Why we don't sell hardware.

If you've shopped for a restaurant POS in the last few years, you've probably noticed something: most vendors want to sell you hardware. Expensive hardware. Proprietary hardware that only works with their software.

We made a deliberate decision not to do that. Here's why.

Hardware lock-in is a business model, not a feature

When Toast requires you to buy their $799 terminal, that's not because their software can't run on other devices. It's because once you've spent $3,000 on three terminals, you're much less likely to switch. The hardware becomes a switching cost, not a product advantage.

Toast's hardware is Android-based. There's nothing it does that an iPad or any Android tablet can't do. The difference is that Toast controls the device, controls the software updates, and controls when you need to replace it.

You already have devices

Every restaurant we've talked to already has at least one iPad, a laptop, and phones. Most have several. These devices have high-resolution screens, fast processors, reliable WiFi, and they cost a fraction of proprietary POS terminals.

PlateFlow runs in any modern browser — Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge. If the device can open a web page, it can run PlateFlow. That means:

• Your servers can use iPads they already know
• Your kitchen display runs on any wall-mounted tablet
• You can check reports from your phone at home
• New devices cost $150-$300, not $799-$1,034

What about durability?

The most common argument for proprietary hardware is that it's "built for restaurants" — spill-resistant, heat-resistant, drop-resistant. That's a fair point, but there are $30 ruggedized cases for iPads that solve the same problem. A $329 iPad in a $30 OtterBox case is more durable, more capable, and less than half the price of a proprietary terminal.

What about offline?

Another argument is that proprietary devices handle internet outages better. In practice, PlateFlow's browser-based POS can continue core workflows during short outages with cached data. Orders queue locally and sync when connectivity returns. Full reporting and online ordering require an active connection — same as every cloud-based POS, including Toast.

The real math

A typical single-location restaurant needs two or three terminals plus a kitchen display. Here's what that costs:

That $2,506 doesn't include installation, doesn't include the 2-3 year contract you're signing, and doesn't include the early termination fee if you want to leave.