Eye On Restaurant POS: New Tech From Toast, Squirrel System, Revel Systems, And Tray

As restaurants bounce back from the major blow delivered at the outset of the Covid 19 pandemic, restaurant point-of-sale technology has become a competitive advantage. The trend is evidenced by new applications from several restaurant POS technology providers, announced over the weekend, along with deals they are cutting with third-party providers and restaurants themselves.

POS system provider Toast Inc. on Monday announced enhancements to its mobile-ordering, payments, and digital-menu solutions. Enhancements include allowing servers and customers to start and add to an order through a mobile device and restaurants to create customized digital menus by service area, such as the patio, takeout window, and full-table service. In addition, Toast Digital Menus and Mobile Payments are now included in Toast’s platform at for free.

Mobile POS solutions are taking on greater importance in the restaurant industry as a majority of consumers are likely to view a menu or order a meal through a mobile device, according to the National Restaurant Association’s State of the Restaurant Industry 2022 report.

Toast says its enhanced mobile solution will help restaurants increase revenue and tips. In addition, the enhancements are said to create operating efficiencies by simplifying checkout for customers and staff, allowing for card pre-authorization and enabling customers and staff to start or add to an order using a mobile device. 

Restaurants will also be able to use Toast’s mobile solution to collect data on each transaction that can be used for marketing and loyalty promotions and prompt consumers to join their loyalty program at checkout. Toast customers generate up to $2,800 in sales per campaign with email marketing and increase loyalty signups by 25% with mobile payments, the company says. 

Squirrel Systems, a Vancouver-based technology provider to the hospitality industry, released its Full-Service Restaurant, the latest version of its Squirrel Cloud POS platform. The Full-Service Restaurant edition includes such features as transfers across servers, tables, and departments, sharing of items and split payments. Coursing options, which enable restaurants to preconfigure appetizers, drinks, entrees, soup, salad, and desserts into their own timed part of the meal experience, allow servers to automatically or manually pace the meal. 

Squirrel developed the Full-Service Edition based on feedback from independent restaurants participating in the Squirrel Cloud Early Access program during 2021 and 2022. 

“Our team has been working closely with Squirrel to create a Cloud Point-of-Sale for the type of fine-dining restaurants we operate,” Michael Lubitz, chief financial officer at Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining, a long-time Squirrel client, says in a prepared statement. “We are looking forward to seeing our restaurants run on a modern, cloud-based point-of-sale platform built for enterprise-restaurant customers.”

Restaurant POS providers are striking deals with third-party partners that enhance their solutions. Revel Systems, for example, is integrating DoorDash Inc.’s white-label fulfillment platform into its Online Ordering XT solution. The integration will allow Revel customers to offer delivery service without having to manage and operate a fleet of drivers.

Revel announced late last week its Revel Loyalty XT service to enable restaurants to offer an in-house loyalty program. “It’s common knowledge that the cost to acquire new customers far exceeds the cost to retain them, which is why loyalty programs designed to reward recurring guests and entice return business is a big deal for merchants,” said Chris Lybeer, Revel chief strategy officer.

Meanwhile, Tray, a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based provider of POS and restaurant management systems, announced Monday a multiyear partnership with IHOP restaurants in the United States. The deal calls for IHOP to upgrade its current POS system to Tray’s system to leverage more efficient training.