Pizza is one of the most popular types of food in the United States. Research data from IBISWorld shows that pizza restaurant sales in the United States are expected to reach over $50 billion in 2024, with almost 75,000 pizza restaurants open in the US.
If you run a pizza restaurant or you are looking at opening one, you’ll need your business to run as smoothly as possible to ensure you can get access to a slice of that revenue. One of the ways to achieve this is by choosing a good POS system for your pizza restaurant.
Selecting a good POS system can be challenging, and it’s advisable that you do your research beforehand. The best system for your pizza shop will offer customers sufficient customization, support for online delivery, loyalty programs, and special offers to keep them loyal.
This blog post will compare the best pizza shop POS systems in 2023 in terms of features and pricing.
How does a pizza shop POS system differ from a regular POS system?
Traditional restaurant POS requirements typically differ from pizza restaurants in the following important ways:
1. Customizable menu
Unlike most traditional restaurants, pizza restaurants offer customizable menus according to the customer’s pizza order. A person’s favorite pizza order is a very personal thing; therefore, successful pizza shops need to be flexible and help their customers recreate their favorite pizzas with options to add or remove toppings.
2. Online ordering and delivery
Many pizza restaurants offer online ordering and delivery options to their customers. This is a very important service in this business. According to a 2023 report by Statista, consumer spending on pizza deliveries in the U.S. reached $17.3 billion in 2022, and online orders made up 90% of all Domino’s Pizza sales in the UK in the same year. It is clear that mobile ordering has become quite popular among pizza shops, so your chosen POS system needs to factor in this demand.
3. Loyalty program offers and coupons
The pizza restaurant industry is a competitive space. To stay ahead of the competition, pizza shops often offer loyalty programs, special offers, or coupons to boost customer loyalty and retain current business while enticing new customers.
What makes a good pizza shop POS system?
Bearing in mind the key differences between a pizza restaurant and a traditional restaurant, there are some key features that make a good pizza shop POS system. Here are some things to consider:
1. Built-in customization options
Pizza restaurants can expect a lot of variation in the orders they receive. Therefore, a good pizza shop POS system should support complex products with many options for customers to make changes to their orders. When ordering, customers will want to select a pizza size, choose a preferred crust, and remove or add toppings to create their own pizza from scratch. Your chosen POS system should support the option to adjust your menu items in order to allow your customers to build custom orders.
To take your restaurant to the next level, the best POS system for your pizza shop will also have built-in systems that allow self-service checkouts where customers can order themselves, all while customizing their own toppings.
2. Robust inventory management capabilities
A good POS system needs to also feature a good inventory management software to track all your inventory levels between your orders, whether online or in-person, to ensure that the stock levels are accurate. Your system gets bonus points if it has inventory reporting and analytics capabilities to help you track the most popular toppings and make informed stocking decisions.
3. Online orders and delivery
A high percentage of pizza orders are made online for delivery and in-person pick-up or collection. A good pizza shop POS system should integrate with your online ordering system, whether you handle your online orders through your own website or use a hosted platform like DoorDash or Uber Eats. This gives you the flexibility to offer takeout or delivery options alongside table service without the need to juggle separate systems.
4. Support loyalty programs and discounts
To stand out among other pizza restaurants, you need to offer incentives such as discounts, loyalty programs, and coupons. To help with this, you need a pizza shop POS system that supports these kinds of incentives. Additionally, it should have capabilities that allow tipping at checkout because this is a requirement in many countries and cultures.
The best POS systems for your pizza shop in 2024
Every pizza shop has varied needs, and using the above criteria, we’ve researched and compiled a list of the six best POS systems for pizza shops in 2024 based on their functionalities, scalability, and affordability:
- Jovvie: Best overall
- Toast: Best for new pizza shops
- Revel: Best for scaling
- Touch Bistro: Best for single-site pizza shops
- Square: Best for multi-channel pizza sales
- Lightspeed POS: Best for fast-paced pizza shops
Here are the main features of every option, the disadvantages, and the costs.
