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If you’re looking for a modern restaurant management system that simplifies transactions and boosts efficiency with its cloud-based platform, Cake POS is your answer. In this honest review, we’ll examine its features, pricing, and alternatives.
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What is Cake POS?
Cake POS, powered by Mad Mobile, is a cloud-based point-of-sale system designed for restaurants, bars, and cafes. It offers many features, such as floor management, menu editing, employee tracking, tech support, and payment processing, to facilitate seamless operations.
Cake POS Pricing & Plans
Cake POS offers straightforward pricing plans tailored to various big and small business needs, ensuring value for money with its all-encompassing service packages.
| Plans | Price | Transaction fee | Recommended for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essentials | $69 per month | From 2.5% + 15 cents | Small to mid-size restaurants |
| Plus | $125 per month | From 2.5% + 15 cents | Growing restaurants with higher transaction volumes |
| Pro | $295 per month | From 2.5% + 15 cents | Large or chain restaurants requiring advanced features |
Cake’s plans are reasonably priced and offer good value, with a clear progression in features and capabilities as you move up the tiers. The plans are not overly complex, making it easy for you to identify the right fit for their needs. However, the provider does not offer a free plan or trial, and a credit card is required to sign up.
The Essentials plan may be best suited for smaller restaurants or those just starting out, as it provides almost all the features and core POS functionality at a relatively low cost. The Plus and Pro plans are better suited for medium to larger restaurants looking to expand their online ordering and marketing capabilities.
We found that Cake’s pricing is in line with other popular restaurant POS systems. Many other providers offer similar tiered plans with increasing features and functionalities at higher price points.
Cake POS Software Features
In this section, we’ll take a look at the key features to keep in mind when choosing Cake POS system.
Cake’s restaurant menu management software makes it easy for restaurant operators to frequently adjust their menu items and pricing. The easy-to-use terminal allows you to quickly edit menu items, as well as add or hide them directly on the POS system.
Cake’s cloud-based technology enables menu changes to be made from anywhere, providing flexibility and convenience. The software also integrates with other Cake features, such as inventory tracking and customer data, to help you make data-driven decisions about your menus.
The Cake Guest Manager system provides a comprehensive reservation management solution for restaurants. It offers flexible settings to configure reservation availability, party sizes, and table layouts, enabling you to optimize seating capacity. It also allows you to make online reservations through various channels, including Google, a website widget, or directly within the Guest Manager app.
All reservations are seamlessly synchronized within the system, allowing staff to easily access and manage bookings from a centralized location. The reservation management capabilities of Cake Guest Manager empower your restaurants to enhance customer experience, maximize table utilization, and streamline front-of-house operations.
The Cake point-of-sale system allows you to customize and manage your table layout and floor plan within the system. We’re impressed by how you can easily add new tables, adjust the size and shape of existing tables, and designate tables as active or inactive.
This floor plan editing functionality enables you to accurately reflect your physical setup in the digital POS, ensuring a seamless connection between the table management and order processing workflows.
The Cake platform provides an integrated customer loyalty program that is seamlessly built into the point-of-sale system. This means your customers can easily sign up and manage their rewards using a simple digital process, without the need for physical loyalty cards. The loyalty program allows you to track customer behavior, offer targeted promotions, and stay connected with your patrons across in-store and online interactions.
The staff section in Cake POS allows you to easily create, edit, and manage employee user accounts. You can assign job roles, permissions, and pay rates for each employee, making it possible to control access and track employee activities.
The dashboard also provides tools to manage employee timesheets, swipe cards, and other administrative tasks, streamlining employee management within the Cake ecosystem.
Cake Payments is Mad Mobile’s integrated credit card processing solution designed to simplify payment processing for businesses. It offers transparent pricing with no fixed costs or monthly fees, competitive transaction fees, and streamlined chargeback management.
The easy setup and seamless POS integration allow you to start accepting payments quickly, while flexible funding options and free ACH deposits provide further convenience.
Cake POS Integrations and Add-Ons
Cake POS offers a variety of third-party integrations and add-ons to streamline restaurant operations. These integrations include accounting solutions like QuickBooks and Xero, employee scheduling with 7shifts and CheddrSuite, delivery solutions with Uber Eats and DoorDash, and sales tax automation with DAVO.
Cake POS Security Features
Cake POS features PCI-compliant secure payment processing, which safeguards your payment information during transactions. The system also supports contactless payment options, including QR codes and mobile payments, to enhance safety and convenience. These measures are part of a suite of tools designed to provide secure, seamless transactions, protect sensitive content, and foster customer trust and loyalty.
Cake POS Hardware
At the heart of the system is an intuitive touchscreen terminal, fully encased to withstand the rigors of a busy restaurant environment, including spills and crumbs. The sleek design features bezel-less screens, preventing debris from getting trapped. For enhanced customer interaction, the system includes customer-facing displays, facilitating faster service and improved order accuracy.
The hardware bundle also comes with a variety of peripherals, such as a secure cash drawer, a thermal printer for quick receipt printing, and a payment cube that supports contactless, NFC, EMV, and MSR transactions.
With the option to integrate self-service kiosks and handheld devices for tableside service, the Cake POS hardware is built to cater to the dynamic needs of modern restaurants, ensuring efficiency and a seamless dining experience.
