Aloha EPOS

Pros

So much easier than micros. Dummy proof for new servers. Easy for servers to navigate.

Cons

Credits cards system from time to time goes down. Customer service hard to reach in the timely manner.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing Aloha EPOS

Switched From

Pros

It is easy to learn, and teaching employees to use is a lot easier than with other similar POS systems.

Cons

Menu changes and initial setup takes forever, and updating items for daily specials and menu changes is more time consuming than with other systems.

Pros

The thing I like most is that it does integrate across most restaurant functions - it covers loyalty, POS, has build-ins for inventory, etc. And the POS terminals are great. But the software does not have much going for it.

Cons

This software looks like it was built super well for the early 10's and hasn't been updated since. When I was onboarded, I watched videos that were made in 2012 and the look/feel of the functionality hadn't changed at all. Almost 10 years after being built, it hadn't made any UX updates.
The loyalty program, though it says it has the ability to segment, does not. You must pull a report that shows every single one of your Guest Loyalty members, then in your own Excel sheet, filter by location, then filter by when they were last in the restaurant, then filter by the information you're actually looking for.
There is no easy way to pull any of this Marketing information.

Pros

Aloha is extremely intuitive and simple to use. It’s great for people who are new to the restaurant industry. And great for those of us who are seasoned.

Cons

I dislike that it must be run insync with Windows.

Pros

Easy to manage and customize and easy to teach other how to work on the POS system.

Cons

If there is any error, system will freeze frequently, and you have to reset to get it back if you want to have the system running again.

Pros

Functionality is good, easy to rummage through, toggle and navigate made easy by touchscreen capable, orderly, tacks on prices for add ons

Cons

Color coating, less crowding, easy back office, waiters/waitresses may deceive (the system) easily if entrusted

Pros

I have worked in restaurant management across the world, and have encountered various ePOS systems that do the job but that's about it. Aloha is not one of those. You could quit literally sit someone down in front of it and in 5 minutes they'll know the basics, 10 minutes they will be able to enter more complex orders and complex checkouts (e.g. split checks, etc.), and in 30 minutes they could be capable of programming your entire business into it from scratch and running any report you could want. A la iPhone. It really is that simple to use.

Cons

Like any computer, terminals can sometimes get glitchy and must be rebooted, but impatient folk servers and managers alike may start thumping on the screen with their pens, fingernails, etc, and after awhile it will take a toll on the touchscreen. But I've experienced this in $10mln/yr volume restaurants when they are under heavy use, not $2mln/yr volume businesses.

Pros

The Aloha POS System was by far the easiest software I have encountered throughout my work experience in the Food & Beverage Industry. The interface of the actual system itself that I used to enter customer orders into had everything right in front of your eyes on the main page of the screen, which allowed me to enter my orders quickly and accurately. This layout also helped me manage several customers tabs at once without having to jump through several hurdles to do so. Anytime an order needed a modification last minute, I was able to get the system to help in time.

Cons

There were honestly no features in this software that I came across and questioned its purpose or use. Everything has a place and where that place happens to be just makes sense for the establishment that it is attached to.

Pros

Visually appealing and powerful. Aloha makes ordering items easy and it's also the easiest POS, I've worked with, to modify items.

Cons

The ability to transfer checks between staff could be easier. Most places don't do that often, but others do.

Pros

It's EXTREMELY easy to use.
Easy to read format.
Every button or sub group tab on the screen is easily accessible

Cons

It freezes too often.
There are lags at times.
I wish the program wasn't as slow as it is.

Pros

I’ve used it for years and have always loved how straightforward and simple this operation system has been to use.

Cons

Can’t really think of anything I dislike about aloha.

Pros

I believe that Aloha gives the user more abilities in the front of the house than most POS systems I have used. The ability to highlight multiple items at once and duplicate/delete is a great feature not found in other systems. I also enjoy the overall lay out of the buttons, as far as having space between each button (which makes it easier for touch screen use), and the ability to add as many different sub menus at desired.

Cons

I wish that there was a way to customize the color of the buttons. When this system is implemented in busy restaurants (which is my experience with it) color coding different things such as ingredient/sauces/allergies could make the adjustment period for new servers much quicker, and cut down on the amount of time spent searching for certain things in the menus. I also feel like the strength of Aloha is in its day to day use. When using the master computer to try and revamp, or set up new menu items in the office the process is far from intuitive, and takes a long time to become proficient in. Maybe if there was a 'helpful hints' type feature for new user that would be a great addition.

Pros

The front of house interface is relatively easy to use. Quick and easy to navigate. The back of the house component is moderately easy to use and change.

Cons

The problem with this platform, is that because of its design, it can not keep up with regulatory or technological advancements. It was a major outlay financially, and because ti is not flexible, it can not be brought up to date, it needs to be replaced.