1. Best overall: Jovvie
Jovvie is a POS system used in restaurants and retail businesses. If you run a business online and in-person, this WooCommerce POS system will be a perfect fit. This POS system is ideal for pizza shops owing to the high number of online orders that are typical for this industry.
Jovvie natively integrates with WooCommerce, making the system almost infinitely extendable; users can access multiple WooCommerce integrations and extensions that help add extra functionality. When a pizza shop uses Jovvie, this functionality is extended to in-person sales, too. Apart from this integration, Jovvie also comes with a wide range of features that make it an ideal choice for a pizza shop POS system.
Features include:
- Omnichannel inventory management: This helps in inventory synchronization between online and in-person sales as well as multiple pizza shops, ensuring accurate tracking and record of stock levels to prevent stock-outs and fulfillment errors.
- Complex product handling: It easily manages complex product types in both online and in-store orders and instantly loads them into the inventory, including customizable pizza orders. Combining Jovvie with Product Manager Add-ons from BizSwoop makes order customization more streamlined and extensive. It offers flexible customization for orders, including toppings and crust types.
- Multiple integrations: It is easy to add integrations via other plugins from the BizSwoop ecosystem that will further streamline your pizza restaurant’s fulfillment process. These integrations support order-status notifications (Flow Notify), automatic order receipt printing (BizPrint), and scheduled order pick-ups and delivery (Pickup Delivery Scheduler).
- Coupons and tips: This enables the creation of coupons and discounts and supports tipping directly from the POS interface as well as on your website (with Product Manager Add-ons).
- Scalability: It supports unlimited registers, locations, and cashiers, ideal for any business size without the need for expensive POS hardware.
Pros
- Support for essential POS features: In addition to the features mentioned above, Jovvie supports critical POS features like printable receipts and invoices when integrated with BizPrint, and barcode scanning. These features are supported through built-in functionalities as well as add-ons, making Jovvie a versatile choice for various online and retail needs.
- Versatility and integration: Jovvie integrates seamlessly with WooCommerce, offering a wide range of extensions and integrations that enhance functionality, particularly for pizza shops looking for customization and efficiency in their order management system.
- Highly rated: Jovvie has a strong overall rating on the WordPress repository, with 4.5 stars and a majority of users giving it high marks for its functionality and ease of use.
Cons
- Internet-dependent: The Jovvie POS system depends on Internet connectivity to successfully process transactions, which is not a big disadvantage in a regular restaurant setting. However, it could be a drawback in areas with low internet connectivity or during unsuspecting internet outages.
- Additional features: Some additional features in the POS are only available through add-ons.
Pricing
On top of its versatile functionality, Jovvie is also one of the most reasonably priced pizza restaurant POS solutions available. The software starts at $39 per month, and it even offers a 30-day free trial.
2. Best for new pizza shops: Toast
Toast POS is a web-based solution designed for restaurants. It can be used as a pizza restaurant POS because it has a wide range of built-in features that are ideal for these types of businesses.
Features include:
- Analytics and reporting: It offers built-in analytics reporting capabilities, helping businesses track sales, inventory, and customer data to make informed decisions.
- Customization options: The system allows for easy menu customization, including the addition of toppings and adjustments of pizza sizes, with automatic pricing updates.
- User-friendly interface: It features an easy-to-use POS screen designed specifically for pizzerias to expedite the ordering process.
- Integrated order management: The POS comes with a dedicated orders hub for managing takeout and delivery, ensuring efficient order processing.
Pros
- Beginner-friendly: Toast offers an easy-to-use interface and is a good choice for up-and-coming pizza shops that are new to the market due to its beginner-friendly features.
- Payment flexibility: It supports a pay-as-you-go payment plan, making it accessible for smaller restaurants to adopt and use.
Cons
- Cost of scaling: Although Toast starts with an affordable plan, it can quickly become costly for restaurant owners looking to scale up their businesses or add options for online ordering and delivery.
- No discount/tipping support: Toast does not support gift cards and tipping in any of its standard plans. To add this functionality, you’ll require a custom add-on.
- Less flexibility in integrations: Toast is also a closed system; therefore, if your restaurant has particular needs, you cannot develop new features or find extra plugins in the marketplace.
