The restaurant industry is embracing technology like never before.
In both fast-food and fine-dining restaurants, owners and managers are turning to modern software tools to streamline operations, cut costs, and boost efficiency.
And the options are endless. From reservation systems to point-of-sale platforms, the right tech stack can make a world of difference.
In this article, we'll focus on five key areas where software can truly help.
Whether you're just starting to explore options for digitalization or you're a seasoned restaurateur looking to upgrade your tech stack, there's something for everyone.
Let’s get started.
Table Booking Software
Table booking systems aim to transform how you manage reservations, making the process seamless for both you and your guests.
Think about it—no more missed phone calls, double bookings, or scrambling to find a free table during rush hour.
A good reservation system makes this possible, bringing efficiency, organization, and a lot of convenience to your restaurant.
Tablein
We believe that our own product serves as a great example of an effective table booking system.
Tablein is an intuitive and feature-packed platform that has everything you need to take and manage restaurant reservations.
You simply connect our user-friendly reservation widget with your website, social media, Google business profile, and other platforms, and guests can book a table 24/7 using any device.
Source: Tablein
Reservations are easily managed in the system, allowing staff to get a complete look at how busy your day is, make any changes to bookings, and more.
Some features include:
- Automatic booking confirmation
- SMS and email reminders and notifications
- No-show protection and deposits
- Reservation calendar
- Floor plan management
- Custom guest tags
As for pricing, Tablein is an affordable option that you can freely use for 14 days to test all of the features available. After that trial period, you can opt for 3 different packages.
Source: Tablein
Your choice will depend on what size is your restaurant, with the Success Plan being the best choice for large establishments.
Overall, if you need a complete reservation solution at a great price, give Tablein a go.
It’s been recognized as the best table booking system by Investopedia in 2023, and it’s being used by independent restaurants, hotel chains, and bars in over 50 countries.
ResDiary
Another great option is ResDiary, a popular system used by over 9,000 restaurants worldwide.
This system has all the necessary options to take and manage online table bookings through their booking widget.
And while some reviewers find the widget's customization options lacking, they praise its user interface and the intuitive way guests can book a table.
Source: ResDiary
Some benefits of this tool include:
- Commission-free bookings
- Powerful integrations
- Deposit and pre-order option
- Table management
- Optional add-ons
When it comes to pricing, ResDiary doesn't publicly show their price tiers, so you'd have to contact them directly.
It's also worth mentioning that they have a lot of add-on features you can get on top of the main system for an additional charge.
While that makes the software more robust, it also makes the price less transparent and unpredictable.
Source: ResDiary
Sure, features like pre-orders and POS integration are powerful, but they can also result in a system that is more complex and harder to navigate, as they are add-ons.
In our opinion, ResDiary might be an overwhelming solution for smaller restaurants looking for an easy-to-implement system and might be better suited to larger establishments with complex needs.
It seems that some users agree with us on that notion.
Source: Capterra
So, if you need a powerful system with a wide range of features and add-ons for specific use cases, ResDiary is a good option to consider.
Point of Sale (POS) Systems
POS systems are the heart of any modern restaurant's operations.
They're essential for keeping everything running smoothly, from speeding up order processing times to managing payments and tracking sales more effectively.
In the past, clunky cash registers were all we had, but nowadays, sleek digital systems streamline everything from taking orders to managing payment reports.
Toast
One of the biggest players in this category is Toast, a cloud-based POS system that integrates seamlessly with a whole suite of solutions for payroll, marketing, and invoicing.
This tool is very adaptable. Everyone, from cafes and food trucks to high-end fine dining establishments uses this POS system.
Source: Toast
Toast strongly encourages purchasing its proprietary hardware along with the software, including Toast Flex tablets and the handheld Toast Go—all running on the Android platform.
These sturdy devices allow for faster order and payment processing and greater flexibility for your staff to move around the restaurant and engage with guests.
Key features include:
- Taking payments tableside
- Getting "order ready" notifications
- Gathering immediate guest feedback
- Updating menus in real-time
- Accessing analytics and reports.
