Being a restauranteur can be incredibly rewarding; it can also be a real headache. Your business may offer either quick-service, delivery, fine dining, or large-scale event hosting. Whatever service you are providing, you want to put the food first, not the paperwork.
Having great software takes the anxiety out of reporting, scheduling, food safety, and managing staff. It can streamline the day-to-day running of the business to give you more time to support your team or mingle with customers.
What are the Best Software Options for Restaurants?
There are many options when it comes to choosing supportive software solutions for your restaurant. You may need a range of software or just one app to boost efficiency in a particular area of your business.
- Lightspeed Restaurant– best for POS (point-of-sale)
- Upserve – best iPad POS for busy restaurants
- OpenTable– best reservation software
- 7Shifts – best employee scheduling software
- LoyaltyGator – best rewards programs software
- Food Docs – best food management software for restaurants
- Restaurant365 – best accounting software for restaurants
Let’s see what is on the menu:
1. Lightspeed Restaurant – the Best POS for restaurants
Pricing: $59 – custom
Lightspeed Restaurant is a great option for small to medium restaurants and those looking to grow. Its point-of-sale system is easy to use, and the front-end display is really well configured. It integrates with other software solutions and offers a range of features, such as accounting, customer loyalty, and in-depth analytics. It works for both quick-service restaurants or fine dining. It also works for restaurants that want contactless ordering or that offer deliveries, so it has got flexibility, too.
KEY FEATURES
- Online ordering system
- Customizable
- Detailed reports
REASONS TO BUY
- User-friendly
- Good customer support
- Integrates with delivery platforms
REASONS TO AVOID
- Some tech knowledge needed
- Lag in showing new menu items
2. Upserve – the Best iPad POS system
Pricing: $59 – $359+
Upserve offers an impressive POS suite, but it is their iPad and iPhone optimization that really pulls in the 5 -star reviews from busy restaurants. It’s not just the point-of-sale provision that works slickly, its other features, such as table management and a time clock, help to optimize front-of-house efficiency. Upserve helps servers check menu items and split or merge bills without having to return to a terminal. Managers can also access up-to-the-minute sales reports that can help menu construction and dish availability. Their website also shows case studies about how users have adapted Upserve to enhance their food business’s needs.
KEY FEATURES
- Time clock for employee management
- Reporting analytics
- Intuitive UI
REASONS TO BUY
- 24/7 customer support
- Ease of use
- Can be used off-line
REASONS TO AVOID
- iPad/iPhone tie-in
- Some security issues in coding
3. OpenTable – the Best Table Reservation System
Pricing: $39- $449
OpenTable is a user-friendly and easy-to-integrate system for any sized restaurant. Users are complimentary about the UI which makes training restaurant team members a simple process. If staff members need more support, OpenTable provides tutorials to help teams understand the platform better. It makes table reservations less stressful for restaurants as the app can be downloaded and the booking made by the customer via the app. OpenTable is an invaluable tool for marketing smaller restaurants, too, as people traveling or in your area for business can not only see your restaurant listed but they can book directly.
KEY FEATURES
- Simple UI
- Analytical reports
- App acts as a promotion
REASONS TO BUY
- Show up in area searches
- De-stress the booking process
- Metrics helps the restaurant team manage bookings
REASONS TO AVOID
- Expensive
- Occasional crashes
- Problems redeeming loyalty points
4. 7Shifts – the Best Software for Restaurant Team Scheduling
Pricing: $0 – $75.99
7Shifts seems to be everything a restaurant manager would need for team organization. For basic employee scheduling, the setup could not be more simple—it is virtually a three-click process. Not only this, but the service provides managers with the ability to produce timesheets, assign tasks, and it also has a team chat feature. 7Shifts is a popular and respected professional tool used by over 70,000 restaurant professionals from independents to national chains, so you can feel reassured that it is a platform you can trust.
KEY FEATURES
- Manage staff
- POS integration
- Budgeting and sales reports
REASONS TO BUY
- Simple setup
- Free 14-day trial
- State-based compliance tools for US users
REASONS TO AVOID
- Website sometimes crashes
- Shift trading system is glitchy
5. LoyaltyGator– the Best for Loyalty and Rewards Program
Pricing: $59 – $179
We all know that loyalty schemes are a great way to gain and retain custom but they are also a good way to reward the loyal service of your employees. With that in mind, LoyaltyGator is a good for customer and employee loyalty and reward schemes. Their service is web based, and offers a focused but useful range of connected services, such as a web app for customers to keep a track of their rewards. LoyaltyGator also gives restaurants the ability to “White Label” a loyalty scheme with other local businesses. This works well if you would like to encourage customers to shop or stay local.
KEY FEATURES
- Customer Loyalty cards (online or physical)
- Employee rewards scheme
- Gift card options
- Collaborative loyalty schemes
REASONS TO BUY
- Automated customer emails
- Integrates with most major apps
- Ease of use
REASONS TO AVOID
- Plastic cards
- Expensive
6. FoodDocs – the Best Food Management Software for Restaurants
Pricing: $39 – $278
There is nothing more important to a restaurant manager than keeping tight control of paperwork—especially with documents referring to food hygiene. If an inspector does a spot-check, you need your certifications and paperwork to hand. FoodDocs is an easy-to-use tool that will be an invaluable time-saver that will help you switch to digital food safety in “15 minutes.” This means your team can access documents and complete training to make sure your restaurant maintains transparent compliance with safety and hygiene. It iss a stress-free option that will be a fantastic tool for busy restaurant managers. They also offer a fast HACCP service.
KEY FEATURES
- Customizable reports
- Alerts and notifications
- Aligns with state guidelines
REASONS TO BUY
- Value for money
- Easy to navigate
- Responsive customer service
REASONS TO AVOID
- A few technical glitches
- Pricy for small businesses
7. Restaurant365 – the Best Accounting Software for Restaurants
Pricing: $289 – $489
Restaurant365 is a cloud-based service and is specifically designed for restauranteurs. It offers accounting and fiscal operations management that integrates with POS, vendors, banks, and payroll. This will make it easy to produce robust reports to help you find extra profit margins in your business and end-of-year reporting. It can be used by small or large restaurants or even multi-location enterprises. While the prices may seem on the steep side for smaller enterprises, it may be worth the investment to take away the headache from all that number-crunching.
KEY FEATURES
- User-friendly payroll system
- Great customer support
- Careers link
REASONS TO BUY
- Data integration from POS and third-party vendors
- Automized data processes
- Innovative updates
REASONS TO AVOID
- Large report docs sometimes time-out
- Does not limit bank accounts for more than one venue
- Expensive for small restaurants
Reference and Links:
- https://top-posproviders.com/
- https://www.lightspeedhq.com/
- https://restaurant.opentable.com/
- https://www.7shifts.com/
- https://www.touchbistro.com/
- https://www.sapaad.com/
- https://www.loyaltygator.com/
- https://www.getapp.com/
- https://cloudsmallbusinessservice.com/
- https://upserve.com/
- https://www.fooddocs.com/
- https://fitsmallbusiness.com/best-restaurant-accounting-software/
- https://www.restaurant365.com/
- https://www.marginedge.com/
- https://page.revelsystems.com/
- https://sumup.co.uk/
- https://www.forbes.com/