Pros

Easy for waiters to use. Reports are easy to read. The hardware is fairly robust, purpose built.

Cons

Service once was wonderful, but since NCR bought them a couple of years ago it’s a cluster fuck. Initial support is routed to India where you’re on hold for 10 - 20 minutes, to talk to someone whose only solution is to reboot, which of course we’ve already done. Then they can only “escalate” which means it gets routed to another idiot in India who calls you back in a couple of days to tell you to reboot the system. Then it gets escalated again and in a week you get a call from the local office who fixes it in 5 min. And they only in the last few months have developed chip readers, which without it, requires you take a 300 question PCI compliance exam every 6 months, only to fail because you don’t have a chip reader, then you have to apply for an exemption which you always get, but still, hours of work because no chip reader. Loved my local office who sold me the machine, can’t do it again though.

Pros

I use Aloha at the restaurant I work at; it is the computer system we use to send our orders to the kitchen. What I like most about this software is that it is very easy to use. The layout and color scheme is nice and not too outdated or overpowering.

Cons

There is one specific issue that comes to my mind from using Aloha that I liked least. When I was typing in an order one day and then sent it through to the kitchen, the kitchen was not able to receive the entire order of what I typed. It got cut off and I think that was due to typing in too much information. It may have also been because of the specific button I used. Regardless, this isn't a big issue and it's not like people are going to be typing in "novels" to send into the kitchen.

Pros

It was easy to use and setup all of the different variations for the restaurant food items. It was also easy to use from a management perspective, track per person average sales, etc.

Cons

Nothing comes to mind, it was a great software at the restaurant and easy to train employees on.

Pros

The software is easy to learn and the interface is simple and straightforward.

Cons

The system seemed to need rebooting quite often in the middle of a shift which would be frustrating for our restaurants team members who needed to ring up items on the Aloha terminal.

Pros

If you are in the resturant industry you need to use Aloha for your POS. It is easy to use, gives you the lay out of the resturant and is easy to add items or change information in the system. It does a great job keeping track of orders and tables.

Cons

It has shutdown before and caused panic, but if it's not as easy fix, someone is always out to fix the system super quick!

Pros

It was very simple to understand and learn

Cons

When clocked in under bartender you have to use that specific pos to close out, and if that specific pos is down you can't do anything until fixed

Pros

Aloha is dated so it makes it easier for senior citizens to use.

Cons

Everything. Aloha has next to no functions that a current POS system in the food service industry should have. It really is a waste of time trying to use it and I would tell anyone considering using it in their restaurant that they are making a MASSIVE mistake.

Pros

This is the most user-friendly POS we have used in the restaurant
The back office is very easy to use for reports, inventory control and POS terminal maintenance
Aloha also has a direct affect on our customers. Our staff finds it easy to use and they spend less time learning and more time providing the best customer service experience.

Cons

This was the most expensive POS we have purchased at our restaurant.
If our POS terminals go down it tends to take some time for replacement

Pros

This is an easy to use and update POS for any restaurant. I have used it in the past and it is easy to separate checks, open tabs, and run reports. Everything is simple and straightforward.

Cons

Some items are a bit out of date and I hope they fix that in newer updates to the system.

Pros

Has the features you need, good organization and UI.

Cons

It can take a bit of time to learn your way around it, but that's the case with any new POS.

Pros

Aloha menu management is easy for our operations team to make menu changes.

Cons

Integrations with other 3rd party products are sometimes difficult and pricey.

Pros

There are more features available on Aloha than in most POS systems. You just have to figure out how to use them (and support doesn't even know most of them!)

Cons

Aloha used to be the best option in POS. Unfortunately, support has plummeted, and any features that are included in newer platforms are either unavailable or expensive monthly payments to acquire.

Pros

straight forward interface, fast settings, fast action buttons and shortcuts. Making team member cards and adjusting features on a custom level is an amazing pro definitely.

Cons

glitches, unexpected reset, some screen freezing .

Pros

Aloha was great in the late 00's when it was the most advanced POS system around. It has detailed reporting and is widely known in the hospitality industry

Cons

It is not cloud based. Your computer goes down, god speed! The reports are clunky and hard to define if you want to drill down.

Pros

I love how easy it is to set up the POS to completely mirror your menu, making it more user friendly for the staff. I also like that it can be set up with your back office software to pull real time numbers and real time inventory, keeping everything much cleaner and streamlined.

Cons

Sometimes there are weird little quirks with giftcards, both selling and redeeming. I also wish it was easier to locate a previous transaction by the last 4 digits of a credit card number.

