Regional Market Research
Regions: Vermont · Ontario · Maritimes
Prepared by: Brandon McCaig
Overview
This document provides an in-depth analysis of three key regions: Vermont, Ontario, and the Maritimes with a focus on the systems currently in use across each market.
The findings are designed to help Pivot:
- Align its long-term vision and market positioning
- Evaluate new growth and partnership opportunities
- Determine the most strategic direction for expansion and product integration moving forward
Vermont
TOTAL SAMPLE SIZE DEPENDS ON EACH SYSTEM (EX. POS, Payroll, Reservation). Each number represents solo restaurants (no groups). Also, the sample size is much smaller due to the majority of people not wanting to answer my questions. The objection I encountered on my calls were "this is private information"
When Lance and Jerome went door to door in Boston they found 39 out of 45 restaurants were with Toast
Point of Sale Systems (Sample Size: 13)
| System | Count | Market Share |
|---|---|---|
| Toast | 6 | 46% |
| Spot On | 3 | 23% |
| Silverware | 1 | 7.6% |
| Squirrel | 1 | 7.6% |
| Give X | 1 | 7.6% |
| Micros | 1 | 7.6% |
Notes:
- Toast has their own payroll, scheduling (Sling) and reservation system
- Spot On has scheduling (teamwork) and reservation service
Payroll Systems (Sample Size: 8)
| System | Count | Market Share |
|---|---|---|
| Toast | 6 | 75% |
| Gusta | 1 | 12.5% |
| Cheques | 1 | 12.5% |
Reservation Systems (Sample Size: 48)
| System | Count | Market Share |
|---|---|---|
| Resy | 17 | 35.4% |
| None | 17 | 35.4% |
| OpenTable | 10 | 20.8% |
| Toast | 2 | 4.1% |
| Shift 4 | 1 | 2.1% |
Scheduling Systems (Sample Size: 5)
| System | Count | Market Share |
|---|---|---|
| By hand | 3 | 60% |
| Hotschedule | 1 | 20% |
| Team work | 1 | 20% |
Vermont Key Findings
This data set probably doesn't truly represent the market of Vermont but it gives us an idea of the dominance that Toast has in the restaurant industry in the US. I spoke with ~40 restaurants and was only able to get this data.
Key Takeaways:
- Toast has significant market dominance in the US market
- Many restaurants use manual scheduling processes
- Reservation systems are split between Resy and OpenTable, with 35% using no system at all
Ontario
TOTAL SAMPLE SIZE DEPENDS ON EACH SYSTEM (EX. POS, Payroll, Reservation). Each number represents individual restaurants so this includes groups and solo's
Point of Sale Systems (Sample Size: 92)
| System | Count | Market Share |
|---|---|---|
| Silverware | 41 | 44.5% |
| Micros | 35 | 38% |
| Toast | 8 | 8.6% |
| Touch Bistro | 5 | 5.4% |
| Squirrel | 1 | 1.1% |
| Square | 1 | 1.1% |
| Pixel Point | 1 | 1.1% |
Payroll Systems (Sample Size: 81)
| System | Count | Market Share |
|---|---|---|
| ADP | 65 | 80.2% |
| Push | 11 | 13.5% |
| Accountant | 4 | 4.9% |
| Ceridian | 1 | 1.2% |
Note: Large number of ADP comes from large groups
Reservation Systems (Sample Size: 57)
| System | Count | Market Share |
|---|---|---|
| OpenTable | 42 | 76.4% |
| None | 5 | 9% |
| Resy | 2 | 3.6% |
| Tablz | 1 | 1.8% |
| Libro | 1 | 1.8% |
| Seven Rooms | 1 | 1.8% |
| Toast | 1 | 1.8% |
| Tock | 1 | 1.8% |
| Touch Bistro | 1 | 1.8% |
Scheduling Systems (Sample Size: 96)
| System | Count | Market Share |
|---|---|---|
| 7Shifts | 42 | 43.8% |
| Dayforce | 35 | 36.5% |
| Push | 11 | 11.5% |
| Manual | 7 | 7.3% |
| Sling | 1 | 1% |
Note: Large number of 7Shifts and Dayforce comes from large groups
Restaurant Size
Average Restaurant # of employees (Sample Size: 87)
- 4,026 employees across 87 locations
- Average: 46 employees per location
Ontario Key Findings
- ADP, 7 shifts and DayForce are found in large groups
- Majority of Push is found in restaurants that have ties to the "main restaurant" which is based in Vancouver
- Once again OpenTable is a very strategic integration for outbound team to since they have 3/4 of the market
- 7Shifts once again found in large establishments which could allow us to compete
Key Takeaways:
- OpenTable dominates the reservation market with 76.4% market share
- ADP is the dominant payroll provider, especially for large groups
- 7Shifts and Dayforce dominate scheduling for larger establishments
- Silverware and Micros lead the POS market
Maritimes
TOTAL SAMPLE SIZE DEPENDS ON EACH SYSTEM (EX. POS, Payroll, Reservation). Each number represents individual restaurants so this includes groups and solo's.
