Pros & Cons of CAKE: Analysis of a Restaurant Management Software

Do you like waiting in long lines to get your food? Are you thrilled when you learn that the table you have reserved is taken? Do you enjoy swiping your card multiple times on the device because it can’t be read on the first few tries? If the answer to all of these is no, then congratulations! You already know how the customers in your restaurant think.

How would you alleviate the above situations? Well, a robust restaurant management software like CAKE is your best bet. Not only would it make the service better but it could also add a lot of functionality that can maximize the potential of your business. But, as with other solutions, the software should fit your business, not the other way around.

Here, you’ll get a look at CAKE pros and cons in detail. The system is equipped with features that every good restaurant management software has: easy operations, robust integration, finance tracking, analytics and reliable support. But you’ll also get to know the few unlikable issues you might run into when using it. This article will make it a lot quicker for you to decide whether this POS software is a good candidate.

Increased competition in the foodservice industry is making a big impact on your bottom line; all the more critical to up your game to survive. One of the best ways to ensure that profitability remains high is to meet customers’ expectations; happy customers are your best marketing channels. They will keep coming back and tell their friends about this great food establishment of yours. This is where the POS solution comes into play.

Utilizing the service of a restaurant management solution to augment your operation gives way to your business enjoying the benefits of POS software on every service it renders. Is this true for CAKE as well? What you should note also is that the restaurant management software isn’t growing at a tremendous speed for nothing. At 14.3% growth from 2018-2024, it’s not hard to think your competitors might already be onboarded with the system. You can’t afford to be late to the party. The task at hand is to get the right system that fits your need and CAKE might just be it.

What is CAKE?

CAKE from Sysco is an integrated POS, guest management and online ordering solution. It is especially created to aid restaurants, cafes and bars of any size in increasing its profitability, work speed and customer satisfaction. The system can efficiently manage waitlisting so that customers won’t have to walk away disappointed. Seating is easier to handle as guest manager app helps you decide on how to distribute guests.

The vendor offers a comprehensive demo version to get you up to speed with the features.

Inventory management, ease of use and scalability are some of the factors that good POS have in common. CAKE possesses all of those qualities and more. You can use it to automatically manage your employees’ time, salary, breaks, etc.

Furthermore, your staff in the kitchen, dining area and the host stand can communicate in a clearer and more effective fashion. This avoids confusion and misunderstanding, guaranteeing a smooth operation especially for unique customer requests.

Pricing is affordable since you can lease equipment; perfect for the smaller business. Of course, you can also purchase it whole.

CAKE Advantages & Disadvantages

Integrated solution

CAKE POS can seamlessly integrate with Guest Manager and Online Ordering systems for fully powered restaurant service. Thanks to this, operations in the dining room are connected to the kitchen, host and counter. This results in streamlined team communication without having the staff leave their stations. Moreover, table information, seating arrangement and order status are all automated and visible to every person concerned. Increased workforce efficiency means better service and in turn, happier customers.

Guest manager

CAKE’s Guest Manager App increases the level of service you render to customers by streamlining your waitlist management, viewing the guest’s visit history and optimizing the reservation process. Reduce walk-aways by having customers get in line “virtually”. This means that they can wait wherever they want or do other stuff while waiting without the fear of missing out. They can also install the List app. This would display the number of parties that are getting served before them. The said app will also provide an accurate waiting time before their turn comes. They can even receive a text when their table is ready if they prefer to.

Guest profiles alert your host of a repeat customer so he/she can add a more personal touch in the service such as greeting the guest by name. There’s an option for making online reservations too which is easy and convenient for both the customer and your staff. Those who want to make reservation can do so through the online reservation system, via the List app or through the phone. There’s no need to go out of your way and alter your workflow in order to receive and manage online reservations as well. This is because CAKE would seamlessly connect everything into the POS system.

CAKE guest management dashboard.

