SpeedLine POS Review: Is SpeedLine Right for Your Business?
This article is part of a larger series on POS Systems.
SpeedLine is a hybrid, Windows-based point of sale (POS) system specifically designed for pizzerias. This system has served independent pizza restaurants for decades and is usually the first to create pizzeria POS software innovations. As a locally networked system, SpeedLine has a much higher price than cloud POS and iPad POS systems. However, if you have the budget, SpeedLine is an excellent choice for any high-volume delivery restaurant.
SpeedLine
What We Like
- Order screens show ingredients and modifiers at a glance
- System automatically applies relevant combo and promotional pricing on qualifying orders
- Detailed driver management tools including maps-based dispatch, live tracking, and mileage tracking
- Heat map reporting shows popular delivery areas and marketing opportunities
What's Missing
- Pricing is custom-quoted
- Locally installed system has high upfront cost
- User interface is dated
- Some changes and updates can only be done by the SpeedLine team
Deciding Factors
- Software Fees: Custom-quoted
- Transaction Fees: Varies based on processor
- Payment Gateways: Payment agnostic; integrates with all the most popular payment gateways
- Compatible Hardware: Various industry-standard providers, including Elo touch screens, Epson printers
Standout Features:
- Pizza-specific ordering screens
- Highly detailed coupons and combos
- Built-in delivery tools including driver dispatch
- Pay at the door tools save on card-not-present processing fees and fraudulent charges
What We Recommend SpeedLine For
The SpeedLine team designed this POS system specifically to support pizza shops, so it has a lot of niche functions for handling combos and coupons. It is an excellent system for high-volume pizza shops that combine a highly modified menu with a high staff turnover. SpeedLine is practically impervious to user error and has robust driver management tools.
In particular, we recommend SpeedLine for:
- High-volume pizzerias: If you run many combo coupons and manage an in-house delivery team, SpeedLine is the strongest pizza POS for your operation.
- High-volume delivery restaurants: Any high-volume delivery restaurant will benefit from SpeedLine’s robust delivery POS functions, especially if card-not-present processing fees eat into your profits.
When SpeedLine Would Not Be a Good Fit
- Restaurants on a budget: You probably noticed the “high-volume” theme with our SpeedLine recommendations. If you don’t yet have that volume, we suggest checking out iPad POS systems.
- Restaurants that want a cloud POS: You can access SpeedLine’s reporting module from the cloud, but if you want to manage menu updates from your sofa, SpeedLine doesn’t have that flexibility. Check out our favorite cloud POS systems for the best options.
Not seeing the right fit? Check out our list of the best overall POS systems for small businesses and best restaurant POS systems.
SpeedLine Pricing
SpeedLine is an all-in-one POS package, so the price includes software, hardware, and installation. This all-inclusive price is custom-quoted, based on how many terminals you need, the complexity of your menu, and what features you require. Since the price is so tailored and restaurants vary so widely, it is difficult to list a total price. You’ll need to reach out to the SpeedLine sales team for an estimate. But budgeting for an overall upfront cost of anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000 is probably within the ballpark.
This is a much higher upfront cost than cloud-based restaurant POS systems, but it comes with some advantages. First, there are no monthly on-going subscription fees for the POS software. Second, with this higher price comes a lot more one-on-one attention. SpeedLine representatives will import your menu into the POS system, including all of your customizations and modifiers. They will also set up your integrated online ordering site. If you have limited administrative bandwidth, this support can be a big help.
SpeedLine Payments
- Choose your processor: SpeedLine supports multiple payment gateways, including Worldpay Express and Monetra, so you can shop for the best card processing rates.
- Digital payment options: Accept online payments and mobile wallet payments.
- Pay at the door: SpeedLine supports mobile card readers to process credit and debit card payments in the field.
- Reduced chargeback liability: Accepting more dipped and swiped cards protects you from chargebacks.
- PCI and EMV compliant: Ensure that your payments are encrypted and secure.
SpeedLine’s major payment gateway providers encrypt your payments from end-to-end and support a wide array of payment styles, from in-person payments, online payments, mobile wallet payments, and credit card payments at the delivery location.
