More than 170,000 US restaurant locations now use Toast's handheld payment devices as of March. The technology lets servers close out tabs at the table in one step — and with competitors also in the market, the four-step checkout ordeal may soon be a relic.
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At 5:42 · chapter starts 4:16
The fix to Bisaha's grievance comes in the form of handheld payment devices — the kind travelers to Europe or Australia have seen for years. Steven Bisaha introduces Miguel Aguilar, his server at a Jersey City restaurant, who describes life before and after. [1] — Miguel Aguilar "The minute we got these, we could take 4, 5, 6 tables outside, not worry about having to run in for every single order. And it nearly halve…" 05:09 Before: everything took forever, constant trips in and out. After: four, five, six outdoor tables managed without running inside, and service time nearly halved. Darian Woods notes he's seen these devices increasingly in Chicago and appreciates how easily they split checks. The devices come largely from a company called Toast, and Bisaha notes that restaurant inertia — plus a hardware cost of hundreds of dollars per device — slows adoption. [2] — Steven Bisaha "170,000+ US locations use Toast devices: As of March, more than 170,000 restaurant locations in the US were using Toast's handheld payment …" 06:40 But the momentum is real: Toast reported more than 170,000 US locations using their hardware as of March, and with competitors in the market, the pen-and-paper checkout may be heading for extinction.
Server Miguel Aguilar tried both systems. The old way: constant trips back and forth, everything taking forever. The new way: four to six tables at once, service time nearly cut in half. The change wasn't optional — it was transformational.
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With handheld payment devices, server Miguel Aguilar said he could manage 4 to 6 tables outside without running back inside for every order.
Server Miguel Aguilar said the handheld payment devices nearly halved the time needed to serve each table compared to the old pen-and-paper system.
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