As for pricing, Toast offers flexible tiers to suit various needs
Source: Toast
As you can see, there's a free starter kit with hardware for smaller restaurants, where the processing fees essentially cover the cost of the software and equipment.
If this system and the potential to use Toast’s software ecosystem captured your interest, give this option a try.
TouchBistro
A big competitor to Toast is TouchBistro, a leading platform in the US and Canadian markets.
Users praise its intuitive interface and ease of use, and, importantly, its quick setup with minimal staff training required.
Source: TouchBistro
Unlike Toast's Android-based system, TouchBistro runs on iOS, which means you can only use iPads as POS tablets.
Another key difference to Toast is that TouchBistro is particularly well-suited for multi-location restaurants, while Toast has a slight edge in terms of enterprise functionality and customization options.
Pricing starts at $69 per month, with a custom quote necessary for additional information.
So, if you’d like to combine a user-friendly POS with your iPads, and run a multi-location restaurant, this might be the better solution for you.
Kitchen Display Systems (KDS)
A POS system brings more efficient operations to the front-of-house, but KDS empowers your back-of-house team.
It replaces those old-school paper tickets, displaying orders clearly on screens in the kitchen.
This helps reduce errors, improve communication between front-of-house and back-of-house staff, and speed up order fulfillment.
Square KDS
Square offers a powerful KDS that allows restaurants to manage and fulfill orders seamlessly, all from a single screen.
This means whether you're taking orders through your POS, delivery apps, or even your own online ordering system, everything is shown in one central location and easy to manage.
Source: Square
This Android-based system prioritizes customization.
Every kitchen is different, so you can personalize layouts, set timers, and configure notifications to match your unique workflow.
Importantly, orders can be prioritized and assigned to specific prep stations, ensuring that your kitchen team stays organized and efficient, even during peak time.
When the day is over, Square's reporting capabilities give you valuable insights, including ticket data, prep times, and more.
These insights help you identify areas for improvement and further optimize your operations.
Pricing starts at $20 a month per device with Square for Restaurants free plan.
With its extensive customization options and powerful system for streamlining order fulfillment in one place, Square KDS is a top contender for your restaurant.
Fresh KDS
A top alternative to Square is Fresh KDS, a robust system that provides all the essential features for order fulfillment management, plus some additional options.
Source: Fresh KDS
Fresh KDS is available as both an Android and iOS app, giving you greater flexibility in choosing the devices you use.
Integrations are also a big plus with Fresh KDS. You can connect it directly to a wide range of POS systems, including Square, as well as many popular online ordering platforms.
While both systems offer a similar core feature set, Fresh KDS promotes some additional options, including:
- Item summary
- Custom SMS alerts
- Order holds
- Kitchen assembly line support
- Manual order rearrangement
There are also more payment options available, starting at $15 per month.
Source: Fresh KDS
Fresh KDS has more features since it specializes in kitchen displays only, while Square evolved into a generalist—a complete solution for running a whole business.
In essence, if you're looking for a feature-packed solution that might offer a bit more than Square, Fresh KDS is worth exploring in more detail.
Inventory Management Software
Next, we have inventory management systems—essential for tracking ingredients and supplies and ensuring you and your kitchen have what you need when you need it.
These systems cover the whole spectrum of inventory management:
- prevent overstocking and therefore reduce your food waste
- prevent you from running out of stock by automating ordering
On top of that, they provide valuable insights into your most popular and profitable menu items.
In short, they're the key to efficient and cost-effective inventory control.
MarketMan
MarketMan is a cloud-based platform designed to provide a complete solution for managing stock and ordering for businesses of all sizes.
Trusted by over 15,000 restaurants, it simplifies stock control and helps optimize your purchasing process.
Source: MarketMan
MarketMan's core features include budgeting, purchasing, order optimization, and supplier management. All these can be handled seamlessly on any device through their app.
But the platform goes beyond the basics, offering advanced features such as:
- Recipe building with cost of ingredients
- Predictive analysis and demand forecasting
- Suggestive ordering
- Food cost data and profitability reports
- Inventory waste tracking
- Supplier automation
Now, let's take a quick look at their pricing.