Point of Sale Systems (Sample Size: 38)
| System | Count | Market Share |
|---|---|---|
| Aloha | 21 | 55.2% |
| Toast | 6 | 15.7% |
| Clover | 4 | 10.5% |
| Micros | 2 | 5.2% |
| Prism | 2 | 5.2% |
| Squirrel | 1 | 2.6% |
| Maitre D | 1 | 2.6% |
| iiipos | 1 | 2.6% |
Payroll Systems (Sample Size: 34)
| System | Count | Market Share |
|---|---|---|
| Payworks | 24 | 75% |
| ADP | 4 | 12.5% |
| Check | 4 | 12.5% |
| Push | 1 | 3% |
| Sage | 1 | 3% |
Reservation Systems (Sample Size: 57)
| System | Count | Market Share |
|---|---|---|
| None | 27 | 47.4% |
| OpenTable | 24 | 42.1% |
| Internal | 5 | 8.7% |
| Tock | 1 | 1.7% |
Scheduling Systems (Sample Size: 37)
| System | Count | Market Share |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Shifts | 28 | 75.6% |
| By Hand | 5 | 13.5% |
| MakeShift | 3 | 8.1% |
| Push | 1 | 2.7% |
Restaurant Size
Average Restaurant # of employees (Sample Size: 30)
- 1,315 employees across 30 locations
- Average: 44 employees per location
Maritimes Key Findings
- Aloha is majority found in groups while Toast is more in individual restaurants
- 7 shifts dominate the market. They are found in large restaurants which allows us (once having integrations) to come in and compete
- OpenTable could be a strategic integration allowing reps to lead with partnered integration on cold calls (All markets are dominated by OpenTable)
Key Takeaways:
- Aloha dominates the POS market with 55.2% market share
- Payworks is the primary payroll provider with 75% market share
- 7Shifts has strong dominance in scheduling (75.6%)
- Almost half of restaurants (47.4%) don't use any reservation system
- OpenTable is the leading reservation system among those who use one
Cross-Regional Analysis
Key Strategic Opportunities
-
OpenTable Integration Priority
- OpenTable dominates reservation systems across all three markets
- Strategic integration opportunity for sales team
- Can be used as a leading feature in cold calls
-
Scheduling Market Opportunity
- 7Shifts dominates in Ontario and Maritimes
- Large establishments present competitive opportunity
- Manual scheduling still prevalent in Vermont
-
Payroll Market Insights
- ADP dominates large groups in Ontario
- Payworks dominates in Maritimes
- Toast integrated solution gaining traction in Vermont
-
POS Market Landscape
- Toast dominates in Vermont (US market)
- Silverware/Micros lead in Ontario
- Aloha leads in Maritimes (primarily groups)
Recommended Next Steps
-
Priority Integrations
- OpenTable (highest priority - cross-market dominance)
- 7Shifts (scheduling market leader)
- ADP (large group payroll)
-
Market Entry Strategy
- Ontario: Focus on OpenTable integration, target establishments using 7Shifts
- Maritimes: Emphasize OpenTable partnership, compete against 7Shifts
- Vermont: Consider Toast ecosystem, target manual scheduling users
-
Competitive Positioning
- Position as integration-friendly platform
- Target mid-to-large restaurants (40+ employees)
- Emphasize partnerships with market leaders
Appendix
Research Methodology
- Direct phone surveys with restaurant operators
- Door-to-door market research in select areas
- Focus on independent restaurants and restaurant groups
- Sample sizes vary by category and region
Data Collection Challenges
- Vermont: Privacy concerns limited response rate
- Ontario: Good response rate from diverse establishments
- Maritimes: Strong participation, mix of groups and independents
Contact
For questions about this research, please contact the Pivot strategy team.