SpeedLine’s mobile card readers allow your drivers to process payments in the field. (Source: SpeedLine)
The ability to tap, swipe, or dip physical cards away from the restaurant can significantly impact your bottom line. If you take most delivery orders over the phone, most of those credit card payments will be subject to higher card-not-present transaction fees. The impact on a small pizzeria can be massive. Accepting payments at the delivery location saves you money on transaction fees and further protects you from chargeback claims and other fraudulent activity.
SpeedLine Hardware
- Industrial grade: Industry-specific hardware withstands a lot of wear and tear.
- Mobile tablets: Full-size mobile tablets make it easy to offer a massive menu with tableside ordering.
- Kitchen display system (KDS): Robust features ensure your cooks receive tickets in the order they prefer.
- Locally installed: SpeedLine terminals are networked internally, so the offline functionality is massive.
SpeedLine terminals are networked together on a closed, internal circuit. Credit card processing and online orders are the only functions that require internet access. SpeedLine operates on preconfigured SpeedLine POS terminals and mobile tablets that you can purchase directly through SpeedLine. The upside is that SpeedLine hardware is robust enough to withstand a high-traffic, hot, wet restaurant environment. The downside, of course, is the price. Industry-specific terminals can be two to three times more expensive than consumer-grade iPads and Android tablets.
But SpeedLine is compatible with industry standard equipment like Epson kitchen and receipt printers and ELO touchscreen tablets. So, in some cases, you may be able to reuse equipment you already own. Your SpeedLine sales representative will be able to tell you what you can keep and what may need replacing.
SpeedLine operates on industry-grade terminals and standard hardware like Epson receipt printers. (Source: SpeedLine)
SpeedLine’s customer display screen is industry-grade, just like the POS screens. (Source: SpeedLine)
In addition to traditional free-standing POS terminals with cash drawers and receipt printers, SpeedLine supports customer-facing displays, robust KDS screens, and handheld tablets for tableside ordering. Because the POS tablets are designed to support the restaurant industry, the screens are larger than smartphones or iPad minis, so they display full-scale order buttons and order screens. If you’ve ever tried to squeeze a massive menu onto a tiny tablet, you know how a larger screen can speed your service.
SpeedLine POS Features
SpeedLine’s POS features are exhaustive. Any function that a busy, delivery-heavy restaurant could need is included. From combo ordering to inventory management, online ordering, delivery management, marketing and promotions, and detailed reporting SpeedLine leaves no stone unturned. For the price you’ll pay to get this system, it should be this comprehensive.
Pizza establishments—especially high-volume ones—have some of the most complex challenges of any restaurant type. Menu items are infinitely customizable and customers are in the habit of modifying every order. Combo orders are standard, and customers expect loads of promotional coupons. Then, you add the logistics of delivery operations and costs of card-not-present fees for nearly every sale, and you begin to see why pizza shops need such robust software tools.
In addition to the online ordering, menu management, order management, reporting, marketing, and loyalty functions that we’ll explore below, SpeedLine also features:
- Inventory management: SpeedLine’s Inventory tools monitor all your toppings at the ingredient level, regardless of how small a portion you use, and the dynamic “topping matrix” streamlines recipe creation. The module also includes in-depth reporting to illustrate food costs, stock and margin reports, and variance reports, and a buffet planner to help you maximize salad bars and other buffet offerings.
- Check Management: For full-service operations, SpeedLine supports seat numbers and separate checks. You can split individual items across multiple checks (like a shared pizza) and add individual items (like personal sodas). Orders placed via the phone have caller ID integrations, so you can easily view customers’ delivery addresses and order history.
- Workforce management: The SpeedLine POS has built-in employee scheduling functions. Training resources and tutorials are available on the SpeedLine support website. Connecting the POS to your payroll and accounting software creates an end-to-end accounting solution to reduce your bookkeeping hours.
- Multilocation management: SpeedLine was built to support multilocation pizzerias. You can centralize reporting for all locations in a single dashboard. You can also set your system to alert cashiers or customers ordering online that an order is out of one location’s delivery area, and direct the order to the appropriate sister restaurant.
