SpeedLine POS Review: Is SpeedLine Right for Your Business?

• 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.

• 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.

• Screen design assistance: SpeedLine representatives will work alongside you to create a touch-screen layout that makes the most sense for your restaurant.
• Directed ordering: Modifier prompts are hard-programmed to ensure that cashiers ask customers for all their modification choices like crust, sauce, toppings, and dressings.
• Customized information display: At the touch of a button, your menu screen can display nutritional information, allergens, or recipes.

If you’ve only ever used iPad POS systems, the SpeedLine order screen will look busy to you. But these busy screens include every possible modification on a single screen which minimizes button presses and speeds order entry.

SpeedLine’s order screens include a lot of information on a single screen to reduce button presses. (Source: SpeedLine)

Order screens typically show ingredients and toppings in midscreen, with menu navigation buttons on the left hand side. When you add a pizza to a check, the included ingredients light up. Selecting or deselecting these lit buttons adds or subtracts toppings from specialty or build-your-own pies. Cashiers and servers don’t need to keep every recipe in their heads; the information is at their fingertips. If you have ever trained new staff on menu item ingredients and allergens, you know how valuable this is.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.