Best Toast Alternatives for Pub & Gastropubs in 2026

Controlling a busy bar and kitchen is tough. Tracking draft beer, managing diverse inventory, and limiting late-night labor costs cut into your profits. Your current POS may not keep up. An effective system understands these needs. It helps you take charge.

Top Alternatives to Toast

🏆 1. Revel Systems

Revel provides strong inventory management. This works well for complex bar programs. It also supports multi-location setups and gives detailed sales reports.

Best for: Larger gastropubs or multi-unit operators. They need deep customization and detailed inventory tracking for varied menus and bar items.

Pricing: Subscription-based, starting around $99 per terminal per month, plus hardware and implementation costs.

2. TouchBistro

TouchBistro has an easy-to-use iPad interface and good table management tools. It offers basic inventory and staff controls.

Best for: Pubs that value ease of use and efficient table service. It is mobile-friendly for basic inventory needs.

Pricing: Subscription plans start from $69 per month, per license. Hardware is purchased separately.

3. Lightspeed Restaurant

Lightspeed offers strong inventory features and detailed reports. This works for restaurants with varied menus. It manages multiple revenue centers well.

Best for: Gastropubs with complex food and drink menus. They need detailed ingredient tracking and better reporting across service areas.

Pricing: Subscription plans generally start from $69 per month. Advanced features and hardware cost more.

4. Square for Restaurants

Square gives you integrated payments, online ordering, and basic POS functions. It grows with your business.

Best for: Smaller to medium-sized pubs. They want an affordable, integrated payment and POS solution. Setup and management are simple.

Pricing: Free plan available, Plus plan starts at $60 per month per location. Custom pricing for larger operations.

5. Clover

Clover has flexible hardware options and an app marketplace for more functions. It is simple to use for daily sales.

Best for: Pubs and bars that like simplicity. They need compact hardware and can add specific integrations through an app store.

Pricing: Monthly software fees range from $14.95 to $69.95. Hardware costs vary greatly based on model.

Why Lavu Is the Best Choice

You need more than just a payment processor. Lavu is your operator partner. It understands how food sales and beverage profits connect. Marty, Lavu’s AI analytics, gives real-time insights. This helps you improve your food and beverage revenue. Make smarter decisions faster.

Pubs and gastropubs have unique challenges. Late-night labor costs often reduce profits after 10 PM. Lavu’s detailed reporting shows you busy and slow times. This lets you schedule staff accurately. Draft beer waste and keg inventory become easy. Lavu tracks every pour. This reduces loss and manages stock better.

Lavu handles complex operations. It gives you tools to manage many revenue sources. Bar tabs to dining room service all integrate. We help you control costs, boost efficiency, and grow your business. See how Lavu meets your unique needs. Visit https://lavu.com/demo.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Lavu accurately track draft beer consumption and keg inventory?

Yes. Lavu provides exact inventory controls. It tracks every pour and helps manage keg stock.

Does Lavu offer tools to manage late-night labor costs?

Yes. Marty, Lavu’s AI, offers sales data insights. This helps you adjust staffing schedules to avoid lower returns.

Will Lavu integrate with my existing accounting software?

Yes. Lavu offers many integration options. It connects with popular accounting platforms.

How complicated is the migration process from Toast to Lavu?

No. Lavu’s onboarding team helps move your data. They ensure a smooth transition.

Can Lavu handle complex happy hour pricing and promotions?

Yes. Lavu supports flexible pricing rules. You can set up varied happy hour specials and promotions.

Does Lavu offer offline mode functionality for uninterrupted service?

Yes. Lavu systems work offline. Transactions sync when internet access returns.

Ready to see Lavu in action?

Book a free demo and see how Lavu helps operators like you.

Book Free Demo →

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to common questions about Marty, Lavu POS, and how they work together.

What is Marty and what does it actually do?

Marty is your restaurant’s intelligence engine. It watches every sale, shift, hour, item, and
trend inside your POS and gives you clear, actionable direction.

Marty informs. Lavu automates.
Together they act like a digital GM that never sleeps.

Marty gives you:

  • Daily morning briefings
  • Real time sales and labor insights
  • Forecasts and schedule recommendations
  • High margin bundle suggestions
  • Menu and pricing guidance
  • Server performance insights
  • Alerts when something is off


No spreadsheets. No reports. Just clarity and next steps.

You can run basic reporting and audits without Lavu.

But the full power of Marty only unlocks when paired with Lavu POS.

Why?
Because Marty needs real-time, restaurant-wide data to give you accurate insights and
recommendations.
With Lavu, Marty can see everything that happens in your restaurant and Lavu can instantly automate the action.

Marty informs.
Lavu executes.

Three things owners consistently call out:

It runs on iPads
Staff learn it fast. Training drops from days to hours.

It is flexible and not hardware locked
You are not forced into proprietary hardware. You can buy replacements anywhere.

It is the only POS designed to work with Marty
Other POS systems show you what happened.
Lavu plus Marty tells you what to do next.
This is what restaurants actually need to increase profit

Marty analyzes everything happening in your restaurant.
Lavu automates the work behind it.

Examples:

  • Marty flags high food cost items. Lavu shows the exact recipe cost and usage.
  • Marty spots slow periods. Lavu triggers targeted outreach or bundle suggestions.
  • Marty forecasts sales. Lavu generates the schedule with labor control.


It feels like hiring an analyst and an operations manager without adding payroll

Yes. Lavu uses PCI compliant, encrypted payment processing trusted in restaurants
worldwide.

Secure card handling, safe mobile payments, and no risky shortcuts

Most servers pick it up within one shift because it mirrors real restaurant workflows.

Managers love how much time they get back during onboarding

Lavu offers flexible plans for single location operators and multi location brands.

Pricing depends on your configuration, number of devices, and whether you activate Marty.

We will help you select the right setup based on your volume and goals.

Almost always yes.

Lavu works with major EMV readers, printers, KDS screens, and delivery platforms.
We are partnered with Apple to deliver the best-in-class iPad hardware experience.
For payments, Lavu integrates with Adyen, a global leader in secure restaurant payment
processing.

Because the system is open, you are not trapped buying expensive proprietary hardware.

Yes. Online orders flow straight into the POS with no extra steps and no chaos.

You can manage curbside, pickup, and delivery from the same screen.

Inventory updates in real time as items are sold.

Marty then analyzes the trends and highlights waste, low stock, or margin issues so you can
correct them early.

Yes. Lavu tracks time, wages, overtime, and labor percentage.

Marty adds intelligence on top of it by showing staffing efficiency, server performance, and when labor is running high.

Worldwide.

Both support restaurants across the globe with the infrastructure and partnerships needed
for international operations.

While Lavu is purpose built for restaurants, it works with other businesses too.
Drop us a line to find out more

Hit us on Marty Chat or reach support at support@lavu.com or 505-559-5100

Need help?

Call our award-winning support team 24/7 at 1 (505) 535-5288

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