Employee management

CAKE POS isn’t just built to keep your customers satisfied; it’s meant to make your employees happy as well. The built-in timecard management automatically clocks them in and monitor their breaks, as well as overtime. Managers can make reviews of their staff. Obtaining flexible payroll reports is hassle-free as well. There’s a tipping system too where customers are prompted to give a tip if they want. At the end of the shift, those tips can be easily divided among the staff and servers. Thanks to all these, your employees can simply focus on doing their jobs properly without having to mind other more technical stuff. Finally, CAKE Point of Sale system can seamlessly integrate with 7Shifts to extend its employee management functionalities.

Seating and Table Management App

CAKE features a robust custom floor map builder that allows you to design a plan where you can arrange the tables and seats accordingly. You can merge table for large parties, block a set of tables to know it’s reserved and more. There’s a table timer as well which monitors how long a table has been used in order to make a more accurate estimate on when it will become available. Guests can also be pre-assigned to particular tables and there are pre-configured sections that evenly distributes guests across the entire floor. Moreover, the system would alert you of the next optimal action regarding where to seat your guests in the waitlist.

Online ordering

Increase your business’ online presence by integrating online ordering capability straight from your Facebook page or your website. The menu system is rich so customers can select their meals in varying details. This causes reduced errors and increased accuracy of what they want, which ultimately adds to their satisfaction. Checkout can be done in a simple screen and customers can add a tip if they prefer.

The online ordering system can seamlessly integrate with your CAKE POS. This means that whenever an order is made, the kitchen is immediately notified. The inventory is also updated for each online order and payments can be processed in the same manner as that in Point of Sale solution.

CAKE online ordering dashboard.

Robust but Affordable Hardware

Every hardware sold by CAKE is all especially tailored to effectively meet the needs of a demanding restaurant environment. It’s practical; the POS touchscreen device facilitates a responsive touch control regardless of whether a stylus, gloves or a flour-covered hand is being used to operate it. It’s customer-friendly; on the counter, there a touchscreen facing the guests that allows them to check their order, enroll to promotional programs, sign credit cards and register for an e-receipt.

It’s tough; there’s no bevel on the screen so crumbs, dust and liquid splashes won’t fall into crevices and edges. It’s secure; a CradlePoint MBR1200B router always accompanies every CAKE POS installation so operations can be done in a secure environment and CAKE can monitor your business proactively. And it’s affordable; it can be purchased or leased, your choice. But of course, it’s far from perfect so hardware troubles might arise. In this instance, you can ask for their support team to resolve the issue quickly before it severely affects your business.

Table-side ordering

Another way of speeding up your service is taking the process straight to the table. With CAKE’s OrderPad, you can cut off some time by letting your crew take the order and then instantly send it to the kitchen. Costs are automatically calculated as well so payment can be done right there and then by swiping the customer’s card into the device. This gives your business the convenience of a mobile ordering system with the full integration and security benefits of a POS solution.

In-class partnerships

Boost your business’ profitability through the platform’s powerful integration support. CAKE partners with industry-leading solutions, from payment gateways to accounting systems. These include PayPal, QuickBooks, Xero, 7Shifts, Swipe Cards and ChefTab. There’s a software for accounting, payments and operations aspect of your business. The offered hardware brings mobility, efficiency and great functionalities to the kitchen, dining room and the counter.

Cost friendly pricing

CAKE’s POS solution, as well as the online ordering software, offers a cost-efficient pricing scheme where you won’t have to avail a monthly subscription. Instead, you only pay for what you use and not a cent more. Pricing is transparent as well, 2.5% + $0.10 for every swipe of any card for the POS system. Online ordering offers an incredibly low rate of 5% per transaction. This is lower than almost any other similar software and not only that, costly third-party fees are eliminated as well. And with the absence of complex paperwork to be filled, the transaction can be started within minutes.

Offline mode

It’s a cloud-hosted solution so when internet connection gets cut off, the system is affected. It’s not all bad, however. That’s because when the connectivity is down, your operations won’t follow suit. The platform can still perform its duties in an offline environment. You are still able to take orders, accept payments and more through the system. And when the internet returns, everything will be synced automatically and the service is back to normal. As if nothing happened.