Pros

While setting up the menus in the system the organization and catorgies were so easy to set up. The rep waa very knowledgeable and asked questions about the food itself to better understand the needs of the servers ordering process.

Cons

When we made menu changes it seemed difficult and expensive to remove or add items. The reps were slow to reply and kept trying to sell am upgrade our system.

Pros

It's layer out so well. Even if youbare not trained you can be in about 10 Mims

Cons

I haven't found anything that I don't like. It's a great program.

Pros

Ease of use, functionality, cross-platform ability makes things simple.

Cons

Managing permissions can be somewhat tricky.

Pros

This is a very reliable POS system. They've been a mainstay forever. It remains easy to use on the server/bartender side.

Cons

The difficulty of this system is on the manager/owner side. Because this system is not cloud based, there is a big lack of functionality, especially not being able to view the daily restaurant performance while away from the location. In order to change items in the system, the entire system has to be re-booted, which is not ideal during service. Reporting is hard to use and requires a time commitment to get the reports you need. At times, it can be "clunky".

Pros

This point of sale system is popular for a reason its clearly one of the best. Their customer service is great (if you ever have to contact them anyway), and deployment is easy because it's very user friendly. It takes virtually no time at all to get used to, and it runs smoothly and easily.

Cons

There not much to dislike, it's been great to use. I think pricing is pretty standard for the system, and it's been easy to use.

Pros

Aloha is pretty simple. The buttons are easy to find and once you familiarize yourself with where everything is, there's nothing hard about it.

Cons

Aloha is slow and crashed quite a bit. It was hard to go in and change anything on the screens for the employees and if you had to make a change, everything had to be restarted and took forever to come back up.

Pros

Easy to learn software, most things are easily coded to navigate at ease. In the POS things are categorized which makes it easy on new employees.

Cons

Nothing stands out enough to dislike the software, sometimes the POS freezes and it needs to be manually restarted.

Pros

I love the fact that it was super easy to learn. You can literally learn the basics in a snap.

Cons

I can honestly say this program is the easiest and best system I've worked on. There's nothing I don't like about it. I'd recommend it to others.

Pros

Aloha is easygoing use. Aloha has above average customer service. The design is intuitive making it simple to figure out on your own.

Cons

The stock background colors were not great, however, they were easy to change and customize. Pricing is high

Pros

The layout is nice and organized. The customer service is amazing as well

Cons

It was a bit hard to integrate with our current business structure. But were were more than willing to work it out.

Pros

Very user friendly, very easy to train new staff. Support is easy and generally quick to fix any problems that arise.

Cons

I really didn’t have any major issues with the software. Nothing to complain about. All problems were fixed quickly.

Pros

Unfortunately, I don't feel as though I have any nice things to say about Aloha at this time.

Cons

There is a non-existant customer support, nearly impossible to extract data or reports, not customer friendly and inconsistent. Service goes down a lot.

Pros

Easy to use and to access various categories of drinks and food. This software was also easy to input information and specific discounts into for the bar.

Cons

Sometimes it was difficult to go back on the menu. The order might have had to be restarted if you were looking to return to a different page.

Pros

After being in the food and beverage industry for over a decade Aloha is known as being one of the best ones on the market. As a user it simplifies everything. With innovative features on splitting checks and opening tabs it really helps production time in any restaurant.

Cons

The only problem is with so many other options out there on the market Aloha has failed to lower their prices to be more competitive. Maybe that’s due to them knowing they’re the best. If you can afford it then I would highly recommend the investment.

Pros

I like that this is a software that you can scale with. It’s durable and can be implemented if you have many locations.

Cons

If you have issues there is an aloha software man that will come out- you can’t troubleshoot yourself. Sometimes leaving you down a few computers.

Pros

Easy to use software, well designed, easily navigating through menu options and modifiers.

Cons

No longer partnered with Radiant Hardware.

Pros

The system can be easily learned and training is a breeze. The software does everything you need a resteraunt software to do and pretty quickly.

Cons

The menu inputting system might be improved upon and easily adapted to how the servers want to use it the quickest.

Pros

Easy to use and teach, simple FOH functions and back office reporting. Rarely any software issues.

Cons

Somewhat expensive, but you get what you pay for with Aloha.

Pros

this is my number one recommended software for restaurants and bars. it is very easy to use whether you are the admin doing the adjustments or the user putting in order.

Cons

sometimes we have issues with new updates and getting new options put in to the system

Pros

Fairly simple operations, things made sense while they were on the different pages.

Cons

So many pages, only one way to get to specific pages.

Pros

Ease with front-of-the-house interaction and training.

Cons

Old, antiquated technology and non-responsive customer service.

Pros

Ease of use. Many options available with routing.

Cons

Crashes. Seems to crash often and needs refreshed.