Pros

• Gorgeous interface
• Intuitive workflow
• Simple pricing
• Versatile setup

Cons

• Processor restrictions
• No live cloud access
• Still growing business

In our yearning quest for point-of-sale nirvana, we had heard tell of TouchBistro. Evidence was scant, but intriguing - a vivid yet half-remembered dream. They seemed to lie low for a bit during some behind-the-scenes retooling, and now they're roaring back into our geeky software lives. Well it's lovely to finally make your acquaintance, POS. Your visual appeal makes me anxious to begin, he suavely said to software. This feels overdue, at least to me - and I'm the one word-vomiting here - so let's dig right into the meaty bits of this restaurant management app.

Hardware

Unsurprisingly, TouchBistro uses iPads. Accept your Apple-y fate. Their system also prefers Apple's AirPort routers to maintain a local network in the absence of internet access. They also support Ethernet printers that plug directly into your router (Star and Epson alike). Cash drawers that plug into said printers should work just fine. TouchBistro offers a kitchen display app (a one time charge) that runs on a separate iPad. TouchBistro suggests sourcing an older iPad model to run as a standalone kitchen display. If you prefer not to invest in another iPad, impact printers take care of that need for most small restaurants. Finally, there are a limited number of fully-integrated processors - TouchBistro operates in both US and Canada, incidentally - but company spokespeople have informed us most Canadian merchants still use standalone terminals with the POS; this is largely due to EMV (and likely future NFC) acceptance requirements, but I personally suspect processing costs may account for a few of those decisions.

Software

App function is where TouchBistro starts to diverge from the typical POS tablet. Much like Ambur, the system is geared for local networks as opposed to cloud-based. Unlike Ambur - which uses an ad hoc hub-&-spoke web - TouchBistro utilizes a Mini Mac server to ensure local connectivity. While this creates some limitations for owners away from the property, it solves one concern for many merchants: downtime. Provided you have power, the POS should never experience any loss of function. Users with dial-up terminals will find this especially appealing, though obviously internet card processing will be delayed until reestablishing the connection.