Since our last update:
In 2022, SpeedLine added cloud reporting and analytics, allowing users to analyze detailed reports from any internet-enabled device. You can read more about SpeedLine’s reporting functions in the reports section below.
Menu Management
Order Management
- Suggested Upselling: Set your POS to prompt relevant upsells.
- Forced modifier order: Guided order modifiers ensure that selections like salad dressing and crust type are never forgotten.
- Table Management: Add custom floorplans for on-site table service.
- Order Timers: Color-code timers show how long a table has been seated or an order has been waiting.
- Integrated KDS: Use the built-in KDS screens to streamline your kitchen operations.
SpeedLine supports order management for in-store, takeout, and delivery orders. You can accept takeout and delivery orders over the phone or online. Multilocation pizzerias can even turn over phone ordering functions to a call center via integration with Live Exchange. If your pizza shop also offers delivery service, SpeedLine includes custom floorplans and handheld tableside ordering tablets. SpeedLine’s table service screen shows table status with color-coded alerts so that you know which tables are lagging or likely to clear soon.
You can attach relevant upselling prompts to specific menu items so your team can suggest them at the most helpful moment in the ordering process. You don’t need to rely on your staff to remember combos or current promotions, either—the SpeedLine system will automatically apply relevant promotions to qualifying orders.
If your customers have a lot of modifiers or special requests, no problem. You can control the order in which modifiers appear on your kitchen screens, no matter what order they are entered into the POS. You can print orders in your kitchen via standard kitchen printers, use SpeedLine’s integrated KDS, or combine both options.
SpeedLine’s KDS features order timers and easy to read order tickets. (Source: SpeedLine)
Alternate KDS views include the “Bin View” option which shows an active count of on-hand supplies. (Source: SpeedLine)
The KDS has a lot of insightful features. No matter how your cashiers ring a dish in, SpeedLine arranges the kitchen tickets to show orders the way your cooks prefer to see them. So, if your cooks want to see house salad tickets with dressing before any modifications, the POS will arrange it for you. The KDS also comes equipped with order timers so that you can ensure that all the items on a single ticket are ready at the same time. It also groups in-house dining, pick-up, or delivery orders.
Your team kitchen team can customize their KDS screens with up to 23 different screen views so they see information that is most important. Optional views are incredibly dynamic, even including a “Bin” view that shows a real-time count of on-hand stock, ensuring that you never sell a menu item that you’ve run out of. Using the KDS also unlocks additional reporting that shows actual prep times and helps you identify slow-moving kitchen stations or dishes that take a lot of prep time.
Reporting
- Build-your-own reports: Work with a SpeedLine rep to design one that shows precisely the data you want to track.
- Heatmap reporting: Combine sales and delivery data to see what items are selling where.
- Comprehensive: Whether you want to track customer behavior, food cost, labor costs, sales trends, or stock levels, SpeedLine has a report for you.
- Visually dynamic: Many reports are presented with charts to support an at-a-glance analysis of sales and labor.
- Cloud-accessible: SpeedLine’s reports can be accessed from the cloud so you can track your restaurant’s performance from anywhere.
SpeedLine’s reporting functions are as comprehensive as the system’s other features. With all of your data feeding into a centralized, in-house network, you can combine sales, cost, and labor data in customized ways to get a deep look at business performance and plan for growth. You can also perform dynamic tasks like combining past inventory reports and sales reports to create kitchen prep lists based on your actual sales and costs.
SpeedLine’s Heatmap report shows your busiest delivery areas. (Source: SpeedLine)
The Heatmap report is another excellent example of customization. With the Heatmap, you can search your sales history on a map that shows where certain items sell most or simply where your most active delivery customers live. This function can show you where to focus new marketing or promotions to have the most significant impact.
The system also includes a full spectrum of built-in reports to analyze sales, labor cost, inventory, food cost, delivery efficiency, kitchen productivity, and staff productivity. You can also track the effectiveness of marketing promotions. But if this is not enough, you can work with a SpeedLine representative to build custom reports that show exactly the data you want.
