3 Square alternatives for a growing restaurant

Choose for the restaurant after the first counter

Starting with a till is one decision. Running a kitchen, takeaway channel and loyalty programme is another. A growing restaurant needs those parts to work together without turning every addition into a new operational task.

Square does not support card processing in Norway. Its UK restaurant offer also places 24/7 support on paid plans, with loyalty sold separately. Norwegian restaurants need a payment and service setup built for their market.

Plan for the restaurant after opening day

Count the channels you expect to run together. A counter, two kiosks, a webshop and a busy kitchen need more coordination than a single till. Include the guest relationship too, from the first order to the reward that brings someone back.

Compare the cost of that complete setup. Software subscriptions, processing charges, loyalty and support can change the picture as sales grow. The useful number is the cost of running your restaurant, not the price of its first screen.

1. ninito connects the restaurant beyond checkout

ninito gives Nordic restaurants a connected foundation for POS, kiosks, kitchen displays and direct ordering. Native loyalty brings points, levels and rewards into the same operation, while managers keep control of menus and locations. You also get ninito’s own team in Norway. Norwegian and English support is included 24/7/365, with no extra evening, night or weekend charge when checkout needs attention.

Payment pricing deserves its own comparison. ninito offers BankAxept in Norway at 0.161%, with 0% ninito commission and no fixed fee per BankAxept transaction. Online and other card payments have their own rates. Hardware is supplied at purchase cost with 0% markup, and guest SMS is included.

• Dedicated Full Service and Quick Service POS experiences
• Native loyalty with points, levels and birthday rewards
• Guest SMS and supported accounting integrations included
• Norwegian and English support available 24/7

2. Flipdish

Flipdish’s Irish POS documentation describes combining in-store and online orders, including supported marketplace channels.

3. Lightspeed

Lightspeed’s Norwegian Gastrofix offer includes table plans, mobile ordering and split bills. Kitchen screens, accounting integration and central chain management are listed as optional extensions.

Put every fee and every promise in the comparison

Square’s UK restaurant pricing distinguishes Free from paid restaurant plans, with 24/7 support on paid plans. Square Loyalty is a separate subscription. These are concrete items to include in a requirement sheet, not reasons to invent a universal cost figure.

Put software, processing, hardware and the support your shifts need in one proposal. Then ask what value the supplier stands behind. With ninito Pro and Enterprise, the answer is a 100% value guarantee. You do not pay for the system if the value ninito creates does not cover its cost to you.

• Understand restaurant transaction costs↗