The Best POS Systems for Pizza Restaurants: 10 Must-Have Features

Operating a pizza restaurant in 2023 is exciting. According to research reports, the pizza market is progressing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.45% from 2021 through 2027.

In other words, the market for pizza continues to grow. Fast.

But if your restaurant isn’t using the right tools and software to drive success, you’ll be missing out on a big slice of the pie.

To keep the service and guest experience seamless, you need a pizza point of sale (POS) system that can keep up with the rush.

If you're searching for a new POS system for your pizza shop — or looking to open a new pizzeria — here are 10 must-have POS features to look for.

And to help you evaluate more tools along the way, you can download the Pizza POS Comparison Tool and check out the Toast vs competitors compare guide.

Toast for pizza shops and pizzerias

Toast's Starter Kit package is the ideal POS system for small pizza shops that need one or two terminals to get up and running. You can choose between a countertop kit or a handheld kit, both of which come with free setup and installation support, a point of sale software subscription, and a router.

The Toast Essentials package is ideal for existing pizzerias that are ready to get started with Toast. 

With Toast, you can serve up pizzas fast with easy and efficient tools, all at your fingertips. From 24/7 reliability to flexible options for every budget, here's to finally getting that me time back.

But don’t just take it from us. Here’s what others have to say about Toast:

Quick to learn, and even easier to use: Toast's restaurant-first platform is built with you in mind. Interested in learning more? View and compare Toast packages or request a demo with a Toast specialist to get started.

The best POS systems for pizza restaurants in 2023

Toast ranks #1 in the restaurant POS system category based on consumer reviews. G2 examines over 15 data points to determine market presence, using a combination of proprietary and third-party data, and exclusively uses consumer reviews to determine satisfaction. All of their scoring methodologies are explained in more detail on the G2 website, but we’ll provide a bit more information below.

How the G2 Grid Restaurant Review Scoring System Works

G2’s scoring system is based on thousands of customer reviews and a unique algorithm that helps to process the data and find meaningful patterns and results in real time. Here’s a breakdown of the different elements in the grid and scoring system.

• X-Axis: Satisfaction, based on user reviews and feedback
• Y-Axis: Market presence, based on proprietary usage data, third-party data, and customer reviews
• Top right quadrant — Leaders: The restaurant POS systems that have both strong customer satisfaction ratings and a strong market presence 
• Ex. Toast, Square, Lightspeed
• Top left quadrant — Contenders: POS systems with weak satisfaction scores and a strong market presence 
• Ex. NCR Aloha POS
• Bottom right quadrant — High performers: POS platforms with strong satisfaction scores, but a weak market presence
• Ex. Upserve, CAKE
• Bottom left quadrant — Niche: These platforms have weak satisfaction scores and a weak market presence
• Ex. POSitouch, Payfacto

The G2 scoring methodology and grid system incorporate several attributes to surface the most helpful reviews for prospective technology customers. Some of the factors in satisfaction rates include customer satisfaction with product features, popularity, quality of reviews, age of reviews, net promoter scores (NPS), and more.

The top 10 features of a pizza POS system

1. Third-party delivery integrations

If you’re operating a pizzeria — especially in a location near a college campus or industrial park — there’s a good chance you’re offering delivery services for your restaurant.

And regardless of whether you have an in-house delivery solution or rely entirely on third-party delivery services, it’s vital to choose a POS platform that offers third-party delivery integrations.

Toast is the only POS platform to offer direct integration with DoorDash, GrubHub and UberEats. Say goodbye to the days of manual double entry and cluttering up your pizzeria counters with tablets for each service. With Toast, you can manage all your third-party orders from a single screen on the POS and unlock channel insights to understand how each partner contributes to your sales and margins.

- Joy Zarembka, VP of Planning & Innovation at Busboys and Poets

Calm the chaos and nix missing, delayed, or incorrect orders. Third-party delivery integration means accurate orders, every time — and keeps your diners coming back.

