TouchBistro Review
Powers 29k+ restaurants, in 100+ countries
$0 commission online takeout & delivery
Unparalleled dedication to customer success
24/7/365 award-winning customer support
Pros & Cons
- Simple and intuitive
- Constantly updated and improved upon
- All features available right off the bat including analytics & reporting
- Unlimited users
- Award-winning customer support
- Few integrations
- Slightly more expensive than the competition
Plans & Pricing
With TouchBistro, you can build a customized, all-in-one restaurant management system that caters to your venue’s unique needs. With flexible plans and low monthly licensing fees starting at $69 a month, it’s easy to find the plan that’s right for your business.
All software plans include a robust roster of features, including payment processing and integrations, inventory management, staff management, tableside ordering, free and easy product updates, 24/7/365 customer support, to name a few.
Additionally, TouchBistro offers a free trial for everyone looking to try out the software before investing in it. They can run the demo on your iPad, or if you don’t have one, you can always book a live demonstration with the TouchBistro team.
*The pricing is provided in US dollar. In order to see Canadian pricing please refer to Touchbistro’s website.
Loyalty
TouchBistro Loyalty is a customer relationship management (CRM) and engagement platform that helps restaurants maximize customer lifetime value with multiple rewards options and a customer web app with mobile payment options. Turn first-time guests into lucrative regulars, and regulars into promoters with a loyalty solution that helps your restaurant create rewarding experiences for every guest. TouchBistroy Loyalty offers this software starting at $99 per month.
Marketing
TouchBistro Marketing lets you automate custom marketing campaigns and promotions so you can engage the right customers with the right message at the right time. Integrate with TouchBistro’s Loyalty software to create targeted promotions, combining guest data with advanced email marketing for a 360-degree customer engagement solution – all on one platform. TouchBistro offers this product starting at $99 per month.
Reservations
TouchBistro Reservations is the complete reservation and guest management platform that helps restaurants tailor every guest experience while managing operations with ease. Simplify reservations, control capacity, and give every guest the star treatment with TouchBistro Reservations. Reservations start at a higher price of $229 per month.
Gift Cards
TouchBistro Gift Cards lets you create and sell physical and digital cards for single locations and multiple venues with either easy-to-use templates or customized designs. Distribute cards that help build awareness of your restaurant, drive immediate cash flow, and give customers one more reason to return. TouchBistro Gift Cards starts from $25 per month.
Overview
TouchBistro is an all-in-one POS and restaurant management system that makes running a restaurant easier. The company was founded in 2010 by a group of passionate restaurant industry enthusiasts looking to enhance the service industry with groundbreaking technology. As the winner of multiple awards, it’s clear that TouchBistro is keeping true to its original goal.
By pairing innovative restaurant technology with an unparalleled dedication to customer support and success, TouchBistro has powered more than 29,000 restaurants in over 100 countries and is a global leader in changing the way restaurateurs do business.
Features and Functionality
TouchBistro is more than just a mobile payment processing application. It covers nearly every aspect of running a restaurant business from staff to inventory to reporting.
Tableside Ordering
Take and place orders tableside at FSRs and bust lines at QSRs with our mobile POS. You don’t need us to tell you how fast things move in a restaurant. Apparently, the guys from TouchBistro have received the memo as well, because they have specifically designed a set of tableside ordering mechanics to both help your staff fulfill orders faster and upsell margin menu items while doing so. Your staff will see pop-up modifiers of what they can suggest complementing the initial order.
Floor Plan & Table Management
TouchBistro allows you to design a customized restaurant floor plan, take orders by the table, move parties around freely, and manage multiple sections of the restaurant with ease. Customize and edit your floor plan on the go by looking at critical factors like distance between tables, time seated, and spend per table.
Reporting & Analytics
Track sales in real-time and make informed decisions about promotions and menus with the help of reports that show guest spend and behavior. You’ll be able to keep your finger on the pulse of the restaurant regardless of where you are at the moment and gain powerful insights. Check who is doing what, which items are running out of stock, how many guests are there at the moment, etc. all conveniently in the restaurant or on the road with a smartphone.
