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2026 Toast Community Awards official rules

No purchase necessary. A purchase will not increase your chances of winning.

1. Sponsor

The 2026 Toast Community Awards (“Contest”) are sponsored by Toast, Inc., located at 333 Summer Street Boston, MA 02210 (“Sponsor” or “Toast”).

2. Contest Description

The Contest seeks to celebrate established Toast customers who are making an impact in the industry. The Contest has three categories in which a customer may enter to win. Those categories and their respective descriptions are:
  • The Spirit of Service Award: Celebrates a business going above and beyond to deliver exceptional hospitality.
  • The Visionary Award: Celebrates a business growing in an innovative way.
  • The Dream Team Award: Celebrates a team or colleague working within a restaurant who uplifts their colleagues around them.
This Contest is being run simultaneously in multiple countries as set out below, and is open to eligible Toast customers in those jurisdictions in accordance with the applicable country‑specific rules. Eligible entrants in the United States will compete against eligible entrants from the United Kingdom for the same award categories and from a single overall prize pool. Eligibility requirements applicable in other jurisdictions may differ. US entrants should review these US Official Rules, which shall apply to their entry, together with any applicable country‑specific provisions to understand how eligibility and participation may vary by location. The official rules for the other participating jurisdictions can be found here:
United Kingdom Official Rules

3. Eligibility

Only existing Toast customers, located within the United States, who have used Toast Services (as defined in the Toast Merchant Agreement, available at https://pos.toasttab.com/merchant-agreement) for a period longer than six (6) months prior to May 15, 2026 may be eligible to win the Contest. Any entries relating to non-Toast customers will be disqualified.  Businesses owned by employees of Sponsor or their immediate family members (spouse, parents, siblings, and children) and household members of each such employee are not eligible to enter and/or win the Contest. Incomplete, unreadable, unintelligible, automatically generated (or otherwise created by artificial intelligence) and fraudulent entries and any entries that violate these Official Rules will be disqualified.

4. Entry

To enter, visit https://form.jotform.com/260994116181156 and fill out the entry form.
Owners, operators, employees, and other staff of existing Toast customers, as well as clients of customers, may submit a nomination on behalf of their own business or other Toast customer business, (each, an “Entrant”) by filling out the required fields contained on the Contest landing page as set out above. Each nomination will be considered one “Entry.” There is a limit of one (1) Entry per Entrant, per award category; multiple Entries by one Entrant in a single category will not increase chances of the nominated customer winning. Toast reserves the right to validate any information in the Entries and disqualify any Entries that contain false or misleading information and/or any Entrants who submit multiple Entries in each award category.
Entries open at 10:00 AM ET on May 15, 2026, and must be received no later than 11:59:59 AM ET on June 12, 2026 (the “Entry Period”) to be eligible. Entrants must have internet access to enter the Contest. Sponsor will not be liable for any internet, or mobile connection, or other charges incurred in entering the Contest. Sponsor’s computer is the official time-keeping device for the Contest. Entries constitute permission to use Entrant’s name and statements for purposes of advertising, promotion and publicity (including online posting) in any and all media now or hereafter known throughout the world in perpetuity, without additional compensation, notification or permission.  Sponsor will not accept:
  • responsibility for Entries that are corrupted, not successfully completed or transmitted, lost, mislaid, damaged or delayed in transit, regardless of cause, including, for example, as a result of any equipment failure, technical malfunction, systems, satellite, network, server, website, computer hardware or software failure of any kind; or 
  • proof of transmission as proof of receipt of Entry to the Contest.

