Kinds of Restaurant Management Software
Most restaurant management software is designed to be a one-stop shop for all restaurant-running needs. However, some center on different aspects of running a restaurant than others. Some might focus more on the business side, with robust accounting features. Some might focus more on the server side, providing easy tools to streamline service. Some may focus on helping a kitchen become and stay organized by digitizing order tickets.
In general, most restaurant management systems will be very similar, but the slight shift in focus can help direct improvements in a restaurant where they are most needed. Depending on the size of the restaurant and how many locations there are, some software is built specifically for single locations and some are specifically created for large businesses handling multiple restaurants.
Restaurant Management SoftwareFeatures
Finance tracking – Tracking every transaction is extremely important in a restaurant. Not only does it help manage income versus expenditures, but it also makes it much easier if a customer ever disputes a purchase. Knowing how much money is going into purchasing food by breaking down recipes by the cost of individual ingredients and which menu items are more successful than others can help owners and managers make informed decisions moving forward. This can also help a kitchen see how much money is being lost to food waste and make adjustments. In general, it’s always a good idea to know how sales are faring and where costs can be cut.
Tax tools – Tax season can be rough on everyone, especially small businesses. Restaurant management platforms with tax tools can help prepare a restaurant for tax season with minimal work. By keeping track of all receipts and purchases, owners don’t need to worry about losing track of crucial information or doing a lot of tabulating last minute.
Menu creation – While there’s obviously a lot of work that goes into creating a menu beyond the realm of software, restaurant management software can help organize that process. Some restaurant management software can maintain ingredient lists and recipes for menu items. Once menu items are finalized, they can easily be added to the POS feature, making it much easier for servers to place orders for customers.
Order management – Order management and food sales obviously make up the bulk of a restaurant’s business. If operations don’t run smoothly, that can spell disaster for the entire business. With digital tickets or an integrated ticket printer, the kitchen can stay organized and on top of orders as they arrive. If a restaurant also runs a delivery service, staying organized is even more important in order to ensure that the food gets exactly where it needs to go. Some platforms will even alert servers when an order is running behind so they can keep customers informed.
Credit card processing – Most point-of-sale systems have built-in credit card processing, and many restaurant management systems are no different. Since most diners pay by card, built-in credit card processing can make the payment process a lot smoother for both guests and servers. This can also eliminate the need to pay extra money to a credit card processing service. By having the service bundled with the software platform, there is no need to pay more out of pocket.
Loyalty management – Obtaining and retaining customers is a huge challenge for any restaurant. Many restaurant management systems will include some kind of loyalty management features in the form of gift cards, frequent diner cards, or email newsletters. By having these all housed within the platform, redeeming cards or maintaining a record of accumulated points becomes easy. Customers don’t need to remember a paper card, and servers don’t need to spend a lot of time trying to ensure the customer gets their discount.
Inventory management – For a restaurant, inventory control is a primary concern. Without enough of the right ingredients, serving customers becomes impossible. Food is not cheap, nor does it last forever, so ordering the right amount is extremely important. With inventory management features in a restaurant management system, chefs and cooks can keep track of all available ingredients, when they will expire, and what needs to be ordered in the near future. If a set amount of something is available, such as bottles of wine, a smart system will automatically update the inventory when items are purchased. While there is also restaurant inventory software available, having the feature available in a system already being used makes it much easier for the kitchen to communicate with the back office and front of house, and vice versa.
Employee management and scheduling – Restaurants often have large workforces that work separate shifts. Employee management features can help restaurants schedule their employees’ shifts and create onboarding timelines for new employees who need training. This way, restaurants are always staffed appropriately and employees aren’t stretched thin. Some restaurant management software will even be able to report which days or nights are busier and which are slower so managers can schedule appropriately without under- or overstaffing.
Reporting and analytics – Restaurants work with extremely small margins, so knowing exactly what is happening with the business at all times is crucial. Since restaurant management systems touch almost every aspect of a restaurant, they can collect data from the various corners of the business and create analytics that provide a clear picture of its operations. With this data and analysis, restaurant owners and managers can make informed decisions based on where they are performing well and where they need to improve. While data analytics solutions will provide more robust information, the basic tools within restaurant management systems are often enough for busy restaurateurs without a background in data science.
Delivery and takeout – Customers love having the ability to order food online, so it makes sense to provide that option. A restaurant management system with functionality to create an online ordering portal helps keep everything in one place, as well as save time and money when trying to figure out how to build a website and avoid vendor fees. And with those orders coming directly through the restaurant management software, orders are less likely to be lost or pushed aside in favor of in-house diners.
Floor plans – Restaurant management software allows hosts to input the floor plan of the restaurant into the tool so they can easily seat guests and reserve tables. Servers can use the floor plan to ensure that the right order goes to the right table. Some tools may even allow orders to be placed based on table seat, so if someone has an allergy or dietary restriction, they are not accidentally served the wrong item.