Source: MarketMan
As you can see, MarketMan is on the pricey side.
However, if you need to take control of your inventory and streamline your ordering process, this tool can help cut back on costs and pay itself in no time.
Restroworks
Another option worth considering is Restroworks.
Previously known as Posist, this system offers a complete suite of restaurant management tools, including robust inventory management capabilities, and is already used by over 20,000 restaurants worldwide.
Source: Restroworks
While MarketMan focuses more on the financial aspect of inventory management, Restroworks focuses more on the operational side of things.
When it comes to inventory, this system will help you save money by providing real-time insights into your stock.
Here's a quick look at some of their key features:
- Recipe and ingredient cost calculations
- Multi-location kitchen inventory management
- Real-time stock tracking
- Offline use
- Supply chain optimization
- Integrations with over 400 tools
- Low stock alerts
Unfortunately, Restroworks doesn't publicly list its pricing information, so you'll need to reach out to their team for a quote.
Overall, Restroworks is an extensive system that tackles every aspect of inventory management.
It's the best choice for restaurants with a large volume of stock and multiple locations.
Staff Management Software
Finally, we have staff management software.
These tools help restaurants streamline their workforce operations by simplifying scheduling, tracking employee hours and attendance, handling payroll calculations, and facilitating communication.
In essence, it's a digital solution for all your HR needs, ensuring your team runs smoothly, and staff levels are aligned with customer demand.
7shifts
The most popular option you'll likely encounter in this category is 7shifts.
This all-in-one team management platform simplifies scheduling and payroll, promising to save you a substantial amount of time on administrative tasks.
They claim to cut scheduling time by over 80% and offer large labor cost savings due to more efficiently managed shifts.
Source: 7shifts
These claims are backed by the impressive clientele of over 50,000 restaurants that rely on 7shifts, with over 1 million restaurant workers using it to manage their schedules and receive payment.
Key features include:
- Simple scheduling and shift management
- Staff time clocking and attendance tracking
- Tip pooling calculations and management
- Automated payroll calculations
- Team performance and satisfaction tracking
As for pricing, 7shifts is an accessible platform, offering a free option for single-location establishments with under 30 employees.
Source: 7shifts
For larger restaurants, there are three paid tiers for the scheduling system. Payroll management, on the other hand, comes at a separate cost of $39.99 + $6 per employee per month.
In short, if you're looking for an industry leader for scheduling and payroll, 7shifts is the top choice.
Connecteam
Finally, there's Connecteam.
This mobile-first tool focuses on simplifying the key aspects of staff scheduling and communication, claiming to dramatically reduce the time spent managing your team.
It's a popular choice, used by over 36,000 companies, including many restaurants and food businesses.
Source: Connecteam
Whether it's sharing schedules, getting shift confirmations, or streamlining the time-off request process, Connecteam cuts down on the endless back-and-forth communication.
Schedules are sent and confirmed via mobile notifications, keeping everyone in the loop and minimizing confusion.
One area where Connecteam lags is payroll management. Instead of having this feature built-in, it offers integrations with popular payroll software like Xero, QuickBooks, and Gusto.
This might be a downside if you're looking for an all-in-one solution unless you already have a payroll system you're happy with or you don't need that functionality.
When it comes to pricing, Connecteam offers several tiers:
Source: Connecteam
With a free option and affordable paid tiers, it's a great option for small businesses while still providing advanced options for larger organizations.
All in all, if you're looking for a system that prioritizes user-friendly scheduling and streamlined communication, Connecteam is an alternative you can consider.
Conclusion
We've just scratched the surface of restaurant technology with ten great tools that can boost your efficiency.
From managing your reservations and tables to streamlining orders in the kitchen, tracking inventory, and keeping your staff on schedule, these systems can really make a difference.
Hopefully, you've gained some valuable insights into how these tools can transform your restaurant's day-to-day operations.
Now, it's time to take action! Do some research, explore free trials, and see which software solutions might be the perfect fit for your business.
And if you want to learn more about running a more efficient restaurant, we recommend you read these articles next:
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