Katalyst

Overview

Katalyst is a cloud-native restaurant management and point-of-sale platform built by restaurateurs to unify physical and digital commerce operations. It replaces fragmented third-party tool stacks with a single native ecosystem encompassing flex POS, kitchen display systems, table management, online ordering, and integrated payment processing. Multi-location operators and independent eateries use Katalyst to streamline workflows, eliminate commission fees, and synchronize real-time analytics across every channel.

What it does

• • Powers sub-second transaction processing through a cloud-native point-of-sale terminal with offline resilience
• • Replaces paper tickets with a synchronized kitchen display system to accelerate order routing and fulfillment
• • Delivers commission-free direct online ordering hosted natively on the restaurant's own branded URL domain
• • Centralizes multi-location menu customization, staff tracking, inventory alerts, and financial reconciliations.

Who it's for

• Multi-Location Restaurant Groups & Franchises
• Fine Dining & Table-Service Restaurants
• Fast-Casual & Quick-Service Eateries
• Food Trucks & In-House Catering Operators

Why it works

• Native modular architecture eliminates third-party software bridging issues and synchronization bugs between disparate vendor apps
• Cloud-native infrastructure ensures real-time cross-device sync and reliable offline resilience during peak service rushes
• Direct commission-free online ordering captures full retail margins previously lost to third-party marketplaces
• Centralized multi-unit control panel gives enterprise operators unified real-time visibility over labor, inventory, and sales KPIs.

Founder story

Katalyst was built by seasoned restaurateurs who experienced firsthand the operational friction, expensive commissions, and fragmented software stacks plaguing modern food service businesses. Frustrated by managing disconnected third-party tools, they developed Katalyst as a unified, cloud-native operating system designed to handle everything from point-of-sale terminals to kitchen display routing and analytics under one native data layer.

Alternatives

• Toast
• Square POS
• Clover
• Lightspeed

Comparison overview

• Katalyst provides a fully native, unified restaurant operating system where every product communicates on a single shared data layer.
• Legacy POS platforms like Toast or Square often rely on third-party app marketplaces and bolt-on integrations that can introduce synchronization delays.