5. Finalist Selection

Once the Entry Period has ended, a panel of Toast Employees will select the top 3 Entries in each of the 3 categories based on the judging criteria described in section 6 below (the final 9 being the "Finalists").  The odds of being selected as a Finalist are dependent on the number of Entries received and the quality of those Entries. Toast will use reasonable efforts to attempt to contact each finalist via the email and phone number shared by the Entrant in the Entry. Where a nomination is submitted on behalf of another Toast customer and the contract details included in the Entry relate to the Entrant rather than the nominated Toast customer, Toast will contact the Entrant and request the relevant business contact details of the nominated Finalist for the purposes of administering the Contest.  No personal contact details will be required unless and until the nominated Finalist agrees to participate further in the Contest as set out below.
To progress to the next stage of the Contest, Finalists will be asked to submit a short self-filmed video answering provided questions about why they should win the category in which they are nominated. Videos are due within 72 hours of the Finalists being contacted. Videos should not include any individuals who have not consented to the use of their image and/or participation being used for the purposes of publication as set out in this section.
Where a Finalize has been nominated by another Toast customer, Toast will first contact that nominated Finalist and provide these Official Rules, asking it to confirm whether it wishes to participate in the Contest. If the nominated Finalist agrees to participate within 24 hours of being contacted, it will then be invited to submit a video as described above.
If a nominated Finalist fails to submit a video within the 72 hours timeframe or declines to participate, or (where nominated by another Toast customer as set out above) does not respond within 24 hours of being contacted, the Sponsor reserves the right to select and contact the next most eligible Finalist for that category and follow the same process set out above. Toast will then publish the videos which have been submitted by the Finalists on the Community Awards website and ask the general public to vote for which Finalist they think should win in each category. 
Each video submission:
  • must be suitable for display and publication online and should not be obscene or indecent (including but not limited to nudity, pornography or profanity);
  • must not contain defamatory statements or words or symbols that are offensive either generally or to individuals of a certain race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or socioeconomic group;
  • must not include threats to any person, place, business or group;
  • must not invade the privacy or other rights of any person, firm or entity; and
  • must not in any way violate applicable laws and regulations or social media platform guidelines.
Sponsor reserves all rights to disqualify any Finalist if its video submission is or could reasonably be construed as being unlawful or contrary to these Official Rules, or if their conduct is contrary to the spirit or intention of the Contest.

6. Judging Criteria

Selection of the Finalists will be determined based on the written explanations of each category provided in the Entries as set forth above. Voters should also evaluate the written explanation based on the following criteria:
Criteria for Written Entries
  • Quality of written submission (i.e. easy to read, thoroughly explained, well-supported, free of typos and spelling errors)
  • How successfully does the submission, and the content in the submission, embody or symbolize the category?
  • Engaging – Does the submission grab your attention and excite/inspire/interest the reader?
  • Does the submission in other ways support Toast's mission to help businesses delight their guests, do what they love, and thrive?

7. Voting

Anyone may vote for a Finalist during the Voting Period (as defined below) to determine the Winner (as defined in Section 8) for each award category.
Voting for the Finalists will open to the general public, including without limitation the Finalists themselves, at 10:00AM ET on July 13, 2026, and all votes must be received by 11:59:59 AM ET on August 18, 2026 (the "Voting Period") to be eligible. 
Voters will be asked to evaluate the Finalists’ video entries based on the following criteria:
Criteria for Video Entries
  • Quality of video submission (i.e. easy to understand, thoroughly explained, well-supported)
  • How successfully does the submission, and the content in the submission, embody or symbolize the category?
  • Engaging – Does the video grab your attention and excite/inspire/interest the viewer?
  • Does the submission in other ways to support the mission of Toast.

8. Winner Selection

There will be a total of three (3) winners (one winner in each category) (each a "Winner" and together "Winners").  The votes for each Finalist will be tallied and the Finalist with the most public votes in each category will be declared the Winner of each category. 
Each Winner will be notified via email to the Winner’s email address used to submit the video submission within three (3) days of the end of the Voting Period to claim their prize and may be required to complete and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, liability/publicity release, and/or W-9 form, except where prohibited by law. Winners must provide Sponsor with their social security number or applicable tax identification number in accordance with IRS regulations to enable the Sponsor to issue a Form 1099-Misc. Any Winner who does not respond within seven (7) days will be emailed again and given a further seven (7) days to respond. If contact cannot be made, or the Prize (as defined in section 9) is not claimed, or required documentation is not provided, within 14 days of the original notification email, Sponsor reserves the right to withdraw the relevant Prize and to reallocate it to the Finalist who received the next highest amount of votes at its sole discretion.

