Custom POS software in Canada for restaurants and retail. FourCents builds point-of-sale systems for Toronto businesses. Free consultation in 24 hours.
A point-of-sale system is the computer system a restaurant or shop runs on all day. When it fits how you serve customers, service is fast and the numbers add up. When it does not, staff work around it, monthly fees climb, and the reports you want are locked behind a higher plan.
A custom POS is built around your menu, your floor and your rules, and you own it. This guide covers what a complete POS system includes, how it fits restaurants in particular, and how FourCents builds point-of-sale software for businesses in Toronto and across Canada.
The problem with packaged POS
Packaged point-of-sale products are built for the average business. They work at first, then the limits appear as your operation gets more specific.
Monthly fees per terminal that rise as you add stations or features.
Rigid menus or catalogues that do not match how you actually sell.
Reports and data locked behind higher-priced plans.
No clean way to connect the POS to your other systems.
Hardware you are told you must buy from the vendor.
What a custom POS solves
A custom POS is shaped around your business and stays yours. It does what your staff need at the counter or table and gives you the data behind it without a paywall.
A checkout flow built around how your staff actually work.
Your menu, modifiers and pricing rules exactly as you run them.
Full access to your own sales and customer data.
Integration with the kitchen, inventory and accounting.
Freedom to run on standard hardware you choose.
A complete POS system
A complete point-of-sale system is more than a till. It ties the sale to stock, staff and reporting so one action at the counter updates everything behind it.
Sales and checkout
Fast checkout with modifiers, discounts, split payments and receipts by print or email.
Inventory link
Every sale reduces stock in real time, so you know what is running low without a separate count.
Staff and shifts
Track who sold what, manage permissions, and tie sales to shifts for accurate cash-up.
Reporting
See sales by item, hour, staff member and location, with the raw data available to you.
Built for restaurants
Restaurants need more from a POS than retail does. The computer system for a restaurant has to move an order from the table to the kitchen and back without a step going missing.
Table and floor management so servers see the room at a glance.
Kitchen display or printed tickets that fire orders to the line.
Modifiers and course timing that match how the kitchen works.
Tips, split bills and fast payment at the table.
Online orders that land in the same system as dine-in.
Payments and integrations
A POS has to take payment reliably and share its data with the rest of your systems. We connect it to the tools you already use.
Canadian payment processors and card terminals for tap, chip and online.
Accounting such as QuickBooks for daily sales and reconciliation.
Inventory so stock and menu counts stay accurate.
Online ordering and delivery so every channel is in one place.
Build vs buy
Packaged POS products are quick to start and fine for a simple, single-location business. Custom makes sense when your service style, multiple locations, or fees make a packaged product a poor long-term fit.
Buy a product for a simple setup you can adapt to.
Build custom when your service, menu rules or multi-site needs are specific.
Extend a product when checkout is fine but reporting or integration is not.
How FourCents builds it
We watch a real service, map how an order moves from customer to kitchen to payment, then build a POS that matches that flow and removes the friction.
Discovery on site to see a real service and map the order flow.
A first phase covering the core checkout and payment path.
Design and build with staff testing the flow on real hardware.
Testing through a full service before it runs live.
Support and further features such as online ordering as you grow.
A POS is judged at the counter during a rush. We build and test it against a real service, not a demo, so it holds up when it matters.
Book a free consultation
If your point-of-sale product fights your staff or locks your data behind fees, a short call will show whether a custom POS is worth building for your business.
Asking is free. Email info@fourcents.ca with a note about your business and where the pain is. We reply within 24 hours and serve restaurants and retailers in Toronto and across Canada.
A free consultation with no obligation.
An honest read on build vs buy for your POS.
A first phase scoped to your core checkout flow.
Frequently asked questions
Do we own a custom POS system?
Yes. You own the software and your data, and you can run it on standard hardware you choose rather than hardware a vendor forces on you. We build on well-supported technology so you are never locked to a single supplier.
Will it work with Canadian payment processors?
Yes. We integrate the POS with Canadian payment processors and card terminals for tap, chip and online payment, and we set up daily reconciliation into your accounting. The exact processor is your choice.
Can it handle both dine-in and online orders?
Yes. We build the POS so online and delivery orders land in the same system as dine-in, which means the kitchen sees one queue and your reports cover every channel in one place.
Is custom POS worth it for a single location?
It depends. For a very simple single site a packaged product may be enough, and we will tell you so. Custom pays back when your service style, menu rules or fees make a packaged product a poor long-term fit, even at one location.
Do you work with businesses outside Toronto?
Yes. We are based in Toronto and work with restaurants and retailers across Canada, including Vancouver and Calgary. Most work is remote, with on-site visits available for clients in the Toronto area.