Pricing
Toast’s POS plan starts at $69 a month. This plan is suited to small or new pizza shops and includes the basic ordering functionalities (this does not include online ordering, delivery, etc.). Toast also offers a customized plan based on varied entrepreneurial needs, the pricing of which will depend on the functionalities that you choose.
3. Best for scaling: Revel
Revel is an iPad POS system designed to be more scalable than the other alternatives, with pricing calculated on a per-terminal basis. Revel supports both online and in-person sales and has a number of features that makes it a competitive choice for a pizza POS system.
Features include:
- Inventory management: Revel’s built-in inventory management system helps monitor stock levels in real-time.
- Delivery management: With an optional delivery management add-on, Revel can help streamline the delivery process for pizza restaurants.
- Gift card support: The system allows pizza shops to accept gift cards through Revel Advantage.
- Menu customization: Revel offers easy menu customization, with the flexibility to adjust menu items for one or multiple locations.
Pros
- Scalability: Easily scalable by adding more iPads instead of investing in expensive dedicated POS hardware, making it suitable for expanding businesses.
- Comprehensive features: Includes a range of features beyond basic POS functions, such as inventory and delivery management.
Cons
- Higher Cost: Revel’s per-terminal pricing model can become expensive, especially for businesses needing multiple terminals. Also, many important features, including online ordering, are only available if you pay for the premium versions of the POS system
- Complexity: With its wide range of features, there might be a steeper learning curve for new users.
Pricing
Revel’s pricing starts at $99 per terminal per month, emphasizing its suitability for pizza shops with multiple locations or requiring flexibility in scaling its restaurant business.
4. Best for single-site pizza shops: TouchBistro
If you are looking for an easy-to-use pizza shop POS, TouchBistro is a good choice. Like Revel, it’s an iPad POS, though it differs from the other POS solutions on this list in how it is locally installed. All of your restaurant data is stored on your local iPad or Apple Mac server rather than in the cloud. Because of this, TouchBistro is ideal if you have a smaller, single-location pizza restaurant.
Features include:
- Integrated Table Management: It features additional functionality for menu management, seating and table management, and transferring orders to the kitchen, which makes your in-house service seamless.
- Online Store Integration: It can be integrated with your online store via Deliverect, which starts at $50 per month.
- Customization: It supports easy customization options in the menu for ordering.
- Loyalty program: Features a dedicated loyalty program available as an add-on, with the pricing starting from $25 per month. This also doubles as a CRM platform.
Pros
- User-Friendly: Revel is known for its easy-to-use interface, designed especially for restaurants and making it intuitive for staff to use.
- Customer Support: Revel offers all-round customer support via multiple communication channels.
Cons
- Additional Costs for Add-Ons: To access the same level of functionality as other POS systems, additional add-ons may be required to purchase, which can increase overall costs.
- Limited to iOS: This POS only operates on iPad and Apple Mac, potentially limiting for businesses without existing Apple infrastructure.
Pricing
The pricing for TouchBistro starts at $69 per month per license, making it a viable option for small to medium-sized pizza restaurants.
5. Best for multi-channel pizza sales: Square
Square POS is a cloud-based solution that comes as a free extension of the popular Square payment gateway. Thanks to this easy integration, Square POS is a good option for pizza restaurants looking to target online orders as well as in-person sales.
Features include:
- Multiple integrations: Square integrates with WooCommerce and other major eCommerce platforms such as Adobe Commerce (previously known as Magento), Wix, and BigCommerce.
- Inventory and Sales Reports: Square POS offers built-in tools for tracking inventory, which is useful for keeping track of various ingredients in pizza restaurants and generating detailed sales reports.
- Faster order entry interface: It has an easier interface for order entry and an option for taking orders via QR code scanning. These can help the floor staff take orders faster and consequently deliver them quicker.
Pros
- Easy integrations: Easily integrate with popular restaurant industry software, including pizza-specific online ordering and delivery software like Slice and popular built-in analytics, reporting, and inventory management software.
- Fewer costs: The POS software has no up-front or recurring costs and is free to use. To start selling, you just need a Square account and a compatible device. You’ll also need one of Square’s card readers to accept debit cards, credit cards, and contactless payments.
