HungerRush Review (Formerly Revention POS)
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- Date Established
- 2004
- Location
- Houston, Texas
Pros
- Entirely customizable system
- Strong customer service
- Solid employee management
Cons
- High upfront costs
- Outdated UI
- Limited payment processing options
Overview
In a simpler time, I reviewed a POS company called Revention, poking a little fun at its name in the process as I’m wont to do in this industry, where product names range from unbearably punny to unnecessarily confusing. So I’m fully prepared to claim complete responsibility for Revention becoming HungerRush. It’s a much more palatable name that in no way sounds like an incredibly elaborate kid’s ’80s board game with huge, visually-pleasing plastic hamburgers and hot dogs that turned out to be the best part of a game that wasn’t much fun to actually play.
Founded way back in 2003, with the release of its first POS (point of sale) system in 2005, HungerRush got its start catering primarily to pizza establishments. Since then, it has grown steadily and expanded. Today, more than 10,000 customers use it. The company boasts diligent customer service and complete customization with the ability to set up a system to the exact specifications of a business owner’s needs.
Customization is nice if you know what you want. In particular, HungerRush has some noteworthy features for bars. It also has decent enough inventory management, reporting, and table mapping to make it a solid option for full-service restaurants, and integrations with delivery and online ordering companies that could work well in quick-service restaurants.
Unfortunately, many of those options are add-ons and come at an extra cost. As such, when you’re getting a quote from the company, the bill can quickly add up. That makes HungerRush a tough pill to swallow if your company is even remotely budget conscious. However, in light of the round-the-clock customer service and the ability to uniquely design your system, you may be willing to spend big on a bespoke POS system.
Table of Contents
Pricing
Here’s where things get a little tricky. Depending on what your business needs and the add-ons you’re going to purchase, your price can fluctuate. It’s hard to know what to expect in terms of cost unless you physically speak to a representative and get a quote. I asked about ballpark prices for a few different types of food industry businesses. I got answers between $3,000 and $6,000 for the first station (with prices dipping a bit for additional stations). In short, HungerRush is not cheap.
The upside of that cost is you can customize your device for whatever kind of business you’re running. In my experience, representatives do a decent job of talking you through all of your options. HungerRush also offers a buy-back program if you are switching from an existing POS, which can help bring down costs.
With a legacy POS that has upfront pricing such as HungerRush — as opposed to a cloud POS with monthly pricing — you could potentially find yourself stuck with an expensive POS system you don’t like. HungerRush does offer a demo, so you can see how the POS works, but there is no free trial.
Cloud-Based Or Locally-Installed
HungerRush is a cloud-based system with many of its features, including a back-office reporting suite, accessible online. This seems to be a marked improvement over what Revention had to offer, which was more locally-installed, and only some features were accessible remotely. HungerRush also provides an offline mode, allowing its product to function virtually as it would normally during an internet outage.
Specific Industry
HungerRush is best suited for the foodservice industry. It has some spiffy features that make it particularly suitable for bars, nightclubs, and pizzerias, and a specific delivery integration for quick-service food businesses. It also features table mapping, digital signage, and a kitchen display system that makes it functional for small to mid-sized full-service restaurants.
Specific Size Of Business
HungerRush is probably best suited for small to mid-sized specialty foodservice shops. The system is a bit spendy, so very small retailers that are looking to be cost-effective may not find this to be the ideal solution. That said, business owners in other industries who are looking for specific features may find HungerRush to be a good fit. This POS has the functionality to handle small to mid-sized full-service restaurants with relative ease.
Ease Of Use
Sadly, in HungerRush’s rebrand, it does not appear to have done much to modernize its interface, which is a bit of a strange choice that undermines how committed the company might be to competing with some of the top systems around. In terms of usability, the interface is okay. If you’re a veteran of the service industry, it will probably look pretty familiar, and it’s pretty easy to maneuver around. In fact, it reminds me of blogs from the late ’90s and early ’00s — it suffers from weirdly different fonts, bright colors, and just a lot of things going on. Again, this may not be a big deal for you, but if you’re a new business owner comparing POS systems, this one’s probably going to look a bit dated.
Creating a custom table layout is a simple process. You can do it yourself or have a technician set it up for you prior to opening your business. You can easily check on orders by table or switch to see what online orders have come in. HungerRush also features a nice Kitchen Display System, which intuitively sorts orders by preparation time. Splitting checks is a simple process. Promotional pricing (such as happy hours) can be set up to kick in automatically, taking any guesswork off the servers’ hands. You can also easily audit individual employees and see modifications and discounts to cut down on fraud.
Hardware & Operating System Requirements
This POS system can be used on both Android and iOS devices, and it offers a wide variety of hardware options that can be purchased via the HungerRush website. Based on the hardware on the website, the POS seems to be more PC and Android-based. Add-on hardware options range from kitchen display systems to cash drawers to pagers for restaurants.