Cake POS Alternatives & Competition
Selecting the right POS system can have a significant impact on your business operations. Discover how Cake POS system compares to its top alternatives in the market in terms of basic functions and cost:
| Best For | Free Version | Monthly Starting Price | Transaction Fee | Hardware Cost | Built-in Payment Processing | Inventory Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cake POS | Customer Experience | No | From $69 per month | From 2.5% + 15 cents | Included in monthly fee | Yes | Yes |
| Epos Now | Retail and Hospitality Businesses | No | From $99 + subscription | Quote-Based | From $349 for a complete POS solution | Yes | Yes |
| Square | Small Businesses | Yes | From $60/month | From 2.6% + 10 cents | $10 for card reader, terminals start at $299 | Yes | Yes |
| Revel | Multi-location stores | No | From $99/month | From 2.49% + 15 cents | Quote-based | Yes | Yes |
| Vend | Retail | No | From $69/month | The cost varies based on your choice of payment processor | From $99 | No. It offers integrations instead. | Yes |
| Clover | Reports and Analytics | No | From $14.95 for professional services | From 2.3% + 10 cents | From $49 | Yes | Yes |
| SpotOn | Multi-location restaurants | Yes | From $99/month +$3 per employee |
From 1.99% + 25 cents | Included in monthly fee | Yes | Yes |
| Lavu | Food Trucks | No | From $59/month | From 2.6% + 10 cents | Included in monthly fee | Yes | Yes |
Cake POS Customer Reviews
When researching user reviews on third-party sites, Cake POS generally receives positive feedback. Users appreciate the system’s intuitive design and great customer support alongside its features for order management, inventory tracking, payment processing, and complete restaurant management. The negative remarks we observed from other users mainly had to do with functionalities the POS system was missing on the restaurant side and areas it could do better.
The Cake POS support team offers 24/7 assistance with a team of product experts ready to help with any issues. In terms of channels, there’s phone support, live chat, emails and texts. The Cake team also offers the Cake university which provides a helpful knowledge base.
How to use Cake POS - Quick Guide
This section presents a step-by-step guide on how to set up and activate your POS system.
Connect the Cake Router to Your Network
Plug the Ethernet cable from your internet service provider’s (ISP) modem into the blue port on the Cake Router. Plug in the power supply and turn on the Cake Router. Allow several minutes for the router to complete its initial configuration.
Unbox and Set Up the POS Station
Place the POS terminal on top of the cash drawer, with the primary receipt printer nearby.
Connect the POS terminal to the Cake network by plugging an Ethernet cable from the LAN port on the POS into a yellow port on the Cake Router or a network switch connected to the Cake Router. Then turn on the POS terminal.
Connect the Receipt Printer to the Cake Network
Open the receipt printer and load the thermal paper roll. Then connect an Ethernet cable from the LAN port on the back of the printer to a yellow port on the Cake Router or the network switch. After that, plug in the power supply and turn on the receipt printer. You should also connect the cable from the cash drawer to the back of the receipt printer.
4. Activate the POS System
Once you’re done, you can now turn on the POS terminal and enter the Merchant PIN and Token provided to you. If you have only 1 POS terminal and no additional hardware, you have completed the installation and onboarding process.
How We Review and Test POS Software
To provide our readers with accurate and well-informed recommendations, we test the most popular POS products on the market to find the best options for you. Our methodology consists of the following criteria:
- Features – We examine the features offered by each POS software, how useful those features are, and how they compare to others on the market.
- Scalability – We look at how many users can be added to a platform and how easy it is to do so to ensure companies can easily add more employees to their payroll as they scale their operations.
- Integrations – We evaluate each piece of software’s integrations to determine how well it fits in with other key pieces in a business’s software stack and whether its functionality can be expanded as required.
- User Experience – We get hands-on with each product to put ourselves in the shoes of a new user, testing each platform to gain an understanding if the platform is easy to use or requires onboarding.
- Total Cost – Transaction fees, hardware costs, and additional costs. We look at the features, integrations, customer service, and extras to determine if the price of the software matches the value it provides. We score a product higher if it offers customers a free trial and is upfront and transparent about its pricing plans.
- Security – We delve into the security protocols of each company, assessing the measures in place to safeguard user data.
- Customer Reviews – We consider customer reviews from reputable third-party websites as a crucial aspect of our evaluation process.
How to Choose the Best POS Software
When it comes to selecting the best POS software for your business, there are several key factors to consider:
Evaluate the software vendor’s pricing plans based on your budget and the features you require. Ensure you’re getting the best feature-to-price value for your needs.
Assess whether the software offers all the essential features you need, even if they may be restricted to higher-tier plans. Prioritize the features that are most important for your business operations.
Examine the cost and availability of additional functionality as your business grows. Ensure the provider can accommodate your future needs without significantly increasing your expenses.
Consider the overall user-friendliness of the software, as you’ll want a system that is intuitive and straightforward to set up and train your staff on.
Determine if the POS software seamlessly integrates with other critical business systems, such as accounting, inventory management, or e-commerce platforms. Some integrations may only be available on higher-tier plans.
Assess the quality and accessibility of the provider’s customer support, including their support hours and the available methods of communication. Additionally, review user reviews to gauge the overall satisfaction with the provider’s support services.
Our Other POS Guides
We have more guides covering different POS solutions. These will help you find the best POS system for your business needs, whether you’re in the restaurant industry or running a small retail operation.
- Best POS System
- Best POS System for Restaurants
- Best POS System for Bars
- Clover POS Review
- Square POS Review
- Best Restaurant Accounting Software
