- Free Version: Available for teams of up to 10
- Pricing: Premium plan $24/month (with free 30-day trial period)
- Platforms supported: Available on mobile app (iOS and Android) or a web-based software
SafetyCulture (iAuditor)
Why use SafetyCulture?
SafetyCulture is a well-known and highly favored digital solutions provider that offers the best restaurant management software that digitizes information and streamlines workflows to improve the performance of the whole restaurant staff and ensure the quality of products and services. Their comprehensive suite of features eradicates the burden of paperwork and other administrative tasks, allowing owners and their staff to focus on the more important details of their day-to-day operations: serving good fare and keeping their diners happy.
Features:
- Use customizable forms and templates for opening and closing inspections, equipment maintenance checks, and employee performance evaluations. Relevant restaurant checklists are also available for download in the Public Library.
- Digitize documents and store them in a central repository with role-based access for secure recordkeeping.
- Capture issues and assign corrective actions to improve operational efficiency.
- Generate reports with insightful analytics to ensure compliance with food safety standards.
- Provide employee training on safe food handling, kitchen safety, hospitality management, and other relevant skills.
Why use Toast?
Toast started by offering a point of sale (POS) system. Years later, they branched out to provide an all-in-one digital solution that allows businesses to manage their whole restaurant operations, from marketing to online ordering and delivery.
Features:
- Order and table management
- Reporting and analytics
- Online ordering and delivery
- Free Version: Yes. Toast’s quick start bundle includes POS with hardware and a few software features.
- Pricing: Starts at $69 per month, billed monthly
- Platforms supported: Web, Desktop, Android
Why use TouchBistro?
Used by over 20,000 restaurants all over the world, this all-in-one digital solution allocates resources properly, drives profitability, and delivers outstanding customer experience through its numerous tools that can be customized to their client’s needs.
Features:
- Reservations
- Online ordering
- Loyalty promotions and gift cards
- Free Version: None
- Pricing: Starts at $69 per month (with add-on pricing per product)
- Platforms supported: Web, Desktop, iOS
Why use Square?
This comprehensive restaurant management software has everything a business needs to run its operations smoothly, from managing on-site and online orders to keeping up with accounting figures and sales reports.
Features:
- POS tools all in one dashboard
- Kitchen display system
- QR code ordering and self-serve or table-side payment.
- Free Version: Yes. However, they charge processing fees for every payment made.
- Pricing: Starts at $29 per month plus processing fees (with a 30-day free trial)
- Platforms supported: Web, iOS, Android
Why use OpenTable?
This restaurant platform ensures that front and back-of-house operations are properly managed to provide the best customer experience. OpenTable’s 24/7 comprehensive support and services are unparalleled, as hotels and casinos also use their digital solutions.
Features:
- Reservations with guest database
- Takeout ordering
- Review management and analysis
- Free Version: None
- Pricing: Starts at $39 per month (with a 30-day free trial)
- Platforms supported: Web, iOS, Android
Why use Lightspeed Restaurant?
Formerly known as Upserve, Lightspeed Restaurant is a restaurant management platform that powers businesses in the food service industry by providing a comprehensive POS system that streamlines daily operations and round-the-clock support to address issues that emerge.
Features:
- Inventory management
- Kitchen display system
- Payments and accounting
- Free Version: None
- Pricing: Starts at $69
- Platforms supported: Web, iOS
Why use SevenRooms?
This is primarily a guest experience and retention platform. But because many of its robust features are also applicable in restaurant management, it is used by numerous businesses in the food service industry to acquire, engage, and retain customers.
Features:
- Reservations and waitlisting
- Delivery and pick-up
- Marketing to feedback management
- Free Version: None
- Pricing: Available upon registration
- Platforms supported: Web, iOS
What is a Restaurant Management Software?
Restaurant management software is a digital tool designed specifically for businesses in the food service industry, helping them manage their daily operations, increase their revenues, and ensure customer satisfaction. Its wide array of features ranges from onboarding new employees to tracking inventory and sales. More comprehensive systems even include streamlining supplier logistics and marketing processes to benefit all stakeholders.
Benefits
Running a restaurant like a well-oiled machine, whether it’s a big chain with several locations or a small one with half a dozen tables, is a challenge because there are numerous elements to oversee. Using restaurant management software helps managers take care of arduous administrative tasks, while you sit back and reap its numerous benefits.
- Enhanced daily operations – Managers need to juggle numerous back-of-house tasks—scheduling deliveries, making inventories, doing maintenance checks, setting up menus, and ensuring compliance with regulations. Digital solutions make the job easier, faster, and more efficient.
- Better employee management – The restaurant is composed of numerous workers with different responsibilities, from cooks and dishwashers to waiters and receptionists. Substantial and cordial collaboration among all these people is necessary. The software helps managers organize shifts, schedule time-offs, keep everyone up-to-date, and be on top of any issues.
- Real-time performance tracking – When information about employees, suppliers, and customers is digitized and stored in secure repositories, it is easier to analyze and report on. From there, restaurant owners and managers can immediately see if they need to make changes or improvements that could help increase revenues.
- Improved cost controls – Restaurants can stay on budget, allocate funds properly, accomplish their accounting, and pay taxes on time because digitized financial records are kept in a secure document repository. And if the software has mobile accessibility, managers can do these tasks anytime, anywhere.
- Outstanding customer relations – Restaurant management software may be integrated with other solutions aimed to enhance front-of-house workflows and increase customer satisfaction. Guest reservations, order management, delivery, credit card processing, loyalty system, gift cards, and customer feedback are easily accomplished with this digital solution.
Key Features
If you’re just about to embark on the journey of incorporating restaurant management software into your current system, make sure your options are comprehensive. Here are the features it should have:
- Customizable checklists for auditing
- Supplier tracking
- Inventory control
- Easy menu set-up with recipe costing
- Reservation or table management
- Employee scheduling and payroll
- Accounting and sales tracking
- Reporting and analytics
- Loyalty and rewards system
- Third-party integrations (CRM, POS, e-commerce system, etc.)
- Mobile accessibility
- Tech support
Selecting the Right Restaurant Management Software
The seven listed above are used by thousands of restaurants, cafes, food trucks, bakeshops, and similar businesses all over the world. Any of those can be helpful to you as well. Here’s a quick review of all seven:
| Restaurant Management Software | Free Version | Paid Plan | Mobile App |
| SafetyCulture | Yes | $24/user/month* | Yes |
| Toast | Yes | $69/month** | Yes*** |
| TouchBistro | No | $69/month | Yes**** |
| Square | Yes | $29/month Plus processing fees |
Yes |
| OpenTable | No | $39/month | Yes |
| Lightspeed Restaurant | No | $69 | Yes**** |
| SevenRooms | No | Available upon registration | Yes**** |
* billed annually
** billed monthly
*** supports Android only
**** supports iOS only