2. Integrated online ordering 

There’s no denying the power of online ordering — it’s growing 300% faster than in-house dining — but how can you implement it for your pizza restaurant? 

Online ordering systems drive more revenue for your restaurant, allowing guests to order wherever and whenever. And with no one in line behind them, or no server checking in on the table to order, guests have the opportunity to linger over a menu with no pressure. This makes them more inclined to get that extra menu item. Plus, allowing the guest to place their own order online leads to more accurate orders, which means happier customers and less wasted inventory.

Your customers are looking for your pizzeria online — make sure you have a presence. Otherwise, they might go with another pizza shop nearby instead.

3. Menu item customization options and easy menu management 

Your pizza POS system needs to be able to account for your guest’s preferences, whether they want half peppers/half mushrooms, full pepperoni, sub vegan cheese, or even the infamous “none pizza with left beef” abomination.

Plus, it’s important to find a POS system that allows you to make changes to your menu whenever, wherever. You shouldn’t have to restart your system to change a menu item or physically be at the restaurant to get into the menu management software.

With a cloud-based pizza POS system, like Toast, you can add your specials on your phone, while lying on your couch at home. Or, if you're suddenly out of a topping, you can 86 an item with the tap of a button.

Easy menu management tools make your life, and the lives of your staff, easier. Be sure to choose a pizza POS system that offers these simple customization options.

Your restaurant and staff deserve a pizza POS system that’s easy to use, designed to handle the volume, and makes it easy to customize every pizza combination or salad substitution your guests can dream up.

4. Suggested tip percentages and tip pooling

Whether your pizzeria is a quick service or full service concept, there’s a good chance that your staff is receiving tips. With a pizza POS system that automatically suggests tip percentages and calculates tip pooling at the end of the night, you can increase the likelihood of guests tipping and reduce the time it takes at closing.

On the check, terminal screen, or a handheld POS device, you can suggest tip percentages to customers so they don't have to do the math. The most popular options for suggested tip percentages are 15%, 18%, and 20%.

Gone are the days of manually determining tips at the end of the night. With Toast, you can choose to pool tips and tip out on different criteria — for example, as a percentage of sales by sales category. And with Toast Tips Manager, you can save time by integrating pooled tips from Toast POS to Toast Payroll & Team Management to give employees peace of mind that daily tips are accurately transferred to their paychecks.

Finding a POS system for your pizzeria that does all of this automatically means happier staff and more time back in your day.

5. Customer engagement and loyalty programs

Many restaurants thrive thanks to dedicated regulars who come back time and time again. Pizzerias are no exception.

Customer engagement and loyalty programs tap into your regulars by rewarding them for repeat visits. Plus, email marketing campaigns can help turn one-time guests into returning visitors. After all, every regular starts with their first visit!

But when it comes to rewarding returning guests, punch cards and stamps are a thing of the past. Toast Loyalty is a credit card-linked program that allows guests to accrue points with each swipe of their card. With an integrated loyalty program, you can easily allow new customers to sign up with opt-in prompts on the checkout screen, helping you build your customer base without breaking a sweat. Plus, you can customize your sign-up bonuses, set accrual and redemption rates, and offer birthday rewards to tailor the experience to fit your brand and your budget. 

And while restaurants may look to a third party for email marketing software, having one that is directly integrated with your POS means no more exporting your email addresses from one tool to another.

6. Detailed customer reporting and sales reporting

A great pizza POS platform will help you gather data to make smarter business decisions. Namely, you can view reports to identify your top-selling items and which menu items may be a drag on your bottom line. 

Toast’s reporting allows you to compare appetizer and pizza sales on the go. That’s right — data at your fingertips. If you operate more than one location for your pizza restaurant, you can also analyze sales and cost by unit location. Plus, get to know your regulars and their go-to orders with customer reporting. 

