What’s the Best Coffee Shop POS?

Did you know that the number of cashless coffee shops has been on the rise since the start of the pandemic? Nowadays, about 26% of coffee shops are cashless compared to just 2% before the pandemic started.

Simply put, it’s necessary to digitally manage payment processing and order tracking. Hopefully, as the owner of a coffee shop, you know that a point of sale (POS) system is essential for managing your business. 

But with so many different options available, it can be hard to decide which one is right for you. In this guide, we’ll outline the pros and cons of some of the most popular coffee shop POS systems on the market. 

By the end of it, you should have a better idea of which system is right for your business. Let’s get started!

What is POS Software?

A POS, or point of sale system, is a crucial part of any business that sells products or services. It’s the place where customers make their purchases, so it’s important to have a POS that is efficient and easy to use. 

How does it work? Most POS software programs are designed to work with specific types of hardware, such as barcode scanners and receipt printers. 

POS software typically includes features such as inventory management, customer tracking, and sales reporting. In many cases, POS software can also be integrated with other business applications, such as accounting software or CRM software. 

Why a Good POS Matters

A good POS can help to streamline the checkout process and make it more efficient. It can also provide valuable data about customers and their buying habits. In addition, a good POS can help to create a more enjoyable shopping experience for customers. 

By making the purchasing process more efficient and user-friendly, businesses can increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. Don’t think that matters to you as a cafe owner? Think again!

Studies show that customer loyalty and customer service are crucial in service-based food industries such as the coffee shop industry. Investing in a good cafe POS and other software that can help increase loyalty can help you:

• Increase profit margins
• Enjoy sustainable growth
• Access to key customer data

As a result, investing in a good POS system is an important part of running a successful business, don’t you think?

Features of a Coffee Shop POS To Look For

Not sure how to choose a POS for your coffee shop?

The best coffee shop POS software in 2022 will be one that is easy to use, has a variety of features, and is affordable. This software should also be able to integrate with other programs, such as accounting and inventory management software.

Ultimately, what you’re looking for is a POS that will make it easy for customers to order and pay for their coffee. It will also provide you with the tools they need to manage your business effectively. 

In addition, the best coffee shop POS software will be cloud-based, so it can be accessed from any device with an internet connection. Let’s break down some of the top features to look for.

Payment Processing

Payment processing is one of the most important features of a coffee shop POS. After all, what good is a POS if it can’t process payments? Look for a POS that accepts all major credit cards, as well as mobile payments like Apple Pay and Google Pay. 

The POS should also be ideally able to process gift cards and loyalty programs. In addition, you’ll want to make sure that the POS has built-in fraud protection measures to keep your customers’ information safe.

Order Taking

Order taking is one of the most important features of a coffee shop POS. 

You might be used to writing your customers’ orders on their cups and passing that cold-pressed espresso down the line to the barista. However, when things get busy that can get confusing.

Order taking refers to the process of receiving and processing customer orders. A good coffee shop POS should be able to take orders quickly and accurately. Then it can print a ticket that everybody can see and access.

Order taking also includes features such as order management, order tracking, and order history. Order management allows coffee shop owners to track and manage customer orders. 

This might not be helpful in day-to-day operations, but order history helps coffee shop owners to view past customer orders. This can help you create loyalty programs but mostly it can help you see which of your coffee recipes and drinks are the biggest hits!

Receipt Printing

Receipt printing is one of the most important features to look for in a coffee shop POS system. When customers make a purchase, they will want to receive a printed receipt so they can keep track of their spending. 

The POS system you choose should be able to print receipts quickly and easily so that customers are not kept waiting. Receipt printing also helps you keep track of sales and inventory, as well as providing a record for customers in case they need to return an item. 

Inventory Management

Any good coffee shop POS system is going to help you keep track of your inventory and sales. This is important for two reasons. 

First, it allows you to see which items are selling well and which ones need to be discounted or removed from the menu. Second, it helps you keep track of your stock levels so that you can order more coffee beans, any food items, milk items, or cups before you run out. 

Inventory management is, therefore, a key feature to look for in any coffee shop POS system.

Customer Tracking

Customer tracking is one of the most essential features of a coffee shop POS. By being able to track customer orders, you can quickly and easily identify your best customers and your most popular menu items. 

This information can be used to tailor your marketing efforts and improve your overall business strategy. In addition, customer tracking can also help you resolve any issues that may arise, such as long wait times or incorrect orders. 

By having a complete record of each customer’s order history, you can quickly identify and rectify any problems that may occur. 

Compatibility

Any good coffee shop POS will be compatible with the devices you already have in your store. There’s no need to go out and buy new hardware just to run your POS – it should work with the devices you already have. 

That means it should be compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux-based computers, as well as iOS and Android devices. Compatibility is important because it allows you to keep using the devices you’re already familiar with, and it makes training new employees easier.

The Best Coffee Shop POS Software in 2022

What are some of the existing cafe points of sales systems that check all of the boxes mentioned above? Here are three that are consistently ranked at the top.

TouchBistro

The TouchBistro POS system is a cloud-based point of sale system designed specifically for restaurants and cafes. Their impressive and well-ranked system includes features such as order taking, table management, and payment processing. 

The system also offers reporting and analytics tools to help restaurant owners track their sales and performance. 

Best of all, however, for new coffee shop owners, the TouchBistro POS system is easy to use and offers a variety of features that can benefit any restaurant.

Toast

The ToastPOS system is a cloud-based point of sale system that helps restaurants streamline their operations. The system includes features such as order management, table management, issue tracking, and payment processing. 

Additionally, the Toast POS system integrates with third-party applications such as accounting software and loyalty programs. This allows restaurants to manage all of their operations from one central platform. 

Toast’s support is notably not great, however you can add on platforms like Incentivio if you want to grow it out in the future.

Online solutions from Toast usually are best for businesses that have their website built on their own, then have an ‘Online Ordering’ link in their menu that points people to their Toast online ordering page.

All in all, the Toast POS system is a comprehensive solution that helps coffee shop owners increase efficiency and optimize their operations.

Square

And finally, we have Square, a very well-known POS system that isn’t specific to coffee shops but works great with them.

The Square POS system for cafes is a great way to keep track of your inventory and sales. With its built-in barcode scanner, you can quickly and easily scan items as they are sold. 

The system also gives you the ability to track your sales data over time, so you can see which items are selling well and adjust your prices accordingly. 

For the online side. You have a couple options. You can create an online ordering site similar to Toast, or you can build a website off of a Square account that integrates the online ordering aspect (minus 3rd party delivery). Square now owns the Weebly website building platform, and that’s what the sites would be built on. So if you’re without a website, this could be something that swings you over there.

Additionally, the Square POS system offers a number of other features that can be helpful for cafe owners, such as the ability to accept credit cards and gift cards, print receipts, and track employee hours.

Stay Up to Date on Coffee Industry Trends

If you’re a coffee shop owner looking for recommendations on how to choose the best coffee shop POS system then we hope this guide has been helpful! However, to be successful as a cafe owner, you’ll need to ensure you’re staying up to date on industry trends outside of coffee shop POS software.

At Velvet Sunrise, we are more than a coffee roaster. We want to ensure that coffee shops, café’s, and restaurants are able to succeed with their coffee programs. In turn making wise business decisions. Our goal is to provide great coffee, and help you make those wise decisions along the way.

When you’re good with your POS choice, you’ll want to help your Barista’s with additional training. That’s why we’re giving away 3 Free On-Site Barista Training sessions every month. Click here to enter!