POS giant Toast has launched a mobile app for restaurant operators—a highly requested tool among users.
The Toast Now app allows operators to run restaurant operations from their phones by gaining visibility into real-time sales, traffic and labor data. The app enables direct communication with on-site staff and the opportunity to control kitchen volume by toggling delivery channels on and off.
“From high inflation to hectic lives, restaurant owners and operators are often managing changing restaurant dynamics on-the-go and we believe that the right technology partner is critical to helping keep restaurants at the top of their game,” said Steve Fredette, president and co-founder of Toast in a statement.
The flexibility to check operations throughout the day has proven beneficial for users so far. According to the company, during the beta phase, those utilizing Toast Now logged into the app three times more frequently than the average rate logged into Toast’s web portal.
Jared Galbut, CEO of the fast-casual brand Bodega Taqueria y Tequila, said the app has made it easier to manage operations across his seven locations.
“We’ve given Toast Now to our whole company, not just operations,” he said in a statement. “Teams including human resources and marketing have found it helpful to analyze sales and labor trends in order to better manage our business, and we all love being able to see real-time data and know how the business is performing as much as we do.”
It’s a first for Toast in offering a management app for operators, now competing with other tech companies that offer insight into real-time business metrics such as Square and SpotOn.
The app is available now for iOS and will be soon for Android devices.
Enhanced POS features
According to a recent Toast survey, two of the most important purchasing considerations for small and medium-sized restaurants in 2024 will be “the depth of features in core POS and the ability to increase guest throughput and turn-time efficiency.”
Toast’s new POS experience is designed to help speed up service and drive ease of use.
In response, Toast launched the following POS updates:
- Advanced Table Management: Offers features such as table timers to help with pacing, table turnover and indication into which need attention.
- Server Item Fire: Gives servers more control in making sure the right dish comes out at the right time.
- Open View: Displays menu items and their modifiers on a single screen designed for faster and more accurate order taking.
- Table Screen Enhancements: Updated layout, font sizes and colors on its table screen to help eliminate errors.
The latest POS updates are now available to all Toast customers.
