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The Ultimate Guideto the Best LegacyPOS Systems forRestaurants

The Ultimate Guideto the Best Legacy POS Systems for RestaurantsIf you’re shoppingfor a new restaurantPOS system, you’re inluck because there aremore options availablethan ever before.2

But before you can find the rightTo help you cut through the noise and makeprovider, you’ve got to decide whethershopping for a new POS a little less painful,you’re looking for a legacy POSwe’ve put together an ultimate guide to thesystem or a modern POS system.best legacy POS systems for restaurants.With in-depth reviews of all the top legacyA legacy POS – sometimes referred toPOS providers, this guide will help youas an on-site POS – is made up ofnarrow down the best restaurant POS forhardware and software installed on-siteyour specific business. This guide alsoin the restaurant. With a traditionalincludes a review of one of the top modernlegacy system, all the devices run onPOS systems, TouchBistro, so you can seea local network, the POS terminalshow a cloud-based system compares.are fixed in one location, and yourinformation cannot be accessed off-site.However, many legacy systems haveIn each review,you’ll find:recently been augmented to includeA basic overview of each ofcloud-based apps that allow you tothe top legacy POS systemsaccess some POS data remotely.for restaurants and onemodern POS systemOn the other hand, a modern POS storesyour restaurant’s data in the cloud viaremote servers. As a result, your POSEach system’s strengths andweaknessesYour payment processing optionsSoftware pricing and other feesdata can be accessed from any device,The ideal restaurantat any time, as long as you have anfor each POS systemInternet connection. This also meansKey takeawaysthat instead of fixed POS terminals, staffcan be moved throughout the venue.In addition to reviewsof each provider,we’ve also included:While there are pros and cons toA comparison chart featuringeach type of system, you might beall the top legacy POS providerscan use mobile devices like tablets thatinterested in exploring a legacy POSsystem for your particular restaurant. Ifthat’s the case, the next step is findingthe right legacy POS provider.and one modern providerA buyer’s guide that highlightskey considerations to take intoaccount when purchasing alegacy POS system3

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The Ultimate Guideto the Best Legacy POS Systemsfor RestaurantsTableof Contents6 NCR Aloha12 Silverware18 Oracle MICROS Simphony24 Squirrel Systems30 TouchBistro38 Comparison Chart40 Buyer’s Guide5

The Ultimate Guideto the Best Legacy POS Systems for RestaurantsNCR AlohaStrengthsThere’s no doubt that Aloha’s biggestOverviewstrength is its features. The Aloha POSThe Aloha POS has beenwas designed for enterprise, whicharound for quite some timemeans that Aloha’s features come withand originally establishedall the bells and whistles you coulda reputation as one of thepossibly want from a restaurant POS,top legacy POS systems.and can even be customized to fitIn 2011, Aloha’s parentyour exact needs. Aloha’s inventorycompany Radiant Systemsmanagement feature is a particularwas acquired by NCRstandout, with tools for creating andCorporation, (previouslytracking purchase orders, store-by-storeknown as National Cashinventory comparisons, and the abilityRegister). Since that time,to predict future sales amounts.NCR has made an effortto modernize the AlohaBeyond its features, Aloha also comesPOS to compete without on top when it comes to its regionalnewer cloud-based POSavailability. According to NCR, the Alohasolutions. Today, NCRPOS is used in more than 180 countriesAloha is a popular optionaround the world, which means you canfor major enterprise-levelfind it just about anywhere. This is a majorrestaurant chains.plus for any global restaurant brand thatis looking to roll out one POS systemacross all of its international locations.6

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The Ultimate Guideto the Best Legacy POS Systems for RestaurantsNCR AlohaWeaknessesHowever, if you have newer staff thatWhile Aloha’s features are one of itsare more familiar with Apple devices,biggest strengths, the downside is thatit may make the training processall those bells and whistles come at adifficult and more time-consuming.cost. Though it can be tricky to pin downAloha’s exact pricing, the system is madeFinally, and perhaps most importantly,for enterprise, which means that it’s notAloha lags behind some other restaurantintended to be a cost-effective optionPOS providers when it comes to customerfor the average independent restaurant.support. Though most modern POSNot to mention some of Aloha’s legacycompanies offer 24/7 support, Aloha’shardware can be pricey to repair or toHelp Desk is only available to contactreplace if the devices become outdated.from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. Central Time.If the support team can’t solve yourEven if the price is not an issue, it’sissue over the phone, Aloha also offersalso important to consider the useron-site or on-call service during theexperience, and the Aloha POS is notsame hours. Though this time frameknown for being the most user-friendlyshould cover most restaurants’ hours ofsystem on the market. Most of Aloha’soperation, the lack of 24/7 support mayhardware runs on Windows and Androidbe an issue for some venues, particularlyoperating systems, which come with abars that operate past midnight.steep learning curve. If your restaurantstaff is already familiar with Aloha andhave used the POS system in the past,this won’t be too much of an issue.8

