RESULTS AT A GLANCE
- $10 increase in average check size
- 2x increase in online orders
- 1 hour/day: Time servers save managing online orders
- Accelerated growth and became profitable again
THE CHALLENGE
Brunch destination Monica’s Livermore was running on Toast POS, but the system kept crashing, which was costing the restaurant tens of thousands of dollars. The restaurant needed a new POS system that was reliable, and easy for both managers and servers to use.
THE SOLUTION
With a reliable new POS from TouchBistro, service can continue at Monica’s Livermore no matter what. The POS system is highly customizable, which is crucial for brunch: a meal when customers want their eggs cooked a certain way and their sides prepared just right. With a dependable, personalized POS, Monica’s Livermore reversed course and became profitable after other POS systems had run the restaurant into the red.
THE STORY
California wine country hotspot Monica’s Livermore creates craveable brunch and lunch dishes using some of the best local produce from its lush vineyard neighbors.
“We specialize in collecting all of your favorite breakfast and lunch foods and creating a farm-to-table experience here,” says General Manager Tiffany Bonner, whose father started the restaurant in 2016.
The menu is known for decadent savory and sweet options like Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, Big A$$ French Toast, and the Bacon Waffle, which keep customers coming back for more.
Why Monica’s Livermore Chose TouchBistro When Looking for Toast POS Alternatives
Unfortunately, issues with the Toast POS prevented Monica’s Livermore from profiting off menu items like its famous Big A$$ French Toast, sending General Manager Tiffany Bonner off on a quest for Toast POS alternatives.
“The system was crashing, which cost us tens of thousands of dollars because we were unable to take anyone’s payments. We had to just send people home or they would eat and we would have to just eat the whole cost on the table,” Tiffany says.
Toast’s absent customer service team made the problem even more frustrating.
“The biggest Toast POS issue, aside from losing that massive amount of money, was that I didn’t have anybody to contact,” Tiffany says.
The last straw was Toast’s inadequate reporting, which made it difficult for Tiffany to make data-driven business decisions. So, Monica’s looked for companies similar to Toast and migrated to Square, but that system also created major obstacles.
“We were unfortunately losing money on smaller things. My servers were incredibly unhappy with Square. It was very difficult for them to do any kind of upselling or customization, which is what we pride ourselves on here, which led me to check out another option,” Tiffany says.
In Tiffany’s search for a better Square and Toast POS alternative, she found TouchBistro.
Why TouchBistro is a Superior Toast POS Alternative
Toast POS competitor TouchBistro POS offered Monica’s excellent customer service, unparalleled reliability and reporting, and an intuitive interface.
“TouchBistro’s onboarding team is the reason I was able to get my restaurant up and running so quickly. I was able to pick up my phone and call or text with next to no wait time. And, I was able to get the information that I actually needed, rather than just getting a bunch of generalized, ‘turn it back on and back off again,’ instructions,” Tiffany says.
And with TouchBistro, Monica’s no longer has to worry about its POS crashing during peak brunch time. Because the system works offline, the restaurant can continue to take orders and payments even if the internet goes down. Thanks to this reliability, the restaurant is profitable for the first time since they switched from Toast and Square.
In part, easy access to robust, customizable reports has contributed to the restaurant’s financial success. With quick and easy access to the right data from this Toast POS competitor, Tiffany has been able to reach crucial business decisions much faster.
“I’m able to go into TouchBistro and say, ‘I want this report emailed to me every day and I want it to include server stats and voids.’ I don’t have to run through a whole Excel sheet for no reason,” she says.
TouchBistro hasn’t just been a treat for managers; the POS system has also made it easier for servers to do their jobs.
Server Arianna Norte says that when it comes to TouchBistro vs Toast,“ TouchBistro is a lot simpler for me to use. It’s a lot more organized, which makes it easier to find menu items and makes it very quick for me to get an order in at a table.”
TouchBistro vs. Square: More Customizations & Upselling for Monica’s Livermore
Before finding TouchBistro, Monica’s first used Square as a Toast alternative. With Square, the restaurant was losing money on small things, like not being able to upsell or tailor orders. Fortunately, TouchBistro’s highly customizable POS system has made giving customers exactly what they want incredibly easy.
“Customization is especially important for us when you have a dish that requires a selection of eggs, a selection of meat, and a selection of a side, as well as a selection of toast. There are a lot of different options and TouchBistro’s ability to customize has been priceless,” Tiffany says.
