Restaurant Manager POS Review

Choosing a restaurant POS system can feel like picking your way through a minefield. Too basic, and you’ll pull your hair out. Too complex, and you’ll be drowning in features you never use.

Restaurant Manager POS might be the answer. It’s a point-of-sale platform widely used by the industry. But is it really that good, or is it just comfortable familiarity that keeps businesses from exploring other options?

In this review, we’re exploring Restaurant Manager POS and determining whether it deserves a place in your business.

Key Takeaways

• Pros: Easy to use, restaurant-specific features, good in-house add-ons, solid data reporting
• Cons: Lack of pricing transparency, limited third-party integrations, complaints about system lag
• Best For: Small to medium-sized restaurants, bars, and pubs prioritizing ease of use
• Pricing: Not publicly available
• Key Features: Custom menus and layouts, tab management, inventory control, loyalty programs
• Verdict: Approach with caution. While functional, lack of transparency and limited cloud capabilities make it less competitive than more modern alternatives.

Overview of Restaurant Manager POS

As the name suggests, Restaurant Manager POS software is built for the hospitality industry. The platform boasts many reputable clients such as Relish, Scrambler Marie’s, Canyon Burger Company, Happy Days, and Pascal’s Bistro.

Shift4 is the MSP or merchant services provider for all Restaurant Manager POS users. Restaurant Manager POS also avoids publicly advertising its overall pricing model. Still, this software has plenty of other components that make it attractive to business owners—let’s explore them in more detail!

Pros vs Cons

Pricing

You won’t be able to find any publicly available information about pricing at Restaurant Manager POS. Unfortunately, this is a company that prefers to keep its pricing model under wraps.

But we won’t let that dissuade us; we found out that RM POS pricing ranges between $99 and $150 per month for each terminal. However, there are potentially other costs, such as installation fees. You’ll have to speak to the sales rep to determine the actual price of its POS platform — make sure to ask about any additional fees or charges.

I prefer to work with point-of-sale providers that are direct about their pricing schemes and are easily accessible online. If you can’t find much information about the pricing of a product, this might mean that there are some fees or costs that the company is trying to hide.

Restaurant Manager POS also has a range of local POS resellers that distribute the product throughout the US. This may mean that you pay a different price depending on what you’re able to negotiate with your reseller. Regardless, it’s always a good idea to seek pricing clarity directly from Restaurant Manager POS so you don’t end up making a financial commitment you can’t handle.

Case Study – Union Jack’s British Pub

Key Features

If you want to understand a point of sale system, you need to understand its core features. Let’s dive into some further details about the key features on offer at Restaurant Manager POS.

Data Reporting

Data reporting options are becoming much more extensive. You no longer look at a simple breakdown of sales and items — you can access a ton of great information that can help you improve your business’s performance.

At Restaurant Manager POS, you can gain access to real-time sales data and inventory tracking. This can help you better analyze your business and determine if you’re running low on crucial ingredients or need to order more food products.

Deployment Type

Strangely enough, the traditional Restaurant Manager POS platform is not cloud-based. While Restaurant Manager POS now offers a cloud-based option, this doesn’t appear to provide you with the core restaurant management features you find in the traditional platform.

I prefer to work with cloud-based systems. Not only does it allow you to access your point of sale system from different locations remotely, but it also keeps your data secure. Also, it makes it much easier to update your software when new developments arrive.

Industries Served

Restaurant Manager POS is specifically built for the restaurant industry — the name gives it away! But there is also a range of different niche specifications and features that help gear it towards certain establishments. At present, you’ll find that Restaurant Manager POS has specifications for pizza shops, bars, traditional restaurants, coffee shops, quick-service restaurants, and delivery restaurants.

The business size at Restaurant Manager POS is also very flexible. While this is suitable for smaller establishments, there’s no doubt it has some features that can help large restaurant owners. If you look at the company’s client list, you’ll find plenty of large establishments that successfully use this platform to manage their point of sale needs.

Ease of Use

While some other users claim that the interface is outdated, it’s certainly easy to use. You can navigate through menus and items without any complicated processes. In addition, the restaurant layout feature allows you to manage your restaurant visually without having to waste time on complex commands. The tableside ordering features also help staff take quick orders without any added hassle.

In fact, Restaurant Manager POS claims that its “easy-to-use” approach helps you cut training costs. You won’t have to spend as much time onboarding new staff if you have an intuitive platform that’s easy to teach and learn.

Hardware

Restaurant Manager POS doesn’t offer much clarity on its hardware options. While there appear to be multiple touchscreen options, the company doesn’t provide pricing or compatibility information. It appears that you have to speak to a POS reseller who can help inspect your current hardware and determine if it’s eligible for use.

The agent may also recommend specific in-house hardware that you can use with the Restaurant Manager POS system. The company also advertises mobile devices that allow you to take tableside orders and process transactions on the spot.

Either way, this is a bit of a red flag. If you were planning on bringing your own hardware with you, or you want to have a clear understanding of costs, it’s better to work with a company that is transparent about its pricing.

There are plenty of competitors that offer flexible hardware options.

Integrations

Unfortunately, you won’t find an extensive list of third-party integrations at Restaurant Manager POS. The company doesn’t advertise its compatibility with any external software products. It would be best to inquire with your reseller about whether there are any plans to change this in the future — third-party integrations can help you drastically improve your point of sale system.

