Restaurant owners and software developers find success with Epson POS printers

Challenge

Find a reliable point of sale (POS) hardware partner for the software solution being developed to meet Katalyst’s own restaurant’s needs — as well as those of fellow restaurant owners and managers.

Solution

Integrate Epson’s industry-leading POS printer solutions into the Katalyst platform to deliver a complete, reliable package.

Background

In 2015, Massachusetts restaurant owners Bill and Patti Roland sought updated point-of-sale technology but couldn’t find a suitable system. With software development expertise and restaurant operational experience, they founded Katalyst alongside co-founders Dan Roland, Cole Dillon, and Scott Bleczinski.

The team aimed to create a comprehensive system serving managers, bartenders, and front- and back-of-house staff. Rather than building solely for their own restaurants, they developed a platform addressing the broader hospitality community’s needs.

Product development

Katalyst rejected becoming another ‘add-on’ product and instead developed a complete hospitality platform encompassing:

• Point of sale
• Reservations and table management
• Gift cards and loyalty programs
• Online ordering
• Kitchen display system
• Analytics and reporting

The company offers white-label apps for customers and manager apps that let owners monitor sales data remotely.

Market focus

Katalyst targets full-service restaurants, leveraging its own establishments — Stoneforge Grille and Stoneforge Tavern & Publick House in Massachusetts — as testing grounds.

‘We ran all the software in our restaurant for three years before we launched.’— Scott Bleczinski, co-founder

The team prioritises understanding customer needs through direct restaurant operations.

Partnership with Epson

Katalyst initially integrated with another printer manufacturer but transitioned to Epson after discovering superior ease of use.

‘Our developers noted how much cleaner and easier the Epson printer was to use.’— Cole Dillon, co-founder

The partnership has lasted six years.

‘Over our many years of working with Epson, we’ve had very few printers that have stopped working — very few tech support calls.’— Anthony Rosato, customer success specialist

Katalyst primarily uses Epson mSeries and mPOS thermal printers, plus TM-U220 impact receipt and kitchen printers. Upcoming integrations include the OmniLink TM-L100 liner-free label printer and Mobilink portable wireless receipt printers for server-side, real-time printing.

Customer implementation

When onboarding new restaurant customers, Katalyst conducts site surveys and health checks, typically recommending hardware upgrades to Epson printers.

‘If we can get them to upgrade and implement Epson printers, we know it will work right off the bat — and they won’t have to worry about issues down the line.’— Cole Dillon, co-founder

The comprehensive Epson printer suite has expanded opportunities in coffee shops, bagel shops, and catering operations. Liner-free labels and specialised invoice slips support diverse workflows.

Future direction

Katalyst’s roadmap focuses on solutions addressing labour cost management and table-turnover optimisation — key restaurant priorities.

‘Our strategic direction is based on where the market is going, and that is also what we see coming out of Epson’s roadmap, which is really all you can want from a partner.’— Scott Bleczinski, co-founder