Thanks to the flexibility of this POS, Monica’s has been able to upsell more and boost average check sizes. When servers told Tiffany they needed a button for upselling Bloody Marys, she was able to add it to the POS in just 30 seconds.
“TouchBistro has been so willing and able to give me everything that I need to make sure that my staff succeeds. So that I can give my staff what they need,” Tiffany says.
When TouchBistro vs Square go head to head, TouchBistro comes out on top.
TouchBistro POS: The Key to Higher Profits, Happier Staff & Customers, and Improved Efficiency
After switching to TouchBistro as Square and Toast POS alternatives, Monica’s has been able to run profitably once again, wow staff and customers, and save time and money. Here’s how.
Back to Black
After being in the red for a while, Monica’s is now back in the black.
“TouchBistro has absolutely helped us to make our restaurant profitable again,” Tiffany says.
A number of factors have contributed to the restaurant’s profitability. First, TouchBistro
POS has made upselling easier and more effective for staff.
“Since switching to TouchBistro, the servers’ ability to upsell and raise the price of every table has increased by almost $10 for every single sale, which is amazing,” Tiffany says.
Offering direct online ordering through Monica’s website has also helped the restaurant cut out the middleman (and commission fees) and significantly boost sales.
“Since we started using TouchBistro Online Ordering, we have nearly doubled our to-go orders,” Tiffany says.
Because TouchBistro Online Ordering integrates directly with TouchBistro POS, servers don’t have to stop what they’re doing to manually input incoming orders.
“Having a direct line from our online ordering to the kitchen saves my servers approximately an hour every day. TouchBistro Online Ordering doesn’t pull them away from service. So that cuts out the middleman, essentially allowing us to get a lot more orders and use a lot less labor,” Tiffany says.
A new gift card revenue stream has also helped Monica’s become profitable. With TouchBistro Gift Cards, the restaurant can offer both physical and digital gift certificates.
“Some of my guests move out of state, but they still want to be able to purchase a gift card for a friend who lives in town. So oftentimes guests will buy a gift card online and email it to their friend,” Tiffany says.
Happy Staff & Customers
The last thing hungry customers want after they’ve been waiting for a table at Monica’s during the brunch rush is to have to wait to place an order. TouchBistro POS makes it easy for servers like Arianna to place orders at supersonic speeds, so customers can get their omelets and pancakes ASAP.
“I think for a table of five I could probably get an order in within three or four minutes. That’s pretty quick,” Arianna says.
And, instead of providing each table with one bill and making customers spend an hour figuring out how much they owe each other on Venmo, servers can easily split the bill thanks to TouchBistro’s patented bill splitting technology.
“My favorite feature about TouchBistro has been splitting checks and using the seating arrangements to organize them. All that makes it very quick for me,” Arianna says.
More Time & Money, Fewer Problems
Equipped with TouchBistro POS, Monica’s has been able to improve efficiency. Thanks to the POS system’s customization options, orders are automatically routed to the right stations in the kitchen, which saves staff time.
“One of the best things about using TouchBistro is the ability to send everything where it needs to go. My bar gets only my bar drinks. My fry cook only sees what should be in the fryer. That makes it so much easier for everybody to get exactly what they need and to be able to do their jobs perfectly,” Tiffany says.
Because TouchBistro lets servers input orders exactly how customers ask for them, Monica’s has made fewer mistakes and saved a lot of money.
“TouchBistro has made it much easier for my servers to input information really precisely in a way that my kitchen can see and doesn’t have any confusion about. Since switching over to TouchBistro, the amount of discounts and comps that we have to do for small issues has gone down dramatically,” Tiffany says.
After frustrating Square and Toast POS issues, Monica’s has finally found a POS system that supports profitability, delights customers, and streamlines operations. Now the brunch spot has its sights set on business expansion.
“Now that we’ve dialed in with TouchBistro and we have the right software and the right hardware, we’re ready to expand and take on more,” Tiffany says.
After the restaurant finds the right location for its next venue, Monica’s will be able to continue using TouchBistro to delight more hungry brunch enthusiasts with its farm-to-table delicacies.
Katherine is the Content Marketing Manager at TouchBistro, where she writes about trending topics in food and restaurants. The opposite of a picky eater, she’ll try (almost) anything at least once. Whether it’s chowing down on camel burgers in Morocco or snacking on octopus dumplings in Japan, she’s always up for new food experiences.
The right POS should help you increase sales
The right POS should help you increase sales.