PaymentsNCR, Aloha’s parent company, is a leaderin banking and ecommerce and offersits own integrated payment processingsolution for the Aloha POS called NCRMerchant Solutions. NCR MerchantSolutions is an end-to-end paymentsprocessor with the ability to processeverything from mobile payments tocard-not-present transactions, making ita good payments option for restaurants.However, NCR is not very transparentwhen it comes to its actual paymentprocessing fees. Though the companydoes promise competitive fees, you needto contact NCR directly if you want toknow what you’ll actually be paying forpayment processing each month. Forrestaurants that don’t want to go throughthe rigamarole of a sales pitch, this lackof transparency can be offputting.9

The Ultimate Guideto the Best Legacy POS Systems for RestaurantsPricingNCR AlohaUnfortunately, there is alsoThe Best POS For:Global QSRs and FSRs Brandsa lack of transparency whenThe Aloha POS is one of the mostit comes to pricing for NCRfeature-rich systems on the market,Aloha’s software and hardware.making it an excellent option forNCR does not make anyenterprise-level restaurant brands.pricing information availableThis lengthy feature list includespublicly on its website, whichvery robust multi-unit managementmeans you must contact thetools that are especially valuable forcompany in order to get a quoterestaurant brands with hundredsfor the Aloha POS system.to thousands of locations. AndThe idea behind this modelwith NCR’s vast global footprint,is that without fixed pricingyou could easily use the Aloha POSpackages, NCR can providein international venues as well.each restaurant with a customrate for its specific POS setup.Of course, like any enterprise system,However, even with a customthe Aloha POS does not come cheap.rate, keep in mind that the AlohaThough Aloha offers custom rates,POS is designed for enterpriseit’s fees are much higher than mostand you should expect it tomodern POS software subscriptions.come with a price tag to match.And when you factor in the addedcost of maintaining Aloha’s olderlegacy hardware, cost can quicklybecome a deal-breaker for mostrestaurants, especially small tomedium-sized independent venues.10

Key TakeawaysNCR AlohaHybrid system witha locally-installedconnection, as wellas a cloud-based appthat can be accessedremotelyRobust, enterpriselevel POS featuresIn-house paymentprocessing availablethrough NCR, but littletransparency when itcomes to paymentprocessing feesLimited customerservice and technicalsupport hoursBest for global QSRand FSR brands11

The Ultimate Guideto the Best Legacy POS Systems for RestaurantsSilverwareStrengthsSilverware was designed forOverviewenterprise-level restaurant andSilverware is a Canadianhospitality brands and it has thePOS company that wasfeatures to back it up. Silverware’sfounded back in 1992.core POS features are very robustOriginally a legacyand come with a lot of additionalPOS system, Silverwarecapabilities that other POS providershas since added cloudlack, such as multi-unit managementcapabilities to its Windowsfeatures that make it easy to track andand Android-basedmanage multiple venues in one system.system, including an iOSapp. Beyond restaurants,Another one of Silverware’s strengthsSilverware POS is also ais the flexibility it offers when it comespopular choice for hotelsto payment processing. Unlike a lotand other hospitalityof restaurant POS systems on thebusinesses.market, SIlverware does not require itscustomers to use one specific paymentprocessing partner. Rather, Silverwaregives customers the option to shoparound for the best rate from one of itsmany available partners – a major plusfor any budget-conscious restaurateur.12

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The Ultimate Guideto the Best Legacy POS Systems for RestaurantsSilverwareWeaknessesThough Silverware’s core POS featuresAnd if you are using Avero or anotherare hard to beat, there is one area wherethird-party integration, you’d betterthe legacy POS system is lacking, andbe prepared to pay for it. While mostthat is its reporting functions. While mostPOS providers include integrations atmodern POS systems offer advancedno additional cost, Silverware doesreporting and even AI-generatednot. As Silverware POS reviews note,analytics, Silverware’s reports are stillthe company charges monthly perlimited to basic Excel-based files. Ifintegration fees for every individualyou’re an enterprise-level restaurant orAPI. For restaurateurs that relyhospitality group, Silverware’s limitedheavily on integrations, this canreporting capabilities likely won’t bemean significant monthly fees.sufficient and you’ll probably need touse a third-party integration like AveroFinally, Silverware comes up shortto get the information you need.when it comes to the overalluser experience. Silverware’slegacy POS system was originallydeveloped back in the 1990s andits technology still lags behindsome of the newer systems on themarket. This is especially true whenit comes to the system’s Windowsand Android hardware, which bothcome with a steep learning curve.14

PaymentsAs mentioned previously, a big plus ofusing Silverware POS is the freedom tochoose from a wide variety of integratedpayment processing partners, includingbig names like Chase Paymentech.This is a benefit to just about anyrestaurateur because it means youcan go with the payment processorthat provides the best rate for yourspecific restaurant type, your size, andthe transaction volume you process.While Silverware works with a lot of greatpayment processing partners, it’s worthnoting that Silverware does not have itsown in-house payments solution. Whilethis isn’t necessarily a drawback, somerestaurateurs may prefer the option to usean in-house payment solution becausethese partners are industry-experts withmerchant services tailored specifically tothe needs of restaurants.15