SpeedLine’s new cloud reporting module allows you access reports from any web-enabled device. (Source: SpeedLine)
SpeedLine’s reporting module is one of its few cloud-accessible tools. SpeedLine recently added a cloud-reporting feature so you can monitor your business health from any web-enabled device. This module is for reports only; it does not support full back-office functionality. For menu updates and employee scheduling, you’ll still need to access your POS onsite.
Online Ordering & Delivery
- Detailed delivery reports: Track average delivery times, high performing drivers, driver mileage, and percent of on-time deliveries.
- Custom delivery zones: Decide where to deliver and set fees for various delivery zones.
- Automated customer messaging: Send alerts to customers so that they know when to expect their delivery.
- Visual dispatch: See delivery orders on a map, group nearby deliveries together, and assign them to drivers.
- Pay at the door: Mobile card readers enable drivers to process card-present payments in the field.
- Third-party options: Receive third-party platform orders directly in your POS via Chowly or ItsaCheckmate.
SpeedLine offers a built-in online ordering product called SpeedDine. With it, you get an optimized online ordering website or branded app that customers can use to place digital orders. Both the app and your online ordering site communicate directly with your POS, so prices, combos, promotional offers, and tax rates are the same across the board.
SpeedLine’s maps-based driver dispatch shows driver locations in real time. (Source: SpeedLine)
The built-in delivery dispatch and driver management tools are some of the strongest I have seen in a restaurant POS. Integrated caller ID shows customer information on your POS screen when customers call in orders. Deliveries show up on a navigational map, so you can easily see which orders should be assigned to a single driver. Delivery information is emailed to drivers’ smartphones so they can use their preferred navigation app. Drivers can run credit and debit cards on mobile card readers at the delivery address, saving you money on processing fees.
SpeedLine user King’s Pizza Pronto is an excellent example of a SpeedLine-built online ordering site. (Source: King’s Pizza Pronto)
You’re not locked into SpeedDine as the only online ordering option; SpeedLine’s open software architecture allows you to integrate with other platforms like Menufy and Craver if you want more options for your online ordering site or to design your own smartphone ordering app. You can hail third-party drivers through DoorDash Drive. You can also receive third-party platform orders directly in your SpeedLine POS via integrations with Chowly and ItsaCheckmate.
Chowly and ItsaCheckmate come with their own monthly fees on top of the third-party commissions; it would be nice if SpeedLine integrated directly with popular third-party platforms to reduce your costs. But you can use third-party delivery platforms alongside SpeedDine or other in-house delivery options, so you can offset third-party ordering costs by converting new customers into future direct orders.
Marketing & Loyalty
- Reward loyal customers: Use traditional points-based loyalty or customized offers for specialty items.
- Automate bouncebacks: Offer new customers a deal on a future order at check out to keep them coming back.
- Survey customers: Print customer surveys on receipts (or link to an online survey) to catch issues before reading about them on the internet.
- Personalized messaging: Send customers personalized offers for birthdays, anniversaries, or other celebrations.
- Gift cards: SpeedLine integrates with multiple gift and stored value card programs and processors Worldpay, Givex, and Paytronix.
- Email marketing: Send deals and messages to filtered customer lists.
SpeedLine has massive marketing and loyalty functions to help grow your restaurant business. The POS is built around an in-depth customer database that tracks everything from contact and payment information to multiple delivery addresses, order history, and notes. Caller ID integration also lets your cashiers see who is calling before they pick up the phone, so your customers get personalized service, even from new employees. The POS offers detailed customer and marketing reports to analyze marketing campaigns’ results and help you plan new ones.
SpeedLine user HotBox Pizza showcases just a few possible pizza promotions on its website. (Source: HotBox Pizza)
Delivery-heavy restaurants need to match customer expectations for combo deals and coupons. Pizzeria customers, especially, have a huge appetite for various “family meal” or game-day deals. This is where SpeedLine takes a giant leap ahead of other restaurant POS systems, as this system can handle an incredible number of simultaneous coupons and complex combos. Your staff won’t need to keep track of all of them because SpeedLine automatically applies active promotional deals to qualifying orders as they are rung up on the POS. If a customer has a question about a specific promotion, your team can search the available promotions in the POS to find the right one.