- Compatible devices: Square supports multiple devices, such as iPhone, iPad, and Android devices, as well as laptops and PCs, making it cost-effective to integrate into existing hardware.
Cons
- Limited menu customization: Square is not built specifically as a pizza restaurant POS, and this shows in its limited menu customization options.
- Limited features: Features like loyalty cards are gated behind paid plans.
Pricing
The Square POS software is free, with payment processing fees applicable per order based on transaction volume. This model allows for scalable growth with minimal upfront investment.
6. Best for fast-paced pizza shops: Lightspeed POS
Lightspeed POS is known for its robust features and flexible pricing. With its comprehensive suite of features, it’s designed to streamline operations, enhance customer service, and boost sales for pizza shops based on their requirements.
Features include:
- Analytics and reporting: Lightspeed offers analytics and reporting tools, enabling pizza restaurants to gain sales, inventory, and customer ordering behavior insights.
- Menu management: It provides extensive menu customization capabilities, which is essential for pizza shops.
- Multi-platform order management: Its features include robust tools for handling dine-in, takeout, and delivery orders, all from a single platform.
Pros
- User-friendly interface: The system provides an easy-to-use interface, making it easy for staff to navigate and manage orders efficiently.
- Tracking inventory: It helps track inventory for specific ingredients to optimize for stock-level management.
- Integration options: It supports a wide range of third-party integrations, including accounting software and online ordering platforms.
Cons
- Limited devices: Lightspeed is compatible only with iOS devices.
- Monthly payment-processing fee: Restaurants that use a payment processor other than Lightspeed Payments will be charged an additional monthly processing fee, potentially increasing overall costs.
Pricing
The monthly pricing plan for Lightspeed starts at $69 for the Starter plan, which includes basic functionalities. The level of functionalities offered increases across two more preset plans: $189 for the Essential plan and $399 for the Premium plan. There is also an option for an Enterprise plan for customized business needs that don’t fit into the existing ones.
Methodology: How we evaluated the list
Our methodology for researching the content for this blog involved a comprehensive analysis using a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods to inform the recommendations and ensure a thorough understanding and comparison of each POS system suitable for pizza shops. Here’s how we did it:
- Researching product websites and pages: We delved deep into the official websites and specific product pages of all POS systems to gather detailed insights on each feature offered by the POS systems.
- Customer reviews: The pros and cons of each POS system were evaluated based on customer reviews on the internet, providing real-world insights into the functionality, performance, and user satisfaction of the features offered by each POS system.
- Pricing page analysis: We reviewed the pricing pages of each POS system to compile and compare the various pricing costs and tiers available, ensuring our readers have clarity in the affordability of each POS system with respect to their specific needs.
- Unique Selling Proposition (USP) analysis: Based on the overall analysis of product pages, reviews, and use cases through client testimonials (if available), we identified each POS system’s USP to determine what it can be ‘best’ used for, tailored to meet different requirements specific to pizza shops.
This multi-faceted approach ensures our blog readers receive a well-rounded perspective on choosing the right POS system for their pizza shop’s unique needs.
Take your pizza shop to the next level with Jovvie
A good pizza POS system should have built-in customization options, robust inventory management capabilities, support for loyalty cards and coupons, and online order and delivery functionality. Ensure that the POS system you choose for your restaurant, whether you are a small business or have a chain of locations, has these features.
Of all the POS systems, Jovvie is the best option for your pizza restaurant. It has all the features you could need in a pizza shop POS system:
- Powerful support for both online and in-person sales
- Seamless inventory synchronization
- Support for complex products and add-ons
- Supports for tips, coupons, and more
Additionally, Jovvie easily integrates with plugins from BizSwoop, such as BizPrint, Flow Notify, Product Manager Add-ons, and Pickup Delivery Scheduler. You can take advantage of the added functionalities from these plugins to streamline your pizza restaurant operations.
Jovvie is great for businesses of any size and easy to scale owing to no expensive hardware requirements and support for unlimited locations at no extra cost. If you are looking for a POS system for your pizza shop, give Jovvie a try with a 30-day free trial.
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