Cake POS Review 2022: Restaurant Features, Pricing, Alternatives

Cake is a cloud-based point-of-sale system for eating places, bars and cafes, each giant and small. For restaurant homeowners searching for a customizable system, it is a stable selection. The corporate carries its personal splash-resistant terminals and sells software program packages that embrace real-time reviews, menu administration, ground administration and a collection of integrations for restaurant accounting and operations. Visitor administration and on-line ordering are thought-about add-ons.

Since a two-year-long contract and activation charge are concerned, restaurant homeowners ought to take their time deciding whether or not Cake POS is correct for them.

• Ground administration: Full-service eating places with a number of seating areas can handle all of them in a single place with custom-made ground plans.

• Menu and order administration: Managers can rapidly add new objects and modifiers to the menu and make worth changes the place wanted. There’s additionally an space for workers to log notes or particular directions that’ll be despatched to the kitchen.

• Worker administration: Cake POS software program comes with timecard administration so staff can clock out and in by the system. Along with serving to eating places observe additional time and breaks, it divides ideas for workers too.

• Reporting: Studies delve into gross sales and labor prices and might be filtered by date, worker, product class, fee kind, order kind or income middle. Eating places can examine these gross sales and labor prices facet by facet and type them by order averages and modifier gross sales as effectively.

• Loyalty program: Prospects log into Cake’s digital punch card loyalty program utilizing their telephone quantity or the app and earn rewards and reductions.

• Primary stock administration: Objects might be marked as 86’d, or out of inventory, and managers can replace inventory counts in order that front-of-house workers is aware of when a selected menu merchandise is restricted. For superior stock administration, Cake integrates with Orca, which prices $109 to $129 per thirty days.

• Different POS capabilities: Entrance-of-house workers can cut up checks by seat and also can cut up the price of shared objects, like appetizers, amongst a number of company. Moreover, Cake gives coaching and certification programs for workers.

• On-line ordering: Cake has an in-house, custom-made on-line ordering choice that absolutely integrates with the POS system and provides prospects the choice to pick out contactless curbside pickup. The platform is customized for every restaurant to match its branding and menu. The corporate’s integration with ItsaCheckmate lets eating places join with third-party supply providers too.

• Visitor administration: Prospects can “get in line” just about and obtain textual content notifications when their tables are prepared. Along with calling the restaurant to make a reservation, company can go to Google Reservations, the restaurant’s web site, cake.internet or an app referred to as The Checklist. If repeat prospects make a reservation, the system will alert the restaurant’s host in order that they may give them a extra customized expertise.

• Cellular POS software program: Cake’s OrderPad app turns iPads into cellular POS stations so front-of-house workers can take orders curbside, tableside or whereas company are ready in line.

• POS station: $1,499 plus a one-time $999 activation charge per location for the 15-inch touchscreen POS terminal, thermal printer, money drawer and fee dice. Eating places can go for a station with a buyer contact show for $1,699. Software program is $69 per thirty days plus $49 per thirty days per further terminal with a two-year contract.

• OrderPad cellular POS: $49 per thirty days for the OrderPad app and assist, plus a $299 activation charge. Eating places should buy an iMag Professional II Cost Reader from Cake for $99. iPads are bought individually.

• Visitor administration add-on: $79 per thirty days for limitless utilization plus $199 due at signing.

• On-line ordering add-on: $49 per thirty days plus 5% of complete gross sales (this price contains the service provider processing charge).

• Cost processing: 3.29% plus 15 cents per American Specific transaction; 2.5% plus 15 cents per different bank card transaction.

Evaluations of Cake generally point out its simplicity and ease of use. That is a serious profit, particularly for eating places hiring a number of new staff who must be taught the system. One function that actually stands out is its menu enhancing performance, which helps you to edit menu objects and pricing on the fly with a couple of clicks.

Since eating places, cafes and bars typically function outdoors of regular working hours, 24/7 customer support is a big plus in case bank cards can’t be processed or staff can’t clock in, for instance. Reviewers say that Cake’s assist, which is obtainable by telephone, textual content, e-mail and chat, is each responsive and useful.

Created particularly for the restaurant trade, Cake’s terminal is absolutely encased in order that it might stand up to spills, mud and crumbs. The screens are additionally flush with their frames so nothing can get caught within the gaps. When it comes to {hardware} sturdiness, the corporate’s system is much like that of Toast, which can also be spill-proof and dust-proof.

Cake’s two-year contract places extra stress on eating places to contemplate whether or not the product is the correct match for them each now and down the highway. For that motive, it is a more sensible choice for eating places which have been open lengthy sufficient to have a full understanding of their POS wants and total trajectory.

Cake has activation charges for its POS terminal and cellular POS answer in addition to a one-time signing charge for its visitor administration add-on. An additional $999 right here and there won’t make an enormous distinction for established eating places, particularly in the event that they know Cake is the correct long-term match for them. Nevertheless, it might make newer eating places which are strapped for money suppose twice.

• Software program pricing: Free and up.

• {Hardware} pricing: $799 for a Sq. Register.

• Cost processing: 2.6% plus 10 cents per in-person transaction; 2.9% plus 30 cents per on-line fee.

• Assist: Monday to Friday 6 a.m. to six p.m. Pacific time for the free plan; 24/7 for paid plans.

Sq. for Eating places is a good choice for newer eating places which are nonetheless getting a really feel for what they need out of a POS system. It has no long-term contracts, doesn’t cost set up charges and gives a free plan for companies that simply want the fundamentals. Like Cake, it integrates with a third-party answer for superior stock administration as a substitute of providing it in-house. Whereas its loyalty program is taken into account an add-on, beginning at $45 per thirty days, eating places can create a free on-line ordering web page for pickup, supply and contactless in-person eating. If eating places desire a customized area and customized font for his or her on-line ordering web page, they’ll subscribe to Sq. On-line’s Skilled plan for $12 per thirty days.

• Software program pricing: $59 per thirty days and up plus $40 to $60 per further terminal.

• {Hardware} pricing: $1,350 for a POS terminal with a monitor and card reader.

• Cost processing: Quote-based.

• Assist: 24/7 telephone and e-mail assist.