SpeedLine also includes points-based loyalty tools to reward repeat customers. In addition to basic points collection and points-based offers, you can also create new customer rewards, birthday rewards, or other special date-based offers.
SpeedLine Ease of Use
- 365 support: Reach a live customer support rep any day of the year, at virtually any hour.
- LiveAssist: Allow SpeedLine technicians to connect to your POS remotely to troubleshoot or fix issues.
- Training support: SpeedLine hosts Training tutorials and videos on a customer website to train your managers and employees.
- User community: Connect with other SpeedLine users to learn how other restaurants get the most from their POS.
SpeedLine’s robust customization options are only possible because of the system’s complex backend software, so most of the preliminary POS system setup is done by the SpeedLine team. You’ll need to allow a week or two to get fully operational. This takes the pressure off during your setup time, but it also means that you need a SpeedLine representative to make some updates. The upside is this removes some administrative tasks from your team, but the downside is that updates can take longer.
The information-packed order screens combined with SpeedLine’s training resources make this POS one of the easiest for the front of house staff to learn. The directed order functions streamline the order process so much that your team doesn’t need to know the system deeply to use it. SpeedLine users frequently mention running a busy service with brand-new staff and pulling it off seamlessly.
SpeedLine regularly sends Quick Tips newsletters to users with restaurant management advice. (Source: SpeedLine)
The SpeedLine website is full of helpful tips for pizzeria operators. Every person I have interacted with at SpeedLine is full of creative ideas for pizza operations and eager to share their knowledge. Its customer service team is based in North America and operates 365 days a year, 18 hours a day. I like to see 24-hour customer support, so restaurant operators always have someone to help, but SpeedLine’s service hours run from 9 a.m. to 3 a.m. Eastern time, so they have most restaurants covered.
SpeedLine POS Alternatives
SpeedLine is an excellent POS, but it is more machine than some restaurants need. If you are not a high-volume, delivery-heavy spot, a POS with a smaller footprint will be more your speed. If you absolutely must have a cloud-based POS, SpeedLine is also not for you.
Best for: High-volume pizzerias that want a cloud POS | Best for: Growing pizza shops that want an affordable POS with industry-grade hardware | Best for: Slice shops that need a free POS |
If you like SpeedLine but really crave a cloud-based system, or one that runs on iPads, the only cloud POS that comes close to SpeedLine’s functionality is Revel Systems. Revel includes robust tools for online ordering and driver management, including a free driver smartphone app for driving directions and live driver tracking. Revel also includes a pizza building module to speed order entry and includes detailed inventory management. The only thing SpeedLine offers that Revel does not is the ability to process payments in the field, and Revel doesn’t quite match SpeedLine’s promo building tools. But for a cloud-based system, Revel comes pretty close.
What Users Think of SpeedLine POS
SpeedLine is not an internet-dependent POS, so it is not surprising that you don’t find many SpeedLine users online. However, the few available user reviews are overwhelmingly positive.
- Capterra: SpeedLine earns an overall rating of 4.7 out of 5 based on six user reviews.
- G2: SpeedLine earns a full 5 stars based on one user review.
Reviews note SpeedLine’s ease of use and ability to crunch massive amounts of customer information and sales data to create detailed reports. Many also mention how easy the system is to use. As a manager, I want to find tools that my staff likes to use, so the fact that some of these reviews were written by delivery drivers and other front-line staff really stands out to me.
Users Like: | Users Don’t Like: |
---|---|
Friendly and accessible customer support | Only a SpeedLine representative can make certain updates |
Collects an incredible amount of customer data for detailed reports | Upfront cost is high |
Robust menu modifiers, coupons, and combo support | Locally installed network is less flexible than cloud-based competitors |
Excellent offline function |
Bottom Line
SpeedLine has been creating tools for pizzerias for decades. Its familiarity with the pizza business model is evident in the insightful menu screen designs and intuitive combo building functions. The driver management and customer management functions are some of the best available in a restaurant POS. In a sea of cloud-based competitors, though, SpeedLine’s upfront price is pretty steep. To get an accurate picture of your full costs, you’ll need to reach out to SpeedLine for a custom quote.