- Matt Stanfield, Owner of Mattenga’s Pizzeria

Being able to see a clear picture of what your guests are ordering can help cull down on unnecessary ingredients, identify opportunities to optimize profits, and improve your operations all around. Keep in mind that some POS platforms provide more detail than others. For example, while a legacy system may provide reporting on how many appetizers were sold in a night, Toast POS allows you to see how many of each individual appetizer item were solid and even which server sold the most of that item or category. 

7. Mobile POS handhelds

With a handheld POS system, servers can quickly and effortlessly accept orders, process payments, and complete transactions all while interacting with customers. Guests can even tip, sign, and request text or email receipts right on the handheld POS interface.

This means your pizzeria can serve more guests, in a shorter window of time. 

And in an environment that’s fast-paced and often beer-filled, it helps to have hardware that’s durable. Toast POS handhelds are made with restaurant-grade durability, making them spill-proof, drop-proof, and dust-proof. Plus, with 24-hour battery life and lightning-fast processing, they’re ready when you are.

8. Mobile dining solutions such as order and pay at the table

As the labor shortage continues to create staffing challenges in the restaurant industry, many restaurateurs are looking to implement technology in new ways. For example, self-ordering kiosks allow guests to place their orders on their own and reduce the need for staff at the counter. 

However, one great way to combat the labor shortage while also increasing revenue and check size is by using Toast Mobile Order & Pay™, allowing guests to scan a QR code to browse the menu, order, and pay, all from their mobile device. Mobile dining solutions such as Order & Pay™ allow you to provide an efficient, flexible service model that will help eliminate long lines, reduce wait times, and simplify checkout for guests and staff.

An additional benefit of Toast Mobile Order & Pay™ is that you’ll collect guest data on each transaction, allowing you to power your marketing and loyalty programs. 

On average, check size is 9% higher for customers using Toast Mobile Order & Pay™ vs. standard dine in.* 

9. Pizzeria inventory management

Inflation is currently taking a huge toll on restaurants. From the rising costs of wheat to historically high gas prices impacting delivery services, restaurateurs are definitely feeling the heat.

With real-time restaurant inventory software, you can track your food inventory, suppliers, units, and prices on your computer, phone, or tablet so you know what to reorder and when — without having to spend long hours updating a spreadsheet.

Plus, inventory variance reports compare your actual inventory to your theoretical inventory so you can diagnose where your variances are — waste, over-portioning, theft — and start improving processes and training.

With a solution like xtraCHEF by Toast, you can track exactly where your dough — pun intended — is going, integrate across systems, and optimize margins. 

10. Order capacity throttling

Your pizzeria staff has their hands full. Let them focus on food and guests with tools that keep orders organized and eliminate extra steps.

A POS system built for pizzerias will allow you to set the number of orders you can accommodate during peak periods with capacity throttling. This leads to happier staff and fewer angry customers who don’t get their pizzas in a timely, or temperature-appropriate, manner. 

Don’t overlook options like these when choosing a pizza POS system. The more control you have over your kitchen’s capacity, the better you’ll be able to deliver on customer experience and run a pizzeria that people love.

Your pizza shop deserves the best POS technology 

Whether you're slinging deep-dish, Detroit, or New York-style slices, Toast pizza POS serves up the tech you need to simplify operations. From sales by location to data on the go, we'll serve up everything you need to keep your pizzeria running smoothly and deliver a dining experience that will rival the big chains.

Ready to get started? Request a demo today and chat with a Toast specialist. Our flexible payment options make it even easier to get started.

Related Pizza Restaurant Resources

• How to Market a Pizza Shop
• Pizza Trends: Square Pizza, Fast Casual, Thin Crust & More
• How Mattenga's Pizzeria Saves 6 Hours a Week With Toast Pizza POS
• 10 Pizzeria Decor Ideas for 2024
• How to Write a Pizzeria Business Plan
• Marketing Your Restaurant to College Students
• How To Increase Pizza Sales With the Right POS System

* Based on Toast internal data from 2021 among restaurants using Toast Mobile Order & Pay™. Individual results will vary.