9. Prizes

The Winner of each category will receive prizes (each, a “Prize” and together the “Prizes”) as follows:
  • The Spirit of Service Award: Celebrates a business going above and beyond to deliver exceptional hospitality.
    • Award: $10K + Toast Menu refresh (approximately a $1,000-$2,000 value)*
    • Round-trip travel to Boston and two-night hotel stay for the winner to attend the Toast Community Awards ceremony (10/20/2026–10/22/2026), plus a fixed allowance for additional expenses***
    • Dinner with Toast Leadership
  • The Visionary Award: Celebrates a business growing their business in a super innovative way.
    • Award: $10K + $1,000 software credit**
    • Round-trip travel to Boston and two-night hotel stay for the winner to attend the Toast Community Awards ceremony (10/20/2026–10/22/2026), plus a fixed allowance for additional expenses***
    • Dinner with Toast Leadership
  • The Dream Team Award: Celebrates a team or colleague working within a restaurant with a superhuman ability to uplift their colleagues around them.
    • Award: $10K + $2,500 gift card to be used for a team event
    • Round-trip travel to Boston and two-night hotel stay for one individual attending the Toast Community Awards ceremony (10/20/2026–10/22/2026), plus a fixed allowance for additional expenses***
    • Dinner with Toast Leadership
*Must be redeemed by 12/31/26.
**Free software will be provided as a credit (up to $1,000) of whatever Toast software the Visionary Winner is already using. Use of software is subject to all applicable Terms of Use. 
***Round-trip travel to Boston and two-night hotel stay for awards ceremony in October, plus expenses of up to $3,000. Attendance/admission of any additional individuals at Toast’s company event is in Toast’s sole discretion and Toast reserves the right to remove any such additional individuals from the company event at any time and for any reason.
All cash Prizes will be paid either (i) via check to the winning business or (ii) via bank transfer to a US bank account in the winning business’ name only. Payment cannot be made into a personal bank account. If requested by Sponsor, the Winner will need to provide a valid US bank account number and routing number. 
Prize payment will be made to each Winner within fourteen (14) working days of receipt of valid payment details. If a Winner is unable to provide valid payment details as stipulated above, Sponsor reserves the right to withdraw Prize entitlement and reallocate the Prize to a new Winner in accordance with section

10. Prize Conditions

Each Winner is solely responsible for paying any federal, state, local, and income taxes and any other costs and expenses not expressly covered by Sponsor in these Official Rules.
A Prize may not be assigned or transferred and must be accepted as awarded. Winners may not request cash or request a substitute prize
Except where prohibited by law,  further submissions by Finalists (e.g. of video or other content) constitutes permission to use Finalist's name, prize won (if the Finalist is deemed a Winner), hometown, likeness, video, photographs, statements, primary trademark(s), any trademark featured in the entry, and entry for purposes of advertising, promotion and publicity (including online posting), in connection with the Contest in any and all media now or hereafter known throughout the world in perpetuity (including future iterations of the Contest or other contests, sweepstakes, and giveaways of Sponsor), without additional compensation, notification or permission.
Prizes are awarded “as is” with no warranty or guarantee, either express or implied by Sponsor or prize providers. Winner acknowledges that the Sponsor, prize providers, and all other businesses affiliated with this Contest and their agents do not make, nor are in any manner responsible for any warranty, representations, expressed or implied, in fact or in law, relative to the quality, conditions, fitness or merchantability of any aspect of the Prize being offered.

11. Release and Limitations of Liability

By participating in the Contest, you agree to release and hold harmless Sponsor and its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents (the “Released Parties”) from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of participation in the Contest or receipt or use of any prize, including, but not limited to: (a) unauthorized human intervention in the Contest (including the voting process); (b) technical errors; (c) printing errors; (d) lost, late, postage-due, misdirected, or undeliverable mail, including electronic mail whether undelivered or filtered as spam; (e) errors in the administration of the Contest or the processing of Entries; or (f) injury or damage to persons or property. You further agree that in any cause of action, in no event shall the Released Parties be liable for attorney’s fees. You waive the right to claim any damages whatsoever, including, but not limited to, punitive, consequential, direct, or indirect damages.

12. Disputes

You agree that any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of, or connected with, the Contest or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the appropriate court located in Boston, MA. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, your rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of Sponsor in connection with the Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of Massachusetts, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of Massachusetts or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than Massachusetts.

13. Contact and Results

Sponsor shall publicly announce the Winners of the Contest through its social media channels after the Contest. To be notified of the Winners, email ToastCommunityAwards@toasttab.com with the subject line “2026 Toast Community Awards Winner List.” Requests must be received between August 11, 2026, and November 11, 2026.

14. Additional Terms

All entries become property of Toast, Inc. and such information shall be processed in accordance with Toast's Privacy Policy. Sponsor reserves the right to hold, void, suspend, cancel, or amend the Contest where it becomes necessary to do so. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify and seek damages from any individual who tampers with the operation of the Contest, violates these Official Rules, or acts in a disruptive or unsportsmanlike manner. Sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision. Proof of sending any communication to Sponsor by mail shall not be deemed proof of receipt of that communication by Sponsor. The Contest is subject to federal, state, and local laws and regulations and is void where prohibited.

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