California is the most diverse restaurant market in the country — from Koreatown LA to Mission burritos in San Francisco to wine-country tasting rooms in Napa. Katalyst OS powers operations in every market the state runs, with the tax, labor, and multi-location handling California operators actually need.
We support restaurants, bars, food trucks, and event venues across California — from Los Angeles to Berkeley and every region in between.
Greater Los Angeles · San Francisco Bay Area · San Diego County · Orange County · Inland Empire · Central Valley · Sacramento Valley · Wine Country (Napa/Sonoma)
California is the most operationally varied restaurant state in the country. LA alone runs Koreatown BBQ, Boyle Heights taquerias, Beverly Hills fine dining, and the country's densest food-truck scene — each with different POS demands. The Bay Area layers in tech-worker volume and ghost-kitchen / delivery saturation that Uber Eats and DoorDash drove past 50% of revenue for many operators. San Diego, Sacramento, and the Central Valley each have their own patterns, and that's before wine country tasting rooms even come into play.
Katalyst's tax engine handles California's compound sales tax automatically: 7.25% state plus the local district taxes that push total to 7.75% in most of LA County, 8.625% in San Francisco, 9.25% in Long Beach, and up to 10.75% in cities like Pico Rivera. Hot prepared food and dine-in are typically taxed; cold to-go food is often exempt — Katalyst tracks the distinction at the menu-item level so the receipts and reports stay clean.
California labor compliance is where most out-of-state POS systems fall short. Katalyst integrates mandatory meal and rest break tracking, the 80%-advance scheduling notice required by Fair Workweek ordinances in San Francisco, Berkeley, Emeryville, and LA, and the paid sick leave accrual rules that took effect statewide in 2024. Tip pooling is handled per CA Labor Code 351 — no manager or supervisor in the pool, no exceptions.
Restaurant scenes, seasonal patterns, and tax regimes specific to California that generic POS systems handle poorly. Here’s how Katalyst is set up for them out of the box.
Koreatown BBQ, Boyle Heights taquerias, Westside fine dining, Sawtelle Japanese, food trucks everywhere. One Katalyst account handles modifier complexity, multi-language receipts, and revenue-centre reporting across however many concepts your group runs.
Many SF and Oakland operators see 40–60% of revenue through Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub. Katalyst's native integrations pull marketplace orders straight into the KDS — no separate tablet stack on the wall.
Napa and Sonoma tasting rooms commonly run retail wine sales + tasting room service + restaurant + private events on one operation. Katalyst handles the retail/restaurant duality with shared inventory, per-channel pricing, and combined customer profiles.
Mandatory meal-break tracking, 80%-advance scheduling notice (SF, Berkeley, Emeryville, LA), and statewide paid sick leave accrual — all integrated. Avoid the lawsuit class actions that have hit operators using non-compliant scheduling tools.
90,000+ restaurant establishments
BLS QCEW data — largest restaurant state by count
Sales tax 7.25% state + local 0.5–3.5%
Katalyst tracks compound rates per city and county
LA tip avg ≈18–20%
default tip prompts auto-calibrate to local norms
Yes. Katalyst applies the 7.25% California state sales tax plus all applicable local district taxes automatically, with rates updated per city and county. Hot prepared food and dine-in lines are tracked separately from cold to-go (often exempt). Multi-location operators see the right rate at each address with no manual configuration.
Katalyst tracks meal and rest breaks at the staff-clock-in level, prompts breaks at the required times, and surfaces missed breaks for owner review at end-of-shift. The audit trail satisfies CA Labor Code 226.7 enforcement requirements and protects you from the class-action exposure most CA operators face.
Yes. Multi-revenue-centre is built in: retail wine sales, tasting room service, restaurant dining, and private events all run as separate revenue centres on one Katalyst account. Shared inventory, shared customer profiles, separate reporting where you need it.
Yes. The scheduling module handles the 80%-advance notice required by SF, Berkeley, Emeryville, and LA Fair Workweek ordinances, with predictability-pay tracking when last-minute changes happen. Compliance reports satisfy local labor office requirements.