Fortunately, there are a few in-house ‘add-ons’ that perform some of the functions you’d typically see in third-party integrations. You can use these add-ons to gain access to guest paging, gift cards, online ordering, customer loyalty programs, and reservations. It’s a great way to upgrade what you’re able to offer to your customers.

RM POS does offer delivery POS software; however, it’s unclear if any 3rd-party takeout and delivery services are integrated.

Payment Processing

Restaurant Manager POS doesn’t advertise much information about its credit card processing compatibility. I assume this is because Restaurant Manager POS’s parent company (Shift4) offers payment processing and payment gateway services.

After some additional digging, I discovered that Restaurant Manager POS does encourage you to use its in-house payment processing solution, RM Payments. While other payment processors are compatible, Restaurant Manager POS charges so many fees that it reduces the value of using another payment processor.

Unfortunately, this is another strike against Restaurant Manager POS. I prefer to work with point of sale platforms that give you the flexibility to choose your own payment processor. You shouldn’t be punished for using a processor that offers you a better rate.

Customer Service

You’ll have access to 24/7 customer support at Restaurant Manager POS. This means that you can contact a support staff member after hours — it’s perfect if you run a bar or late-night establishment. Restaurant Manager POS has both a phone number and contact form for customer support. Alternatively, you can also contact your reseller for assistance.

Customer Feedback

Customer satisfaction is also a critical component if you want to choose the right point of sale system. Restaurant Manager POS does have some excellent customer feedback, but there are also a few issues that have been highlighted:

• Lagging: One complaint that seems very prevalent is that the system lags a lot. Many users report problems with freezing. This could be a significant issue if you’re trying to run a busy restaurant.

• Payment Processing Fees: Some customers say the payment processing fees are too high. It’s worth noting that independent agents could potentially alter pricing, so it’s best to be very careful before you sign any contracts or commitments.

• Outdated Interface: Some customers complain that the interface is outdated. However, when you compare Restaurant Manager POS to other modern providers, it’s hard to argue against them.

Shift4 Customer Support

It’s also important to note that the parent company, Shift4, has a notoriously bad reputation for being slow at responding to customer requests. Many users claim that Shift4 leaves critical questions unanswered. However, Shift4 does continue to respond to complaints and maintains an A+ rating with the BBB.

Pricing

When it comes to pricing, Restaurant Manager POS plays its cards close to the chest. Unlike many of its competitors, you won’t find a neat pricing table or transparent cost breakdown on its website. Instead, it’s opted for a more personalized approach—or so it claims.

Want to know how much this POS will set you back? If so, they require potential customers to reach out directly or connect with a vendor for a quote. This “call us” strategy might be a turn-off for business owners who prefer straightforward, no-nonsense pricing.

It’s worth noting that Restaurant Manager POS doesn’t offer a free trial. Not being able to test drive the system before committing could be a drawback for cautious buyers.

While this secretive pricing model might work for some, it raises questions. Are they customizing prices to each business, or is there something they’d rather not advertise in the fine print? Without upfront pricing, it’s challenging to compare Restaurant Manager POS with other options on the market.

How Does It Stack Up? Quick Comparisons

To give you a clearer picture of where Restaurant Manager POS stands in the market, let’s compare it to some popular alternatives: 

Who Is Restaurant Manager POS Best For?

Restaurant Manager POS is best suited for:

• Small to medium-sized restaurants: Its basic and easy-to-use interface makes it ideal for establishments that don’t need overly complex systems.
• Bars and pubs: With features like tab management and splitting bills, it’s well-suited for drink-focused venues.
• Businesses prioritizing ease of use: The intuitive interface can help reduce training costs and time for new staff.
• Restaurants needing customizable layouts: The ability to create custom floor plans and menus is beneficial for venues with unique setups.
• Establishments focused on performance metrics: The platform’s real-time sales tracking and stock management tools give a clear picture of business health at a glance.
• Businesses looking for an all-in-one solution: It can serve as a comprehensive system with in-house add-ons for loyalty programs, gift cards, and online ordering.

However, it may not be the best fit for:

• Tech-savvy businesses seeking the latest innovations: Some users report an outdated interface.
• Large chains or franchises: The lack of transparent pricing and the potential for varying costs from different resellers might complicate large-scale implementations.
• Restaurants requiring extensive third-party integrations: The limited information on compatible external software could be a drawback.
• Businesses prioritizing payment processor flexibility: The system seems to favor its in-house payment processing solution.

Our Verdict

At the end of the day, Restaurant Manager POS isn’t transparent enough about all its services. You can’t find reliable information on its pricing, processing commissions, extra fees, or hardware options. This is always a bit of a red flag in my book.

Still, Restaurant Manager POS is trusted by a long list of clients for a reason. It is certainly easy to use, and there are some great features built into this platform. But I think you can probably find better feature lists from other competitors on the market — many of these rivals are also much more transparent.

Given these factors, our recommendation is to approach Restaurant Manager POS with caution. While it may suit some businesses, particularly those prioritizing ease of use, we suggest thoroughly comparing it with more transparent alternatives before making a decision.

If you’d like to try out Restaurant Manager POS, contact the company directly to connect with a reseller. Or, if you’re interested in Shift4’s latest POS system, SkyTab, check out our comprehensive review to explore its features and benefits.

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