Every January, a wave of new restaurants open their doors. In 2025 alone, the U.S. restaurant and foodservice industry is projected to reach $1.5 trillion in sales (National Restaurant Association), with roughly 50,000 new openings each year (Oysterlink, 2025).
The opportunity is huge — but so are the costs. One overlooked area that can quietly drain your budget is your POS system.
Most first-time restaurant owners delay choosing a POS until the last minute. That’s a mistake.
A good Point of Sale system runs your entire front-of-house and links with your payment processing. It keeps your staff efficient and your guests happy. But a bad or overpriced POS can mean long contracts, hidden fees, and wasted capital before you’ve even served your first table.
“Our first POS cost us nearly $300 a month — we didn’t even realize we were paying for features we never used.”
— Owner, Independent Bistro, Nashville (Restaurant Owner Roundtable, 2024)
According to G2, most POS systems charge between $50–$200 per month, plus $300–$1,200 for hardware setup.
ExpertMarket confirms those numbers, estimating total startup costs at $700–$2,000 for basic setups.
For full restaurant integrations, 7Shifts reports totals as high as $20,000 when you factor in proprietary hardware and paid add-ons.
That’s a steep price before you even start making sales.
| POS Provider | Monthly Software Fee | Setup / Hardware | Other Fees (Add-Ons, Support) | Estimated 1-Year Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toast | $165–$272 | $500–$1,000 | $500+ | $2,500–$4,500 |
| Clover | $100–$400 | $600–$1,200 | $300–$800 | $2,100–$6,000 |
| Square | $60–$150 | $0–$800 | $300+ | $1,020–$2,600 |
| Cake | $70–$200 | $600–$1,000 | $400+ | $1,900–$3,800 |
| TABL | $0 | BYO device or TABL-provided hardware | Processing fees only | $0 + processing |
(Sources: G2, ExpertMarket, 7Shifts, Toast, Clover, Square, Cake pricing pages — all verified October 2025.)
Takeaway: most POS systems cost restaurants $2,000–$5,000 per year — money that could be reinvested in marketing, hiring, or better ingredients.
TABL: $0 setup. $0 monthly. Stripe-powered payments.
TABL adds a .15¢ -$1 convenience fee per order to the guest — so you keep every dollar of your sale.
TABL was designed for new and growing restaurants that don’t need the bulk — or the bill — of traditional systems.
| Feature | TABL Benefit |
|---|---|
| 💵 Free POS | No software subscription, no software contract |
| ⚡ Fast Setup | Create your account in minutes. |
| 📱 QR & Card Payments | Customers can order or pay from their phones |
| 🧾 Menu Management | Edit or update items instantly |
| 📊 Reports Dashboard | See sales and trends in real time |
| 👋 U.S.-based support | Real people, ready to help anytime |
With TABL, your startup costs stay lean — and your operations stay modern from day one.
| Timeline | What to Do | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| 4 months before opening | Research POS systems | Avoid last-minute mistakes |
| 2 months before opening | Choose your POS and set up menus | Start training staff early |
| 1 months before opening | Run mock services | Test ticket flow and payment process |
| Launch week | Go live with real transactions | Use reports to optimize quickly |
POS fees shouldn’t eat your profits before you ever open your doors.
Choose a system that’s built for restaurants — not retailers, with no monthly POS fee and no software contracts.
TABL gives you everything you need to open, operate, and grow — for free.
👉 Book a free demo of TABL today and see how much you can save.