Ever wondered what sets Katalyst OS apart from the rest? Here are the details.
| Feature | Katalyst OS | Toast | Aloha | SpotOn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud point of sale | ||||
| Payment processing | ||||
| Reservations | ||||
| Waitlist and table management | ||||
| Loyalty program | ||||
| Gift card program | ||||
| Kitchen display system | ||||
| Handhelds | ||||
| QR code order and pay at table | ||||
| Online ordering | ||||
| Catering | ||||
| Dual pricing capable | ||||
| Branded mobile app | ||||
| Self-order kiosk | ||||
| Open API |
POS systems aren’t one-size-fits-all. Katalyst is tuned for the kinds of operators who actually use it day to day.
Coffee shops, convenience stores, and retail of all sizes use POS systems to process payments, run loyalty programs, and update menus and pricing in real time.
From fine dining to fast food, every restaurant uses a POS system. Operators rely on POS software because it makes their day easier — taking orders, managing tables and reservations, and processing payments efficiently.
POS systems let food trucks ditch the cash register and take orders and process payments on the go. They also generate sales reports that help operators understand peak times and sales trends.
A bar POS supports order accuracy, inventory tracking, and tab management. Katalyst OS also generates detailed reports on sales and customer behaviour, helping bar owners make informed decisions.
Small and large event venues use POS systems as mobile cash registers for ticketing, food and drink sales, and merchandise.
POS systems help manage reservations and assign rooms to guests. They’re also useful for tracking food and cleaning supplies inventory and handling billing for room charges, meals, and add-on services.
POS systems support catering with everything from invoicing to inventory control, and store past clients’ information and preferences for future marketing.
Four things Katalyst handles natively that most POS systems leave you to integrate yourself.
Katalyst OS evolves and grows along with your business. Unlike rigid POS systems, our Flex POS makes integrating new features easy — open new locations and add third-party apps without waiting for your POS to catch up.
Katalyst OS gives you an inside look at customer preferences. From the moment you start using it, guest information and preferences are stored securely. Use our analytics and reporting feature to export customer details for personalised marketing campaigns and stronger guest engagement.
Our online ordering feature eliminates the middleman, saving you and your customers time and money. Guests can order takeout and large-party catering all in one place — and capture orders outside traditional operating hours.
Make sure your kitchen runs smoothly from open to close with Katalyst’s kitchen display system. By directing orders straight from customer to chef, this feature streamlines workflow while minimising errors and improving order accuracy.
“Wait… I can see what is going on without being there?”
“Katalyst is a diamond in the rough. All these companies come in and tell you what they are going to do and never do it. Katalyst sets your expectations correctly and follows through.”
“The analysis Katalyst provided me literally saved me thousands of dollars and I would have never noticed any of it unless the team at Katalyst brought it to my attention.”
A point of sale (POS) system processes payments, updates inventory, and tracks sales and customer data. When a customer places an order, an employee enters the items on the POS. The system calculates the cost and processes the payment — cash, card, or mobile. Katalyst OS automatically updates inventory by deducting items sold, keeping stock counts accurate in real time. Every transaction is recorded, so you can pull sales and trend reports as often as you like.
Katalyst OS is an example of an all-inclusive POS. We provide standard POS services such as payment processing, online ordering, and table management — and we don’t stop there. Unlike most POS systems on the market, our solution includes 24/7 support, a branded mobile app, gift card and loyalty programs, and reservations, all in one platform.
Katalyst OS handles the entire payment process end-to-end. Once a server enters the items being purchased, the POS calculates the total — applying tax and discounts automatically. Customers can tap their phone, swipe a card, or pay in cash. Once payment is approved (usually a few seconds), the POS prints a receipt or sends one to the guest’s email. Sale records and inventory levels update automatically to reflect the transaction.
Other states we serve:
A 30-minute walkthrough of the platform, tuned to how your operation actually runs.
