Michigan's restaurant scene runs Detroit-style pizza (recently rediscovered nationally), the Coney Island diner tradition that defines metro Detroit, Grand Rapids' beer city scene (50+ breweries), and Traverse City's Old Mission Peninsula wine country. Katalyst OS handles Michigan's uniform 6% sales tax, multi-channel brewery operations, and the seasonal patterns Up North tourism creates.
We support restaurants, bars, food trucks, and event venues across Michigan — from Detroit to Southfield and every region in between.
Metro Detroit · Grand Rapids / West Michigan · Ann Arbor / Washtenaw · Lansing / Mid-Michigan · Flint / Genesee County · Up North / Northern Michigan · Upper Peninsula · Traverse City Wine Country
Michigan restaurant operations split across Metro Detroit (the auto-industry city in long recovery, with a serious restaurant comeback over the last decade), Grand Rapids (Beer City USA, with more breweries per capita than any city outside Portland), Ann Arbor (UM, Zingerman's Deli sets the bar for delicatessen ops), and Up North tourism (Traverse City, Mackinac Island, the cherry-growing Old Mission Peninsula wine country). Detroit-style pizza (square pan, crispy edges, sauce-on-top) has gone national in the last five years, giving Detroit operations a category to own.
Michigan's sales tax structure is the simplest in the country: 6% uniform statewide, with no county or local add-ons. Every Michigan address pays 6% on prepared food and dine-in. Groceries are exempt. This simplifies multi-location operations enormously — restaurants operating in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, and Traverse City all charge the same rate. Katalyst handles MI's uniform rate cleanly with no per-location configuration needed.
Michigan labor compliance: state minimum wage is $12.48/hr in 2026, tipped minimum is $4.74/hr cash + tips making up to $12.48/hr. Following a 2024 court ruling, tipped wage increases were restored — careful pay-stub tracking required. No state Fair Workweek scheduling. No state paid sick leave law (Michigan ESTA was modified in 2025 — review current applicability for restaurants 50+ employees).
Restaurant scenes, seasonal patterns, and tax regimes specific to Michigan that generic POS systems handle poorly. Here’s how Katalyst is set up for them out of the box.
Square pan, crispy caramelised cheese edges, sauce on top — Detroit-style pizza is a distinct preparation that's gone national since 2019. Katalyst's KDS handles the specific timing (cheese-down-first, sauce-after-bake) and the modifier groups Detroit operators use (Wisconsin brick cheese, double-cheese, sauce style, topping coverage area).
Metro Detroit's Coney Island institution (American Coney, Lafayette Coney, National Coney — dozens of independents) — chili dogs, breakfast all day, 24-hour service, multi-page laminated menus. Katalyst's diner-pattern feature set (quick-pick, repeat-order shortcuts, overnight reconciliation) handles the Coney operation cleanly.
50+ breweries in Grand Rapids and West Michigan — Founders, Bell's (relocated), New Holland, Brewery Vivant — with restaurants and beer halls layered on top. Multi-revenue-centre setup: brewery taproom + restaurant + retail beer (cans/growlers) all on one Katalyst account.
Up North tourism (Old Mission Peninsula wine country, Sleeping Bear Dunes, Mackinac Island) drives massive Memorial Day–Labor Day surges. Many Up North restaurants close November–April. Katalyst's seasonal staffing and menu management handle the hibernate-and-reopen cycle.
17,000+ restaurant establishments
BLS QCEW data — Detroit Metro ≈40% of the state
Uniform 6% statewide sales tax
no county or local add-ons — simplest in the US
Detroit tip avg ≈18%
Ann Arbor ≈19%, Traverse City summer ≈20% (tourist)
Yes — and it's the simplest US state for sales tax. 6% uniform statewide on prepared food, no county or local add-ons, no per-location configuration needed. Groceries are exempt; dine-in and prepared food taxed at flat 6%. Multi-location operators see the same rate at Detroit, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, and Traverse City addresses.
Yes. The KDS handles the specific Detroit timing (cheese-down-first, sauce-after-bake, longer bake time for the caramelised edges), and modifier groups handle Wisconsin brick cheese selection, double-cheese option, sauce style (red top vs no sauce), and topping coverage. Same workflow whether you're a downtown Detroit operation or shipping the style to Phoenix or Brooklyn.
Yes. Multi-page menu management, breakfast-all-day daypart handling, quick-pick layouts for high-frequency items (chili dog, eggs, coffee), 24/7 transaction handling, and overnight-shift reconciliation tools. Common Coney operations have served the metro Detroit pattern for 80+ years — Katalyst's feature set matches.
Multi-revenue-centre setup: brewery taproom (per-pour pricing, beer-club membership), restaurant (dine-in food + beer pairings), and retail beer (cans, growlers, merchandise) all run as separate revenue centres on one Katalyst account. Shared inventory pool means the same keg drives both taproom pours and retail growler fills with appropriate per-channel pricing.
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.