Features
HungerRush comes with most of the features you’d expect from a modern POS system. The features themselves are somewhat basic, but simplicity isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I’ll highlight the areas where HungerRush stands out:
- Ordering:
- Custom menu creation featuring graphics and icons
- Unlimited custom order types
- An estimated order time calculator
- Simple order lookup
- Intuitive coupon creation and tracking
- Customer Management:
- Easily store customer data, including multiple phone numbers and addresses
- Look up and track previous ordering information in a few clicks
- Search and store customer loyalty information
- Email customers for promotions directly from the POS
- Map customers from a specific marketing list
- Delivery & Online Ordering:
- Real-time driver statistics for simple tracking
- Integrated caller ID Management
- Color-coded order timer warning for late deliveries
- A branded mobile app lets customers order online
- Inventory Management:
- Analyze recipe and menu costs
- Forced item counts by day or by week
- Simple waste tracking
- Easily transfer products between locations
- Manage vendors and purchase orders
- Reporting:
- Customized reports can be saved and emailed
- Audit reporting to determine individual employee productivity
- Real-time productivity charts can be viewed in the dashboard
- Warnings for when minors are on the clock or employees are working overtime
- Employee Management:
- Messaging system allows communication among employees between shifts
- Employees can print schedules and set up time off requests on their own
- Assign multiple job codes to individual employees
- Integrations with multiple payroll companies
- Security:
- HungerRush offers fingerprint recognition as an option
- Video surveillance integrations
- Time clock audit monitors changes
- Time clock locks to prevent early clocking in
- Loyalty:
- HungerRush now has its own unique loyalty program, allowing you to manage all locations through one login
- Points can be viewed through the company’s website
- Points and rewards can be updated in real-time
- Reward codes are unique and can only be used once
- Easily look up customers via their phone number, email address, or unique ID
- Delivery:
- Keep tabs on your drivers through their color-coded trip routes
- View past orders by date and driver
- View metrics to determine driver efficiency
- Calculate estimated road time for drivers
Customer Service & Support
HungerRush prides itself on its customer support, which it offers around the clock over the phone. The response time is quick, and representatives are knowledgeable and friendly, particularly on the technical side. The company offers FAQs and video tutorials to help with setup. You can also fill out a form to contact the company through the website, but it appears to have done away with its live chat feature, which is a bit of a bummer. HungerRush can be reached on Facebook and Twitter. It also has a YouTube channel, although the videos are pretty sparse.
Compatible Credit Card Processors
HungerRush accepts credit cards (chip or swipe), gift cards, and mobile/NFC payments. The system is ready for Apple Pay, Google Wallet, and Samsung Pay.
The company integrates with only Vantiv for payment processing and does not offer any in-house payment processing. Neither of these payment processing options is terrible, but neither is top-notch. Ideally, a POS should integrate with more merchant account options.
We've done in-depth research on each and confidently recommend them.
Integrations & Add-Ons
HungerRush is integrated with multiple companies in a variety of fields, from labor management to online ordering, to security, to gaming entertainment, and includes enterprise-level solutions. However, I don’t see any integrations with lightweight cloud-based programs (such as Mailchimp or QuickBooks Online). Again, many of the add-ons come at an additional cost, so you’ll want to talk to someone to get a quote.
Here are the business software programs HungerRush integrates with:
- DoorDash
- Core Cashless
- Sacoa Debit Card Systems
- Tender Card
- NCR Drive-Thru Solutions
- givex
- Restaurant365
- Compeat
- Restaurant Magic
- Valutec
- eWord of Mouth
- punchh
- TavernTrak
- DTiQ
- Remote Eyes
- Decision Logic
- Delphi Display Systems
- HME
- IDScan.net
- QSRonline
- HotSchedules
User Reviews
Generally, HungerRush has favorable reviews, including testimonials from name-brand QSRs, such as Hungry Howie’s and Popeyes Chicken. With that said, not all online reviewers have good things to say about the company. As follows are some threads in the negative and positive reviews.
Negative Reviews & Complaints
- Buggy Software: A few customers reported that the software either didn’t work the way it was advertised or that it started giving them problems shortly after installation.
- Bait & Switch: Two customers complained about getting a slick sales pitch only to be informed that some of the promised features were not offered with the package that they purchased.
- Poor Customer Service: While customer service is generally perceived as a strength in most reviews of HungerRush, a few customers complained about long wait times to receive support or representatives who weren’t knowledgeable enough to help them.
- Expensive Upfront Costs: Multiple customers pointed out that HungerRush cost thousands of dollars to get up and running with all of the necessary features and was not very cost-effective compared to other POS solutions.
Positive Reviews & Testimonials
- Ease Of Use: Multiple customers appreciated HungerRush’s intuitive design. A large number of those reviewers also commented on how easy it was to train employees on the system.
- Customer Service: Lots of vendors found HungerRush’s customer service to be friendly and easy to access when necessary, and others commented that the technicians were knowledgeable and quick to fix problems.
- Customizable Features: A few business owners appreciated HungerRush’s flexibility and how easy it was to set up specific features for their unique venture, be it a bar, cafe, or pizzeria.