Menu Management
Increase your average check size and promote high-profit items with a completely customizable menu you can take tableside. TouchBistro’s menu management system is designed specifically for restaurant service staff, with a host of smart features to make your menu ordering, prep, and reporting process a masterpiece. Promote high-profit menu items with a completely customizable menu you can take tableside. Get detailed menu item descriptions, including allergy information or wine pairing suggestions, to tailor your guest experience.
Staff Management
TouchBistro has great functionality for managing the activity of your employees, including the ability to create, edit, and set permissions by staff type, clock in and out, and track paid and unpaid breaks. Staff management helps to schedule decisions and optimize labor costs.
Gift Cards
TouchBistro Gift Cards lets you create and sell physical and digital cards for single locations and
multiple venues with either easy-to-use templates or customized designs. Distribute cards that
help build awareness of your restaurant, drive immediate cash flow, and give customers one
more reason to return.
Hardware Requirements
TouchBistro itself is compatible with any and all iPad models with the exception of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gen devices. Still, you’ll need other hardware to run your business, such as:
- Mac computer: If you have 6 or more iPads, this computer will be the heart of your business, storing the data and managing synchronization between all other devices. You can go for the iMac, Apple Mac Mini, or the Mac Pro.
- Wi-Fi: An AmpliFi HD Mesh Router should do the trick just fine, though any decent router will work as well.
- Printers: You’ll need an Impact printer for the kitchen, and a thermal printer to print receipts in front of the house.
Integrations & Add-ons
TouchBistro is integrated with many of the best-in-class software and payment partners like Chase, Worldpay, MarketMan, 7Shifts, Xero, Quickbooks, and more
As for TouchBistro’s own add-ons, they are:
- Loyalty: This add-on offers a customer relationship management (CRM) and guest engagement platform with personalized marketing and multiple loyalty reward options.
- Online Ordering: Save on hefty commission fees with a proprietary online ordering link on your website, Instagram, or Facebook page. Send orders directly to the TouchBistro POS, offered at no additional cost.
- Reservations: Make the most of your capacity, exceed diner expectations, and apply report insights to drive your bottom line – all for a predictable fixed monthly fee.
- Kitchen Display System: This app is a handy solution for improving the workflow on the kitchen, turning the existing kitchen printer into an insights machine that shares a lot of intel on the orders.
- Contactless Dining: TouchBistro Contactless Dining is a POS-integrated, no-contact ordering solution. Give dine-in
guests peace of mind by letting them view menus, place orders, and pay – all from their own
device.
Ease of Use
Setting everything up for the first time (especially all the hardware) may seem like a challenge, but you will have professional help to assist you every step of the way – from installation to training on the system for you and your staff.
That said, you probably won’t need any professional help with mastering the system as it is pretty straightforward and intuitive.
Customer Support
TouchBistro has won awards for a serveral reasons, with their outstanding support team being one of them. It manages to combine years of restaurant experience with some of the most advanced communications-oriented tech on the market into a 24/7/365 troubleshooting machine.
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Phone Support
Specialists are available via phone days, nights, weekends, and holidays. -
Email
If you don’t have the time to talk to an operator right now, you can easily send an email to TouchBistro’s support desk. -
Video Tutorials
If you'd like to fix a simple issue on your own, there are plenty of videos online for that. -
Community Forum
Purchasing a TouchBistro license grants access to a VIP forum where you can look for advice from like-minded restaurant owners and entrepreneurs.
Final Word
TouchBistro is a popular POS software for a number of reasons. There are 200 features that arrive out of the box with every package. They offer a simple, intuitive interface that actually helps run a restaurant rather than focusing on a single aspect of the process. Lastly, their support team is available 24/7/365 and offer fantastic support when you need it.
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what processors does touch bistro work with? TSYS?
TouchBistro works with a variety of payment processors. You can view the list of processors TouchBistro works with here:
https://www.touchbistro.com/help/video/payment-processors
Thanks,
Alex
What kind of hardware does the system come with?
I’ve never used an iPad before. How easy is the system to learn?
I have a large staff. Will I have to pay extra for each user?