. The offline mode syncs everything back up once connectivity is restored.

Pros of Touchbistro POS

• Touchscreen kitchen ticket management
• Server order input
• Robust mobile POS capacities

Cons of Touchbistro POS

• Poor customer service
• Steep learning curve
• Software not intuitive
• A bit expensive compared to other solutions

Pricing

TouchBistro’s monthly pricing starts at $69 for a single POS license. However, the final cost of your TouchBistro setup will depend on several factors, including:

• Setup for multiple users with online ordering: $69/month + $50/month (POS license + online ordering)
• Additional features: TouchBistro offers various add-on features like online ordering, reservations, gift cards, a loyalty program, and marketing tools. Each of these has its own monthly fee, ranging from $229/month for reservations to $99/month for the loyalty program and marketing tools.
• Hardware: While TouchBistro can work with some existing tablets and hardware, their recommended iPad systems and accessories come with an additional cost.

How To Choose The Best POS For Your QSR?

Choosing the best POS for QSR involves considering various factors to ensure it meets the specific needs of your business. Here are some guidelines to help you choose the best POS for your QSR:

• Ease of use

Look for a POS system that is user-friendly and easy for your staff to learn and use quickly. This is crucial in a fast-paced QSR environment where efficiency is key.

• Ordering and menu management

Ensure that the POS system can handle your menu complexity and allows for easy customization of items, modifiers, and combinations. Look for features that facilitate quick order entry and modifications, such as touchscreen capabilities and intuitive interfaces.

• Integration with Kitchen Display Systems (KDS)

Integration with a Kitchen Display System can enhance order accuracy and kitchen efficiency. Choose a POS that seamlessly integrates with KDS for real-time order communication.

• Inventory management

Choose a POS system with robust inventory management features to track stock levels, manage ingredient costs, and automate reordering processes. This helps in preventing stockouts and minimizing waste.

• Payment processing

Ensure that the POS system supports a variety of payment methods, including cash, credit/debit cards, mobile payments, and other emerging payment technologies. This ensures flexibility for your customers.

• Reporting and analytics

Look for a POS system that provides detailed reports on sales, inventory, and other key performance indicators. Analytics tools can help you make informed decisions and optimize your QSR operations.

• Customer support and training

Opt for a POS provider that offers excellent customer support and training resources. Responsive support is crucial for resolving issues quickly and minimizing downtime in a QSR environment.

• Cost Considerations

Compare the total cost of ownership, including hardware, software, and ongoing support fees. Choose a POS system that provides good value for your specific needs and budget.

Best POS System for Quick Service Restaurants: Conclusion

When choosing a POS system for your quick-service restaurant, it’s important to consider your business’s specific needs and priorities.

• KORONA POS is an ideal solution for quick-service restaurants for businesses that need flexible payment processing and less complex menus.
• Toast POS is the best solution for most quick-service restaurants needing more complex menus and advanced restaurant features.
• Lightspeed Restaurant offers strong capabilities for multi-location eateries needing scalability.
• TouchBistro stands out for its graphical floor plan features optimizing table turnover.

KORONA’s customizable POS screen gives owners the flexibility to suit their workflow. If you need a POS system for a bakery or coffee shop with flexible inventory management, and payment processing, KORONA POS is maybe what you’re looking for.