Final Verdict
HungerRush does a number of things well and features almost everything you would expect from a restaurant POS system. It’s easy to use, and if you’re a POS novice, there are training options available that can get you up to speed quickly. The inventory management and reporting are solid and shouldn’t leave you wanting unless you need to delve deep into analytics. There’s a lot of potential here, but its recent rebrand didn’t seem to address some of its biggest issues.
First and foremost is the cost. Accessing HungerRush’s best features is going to set you back. Unfortunately, its nebulous pricing means you don’t even know just how much it’s going to cost until you’ve spent a significant amount of time talking to a sales rep about what you need.
Especially if you’re purchasing new hardware, the money you’re spending upfront can be pretty daunting. It’s great to be able to select only what you need (and will use) for your point of sale system, but many of those add-ons come at an additional monthly fee. In a market with so many POS options, you’re likely to find something that gives you most of what HungerRush can offer at a much lower price. Its customer service has also taken a bit of a hit recently. While I do like some of the modern options it now features, with its own loyalty program and delivery functionality, it comes across as window dressing.
However, if you do have your heart set on HungerRush but need some help financing the equipment, check out our guide to restaurant loans. If you’re still not sure, you can shop around for some alternatives, starting with our favorite restaurant POS providers.
What’s your experience with HungerRush? Be sure to check out our comment policy and leave us your thoughts below!
Matt Sherman
Point of sale writer at Merchant Maverick
Matt Sherman has been immersed in point of sale systems for over a year now. Previously, he spent 14 years in the newspaper industry, the majority of which was as the sports editor for a pair of weekly newspapers in suburban Portland, Oregon. He is a graduate of the University of Oregon where he majored in English because he knows where the money is. Matt is the father to a pair of energetic boys and can easily be distracted by Netflix, Amazon and HBO Go.
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We've done in-depth testing of each and confidently recommend them.
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Organization Name: Wiseguy
Hungerrush/Revention: 5 store 8yr customer. Never start with them otherwise you will get stuck with it like me. Still considering replacing it with Toast.The system has too many problems to list:-Credit Card Machine shows charges as Expried. They couldn’t fix-Online Ordering Platform doesn’t work, outdated. Most customers can’t order because their address won’t show in their google address platform-If you get serious issues with the system good luck waiting for high-tech(wait time can be 3 to 3 months) because their regular can’t handle that. -When the Revention team tells you ” our team working diligently to solve your problem” know that it’s a 6monhts to 1 year wait time.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: Canton Toarminas Pizza
BIG Name…BUT NO Value. Small businesses …DO NOT fall for this system. It is a trap. Their sales team has NO value of customer after selling it. They make BIG commitments and claims failed to meet. They show you hungry howie as their customer BUT other large chain drop them because of their limitation of system, bugs in system and poor technology platform. Not sure how long even some of their customer will alst. After so many years they are in learning process. They show you savings in comparison but actual merchant fee will higher then you are paying. Their 50% online software module does not work. Their mobile app for reporting is just joke. you do not have a way to dive down and get details. first installation delay adn after installation it is almost three months they are not able to set up system the way you wanted even though they claim it is customizable. They will always look/ ask for money without even checking, for anythign you need even though it is part of your purchase package. i bought their system to save my time BUT for last three month i have to spend my own time to get issues resolved, show them bugs and limitations. Consult me if you have gone through similar or any other challenges after investing lot of money and time.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: how ya dough'n
Hi I’m very close to signing on with Hunger Rush. I was hoping we could speak about the flaws you found with their system,
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: Master pizza
Today I spent TWO HOURS on the phone with revention customer service and I’m writing to inform all customers or potential customers of this POS System that it was one of the most unpleasant experiences of my entire career. In just over 8 years in the food service industry I’ve dealt with several different POS systems and while we found the features of revention to be great before we purchased the system, I now would never recommend them to anyone. It’s not because they have an awful product. It is simply based on their lack of customer service. We pay a premium monthly fee for 24 hour customer service and can barely receive any help at all. If you try to call them outside of a 9am – 5pm window you are often faced with a need for their scheduling department (who takes a day to call you back) and then they set an appointment up with the “appropriate” technician to deal with the issues. If you get lucky and they actually call you when they are supposed to then maybe your issues will get resolved. Often they do not even call when they “have an appointment.” Last Thursday I called for an appointment and was told that I could have a configuration appointment scheduled for Friday at 2:30pm. The tech called me back at 4:30 pm on Friday at which point my dinner rush had already begun. I asked if I could reschedule the appointment for 2:30pm on the following Monday. Today is now the following Thursday and I still have yet to receive a call back. This is the beginning of my nightmares in regards to Revention customer service and if no one reaches out to me to resolve anything, I will be continuing this horror story for the world to read. So please, Revention, return my calls and resolve my issues. Thanks so much for taking the time to read this message.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: Peace of the Pie
Aj, thanks for your take on Revention. Who did you use to replace them? I am looking at Speedline for my new Pizza shop and would appriciate any input. Thanks KC
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.