Real-time Analytics

Business owners can easily spot the trends in their business, such as the average wait time and every purchase done in each branch, through CAKE’s powerful analytics. Foot traffic can be monitored as well so your workforce is ready for rush hours. The gathered information can then be used for making smarter decisions such as determining the next course of action to take in order to ensure that guests are satisfied with your service. Fewer walk-aways, more income.

Not only that, but important information about your business can be monitored in real-time as well. This includes wages, hours, sales and many more. Data is stored in the cloud too, so it can be accessed anytime, anywhere, through any device. There’s a separate but integrated analytics for online and dine-in orders so seeing how both affect your business is easy. And comparing how they separately adds to your bottom line is just as easy.

CAKE analytics dashboard

Increased repeat customers

You can create promotional offers for your guests which can be redeemed straight from their phones. This is also a good way for knowing more about them so you can formulate loyalty programs that would make customers come back to your establishment. Aside from that, the automated guest profiling notifies your staff manning the counter about the customer’s name, dietary needs, ordered items, etc. This way, guests receive a more personalized service which can increase their satisfaction level.

24/7 Support

CAKE has a team of dedicated customer support that is within reach any time. Their around-the-clock service provides assistance in relation to every product sold by the vendor. Technical issues are bound to happen and when they do, CAKE’s customer support is there to lend a hand. This ensures that your business hours are dedicated to running your business instead of fixing it. CAKE has financial and legal staff as well which could aid you in fighting chargeback frauds and the likes.

How secure is CAKE for handling sensitive customer data?

Security is a critical consideration for any business handling sensitive customer information, particularly in the restaurant industry, where transactions and customer data are often collected. CAKE takes security seriously and implements several measures to protect customer data.

Here’s how CAKE safeguards sensitive information:

• Data Encryption: CAKE uses high-level encryption protocols to protect data in transit and at rest. This ensures that sensitive information, such as payment details or personal customer data, is encrypted and cannot be easily intercepted during transmission.
• PCI DSS Compliance: CAKE complies with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), a set of guidelines designed to ensure that all companies handling credit card information maintain a secure environment. This provides additional reassurance to restaurant owners that their payment processing is secure.
• Secure Cloud Storage: The CAKE POS system operates in the cloud, meaning all data is stored in secure data centers with advanced security protocols. These data centers are protected with physical security measures such as 24/7 monitoring, controlled access, and redundant systems to ensure uptime and data integrity.
• User Access Controls: CAKE includes customizable user access controls, enabling restaurant owners to restrict access to sensitive data based on roles. This minimizes the risk of unauthorized access to critical information.
• Regular Security Audits: To maintain the highest level of security, CAKE regularly conducts security audits and updates to address emerging threats and vulnerabilities. This helps ensure that the system is constantly improving.

Ready to upgrade your restaurant?

Whether you’re a quick-service restaurant or a full-service one, CAKE’s integrated solution is sure to elevate your productivity. It streamlines point of sale transactions, allows effective management of your workforce and smoothens communication between teams. It also makes your employees happier by letting them receive more tips. You also enjoy the benefits of cloud-hosted POS solutions as well.

Most of all, though, it allows you to serve more customers, whether through dine-in or online orders. The system increases the online presence of your business which allows it to rake in more people. Guest management minimizes the instances of walk-aways and no-shows. The table management app allows for faster table turnarounds. Lines are shorter and transactions are completed quicker thanks to the POS solution.

Now that you’ve read the CAKE pros and cons, why not give it a test run at no cost and take your evaluation to the next level.

By Shaun Baker

With 5 years of experience in digital marketing and retail strategy under his belt, Shaun Baker is the resident eCommerce expert at FinancesOnline. A contributor to Entrepreneur, The Atlantic, and other business portals, he has spoken and written about various eCommerce subjects, from AI and headless commerce to the economics of Black Mirror’s “Fifteen Million Credits”. His (highly) opinionated pieces on the ebbs and flows of eCommerce as an industry remain both a dynamic resource of talking points and entertainment in itself.