TouchBistro: Revolutionizing the Canadian Restaurant Community.
TouchBistro was born from a simple question posed to founder Alex Barrotti during a casual dinner about a common issue faced by owners of busy restaurants everywhere: “Can you help me find a piece of technology that will make it easier and faster for my servers to take and place orders?” TouchBistro, a Canadian restaurant technology company, has since evolved into a leading cloud-based, all-in-one POS and restaurant management system that powers almost 30,000 restaurants around the world. Samir Zabaneh, TouchBistro Chair and CEO details how this common operational pain point shared by a friend touched off a journey of innovation. “Alex was inspired by the operational challenges faced by a friend who owned a busy restaurant. The need for a mobile, easy-to-use technology led to the development of TouchBistro, an app that would have all of the features and functionality restaurateurs need, housed on an iPad—a mobile and intuitive device that any server, manager, or owner could use.”
Evolution & Milestones
Since its launch in 2011, TouchBistro has remained committed to simplifying restaurant operations with cutting-edge technology. “Since our inception, we have continued to evolve alongside the industry. We build today what restaurant operators will need tomorrow,” says Zabeneh. “Today, TouchBistro is a cloud-based POS and restaurant management system that provides the most essential front of house, back of house, and guest engagement solutions on one easy-to-use platform. TouchBistro continues to evolve, developing even better solutions to help support the passion and success of restaurateurs across North America and beyond.”
TouchBistro’s journey is marked by continuous growth and adaptation. From expanding its product set to acquiring a premium reservations management platform, TouchBistro has consistently stayed ahead
of industry needs. “We introduced a commission-free online ordering platform during COVID, acquired a best-in-class loyalty solution, and doubled down on our back-of-house technology,” Zabaneh highlights. With a recent CAD $150 million growth financing, TouchBistro is poised for further innovation.
Staying Ahead in a Dynamic Industry
In the restaurant industry today, balancing labour and costs, and keeping customers coming back are among the toughest challenges faced, Zabeneh notes. “As Restaurants Canada recently reported, half of restaurants are still operating at a loss or barely breaking even. Automation can help alleviate the burden of time-consuming tasks like inventory management, invoicing and staff scheduling, giving operators hours of their day back. Our cloud first technology makes this even more flexible and, to make day-to-day operations easier for existing staff and help our customers reduce turnover rates. Last year, we introduced a comprehensive suite of back of house and back-office solutions that seamlessly integrate with our full ecosystem to help restaurants improve profitability and “do more with less.” We’re excited to share more developments in this area in 2024.”
Zabeneh also points out the challenges of a tightening, increasingly competitive restaurant market. “With consumer spending declining, it’s more important than ever for operators to turn first time customers into regulars. We continue to invest in our suite of guest engagement technology to provide operators with the solutions they need to tap into customers’ behaviours, and tailor their service and offerings accordingly to retain their business.”
TouchBistro’s success is rooted in its customer-first philosophy. “We start with
our customer’s point of view in everything we do,” says Zabeneh. “Our personalized approach ensures a great fit between our offerings and the business needs of our clients. With human-guided onboarding, proactive communications and round-the-clock support, TouchBistro prioritizes customer satisfaction at every step.”
Shaping the Future of Dining
As technology continues to redefine the restaurant industry, TouchBistro is at the forefront of this transformation. “We anticipate that technology will continue to advance to enhance the guest experience and create more operational efficiencies. Our goal is to help restaurateurs delight their guests and grow their businesses,” Zabaneh shares. With exciting developments on the horizon, TouchBistro is committed to becoming a 360° partner for operators, making daily operations seamless and impactful.
TouchBistro’s journey from a simple idea to a leading restaurant management system is a testament to its dedication to the Canadian restaurant community. With a focus on innovation, customer satisfaction, and addressing industry challenges, TouchBistro is set to continue its remarkable journey, shaping the future of dining one restaurant at a time.
TouchBistro Benefits:
Restaurants Canada members receive exclusive access to three free months of TouchBistro POS licensing. Terms and conditions apply.
- All in one, cloud-based POS and restaurant management system
- Designed to increase sales, deliver a stand-out guest experience and save operators time and money
- Front of House, Back of House and Guest Engagement solutions
- Used across all restaurant segments from independents to regional chains Canadian born and based company
