24 Best Restaurant Management Software in 2025 (Organized By Category)

Discover the ultimate shortlists for your restaurant management tech stack.

Today’s restaurant management software spans many categories, from tracking inventory and table reservations to managing marketing, food safety, and sales. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the best restaurant management software by category, highlighting top tools in each area.

Whether you’re a restaurant owner, executive chef, restaurant manager, or director of operations, these digital restaurant management solutions can streamline your workflows, ensure hospitality food safety compliance, and elevate the guest experience.

Restaurant Inventory Management Software

Keeping food inventory in check is crucial for controlling costs and reducing waste. Restaurant inventory management software helps you track stock levels, monitor ingredient usage, and automate ordering so you never 86 a popular menu item.

Look for features like real-time stock alerts, recipe cost calculations, vendor integrations, and mobile counting apps. Below, we compare three of the most trusted inventory tools in the U.S. market.

MarketMan

A dedicated inventory management platform known for its robust features. MarketMan offers advanced tools like EDI vendor integrations, detailed usage reporting, and even allergen tracking. For example, it can suggest orders based on par levels and alert you to price changes on ingredients.

Many mid-sized restaurants use MarketMan to centralize purchasing and inventory; however, its enterprise-level depth (and setup fees) may be more than a very small restaurant needs.

Pricing starts around $199/month for the basic plan.

xtraCHEF by Toast

Toast POS users can add on this inventory module (originally xtraCHEF) to manage food cost and supplies. It’s great for restaurants already on Toast that want built-in inventory management without a separate system.

xtraCHEF automates invoice processing (scanning vendor bills), tracks ingredient prices, and even helps capture supplier rebates, which is a big plus for multi-unit groups.

The pricing is custom-quoted (third-party sources suggest it starts around $149 per month per feature module), so it’s often suited to growing restaurants that can justify the investment.

CrunchTime

An enterprise-level back-office system is widely used by large restaurant chains (brands like Five Guys and Chipotle rely on it). CrunchTime excels at food cost control and forecasting: it offers deep inventory analytics, recipe costing, and even predictive ordering to maintain optimal stock.

It integrates with over 1,000+ POS and accounting systems for end-to-end data flow. This powerful platform gives unparalleled insight into costs. One former restaurant manager praised it as “the best bet for knowing and controlling food costs.”

CrunchTime’s pricing is enterprise (custom) and the system can be complex, so it’s often overkill for small operations but ideal for restaurant groups focused on profitability.

Comparison of the top inventory management tools

Restaurant Table & Reservation Management Software

Gone are the days of paper reservation books. Modern table booking software helps restaurants fill seats efficiently and keep customer satisfaction high. The best reservation systems manage online bookings, walk-ins, and waitlists in one place, often with tools to reduce no-shows (like automated confirmations) and gather guest preferences.

For full-service restaurants, a good reservation platform is essential to maximizing covers, especially during peak times. Below are three of the most widely-used reservation management tools in the U.S.:

OpenTable

Arguably the most recognized reservation system, OpenTable remains one of the most trusted and widely used platforms globally. It offers real-time online booking, table management, and an extensive diner network. To put this into perspective, over 100 million people have used OpenTable to find restaurants.

Restaurants love its rich feature set, which includes built-in marketing and loyalty tools and detailed customer analytics. For example, you can automatically remind guests of reservations and track their dining history for personalized service.

OpenTable’s large user base can help attract new diners, though it does charge cover fees and monthly plans that can add up for high-volume venues.

Resy

Resy has become a household name, especially among high-end and trendy restaurants. Its sleek, modern interface and real-time availability make booking easy for guests, while restaurants benefit from powerful table management and data insights.

Resy’s system lets you customize floor plans, set pacing for seating times, and even allows VIP tagging so you know if a regular or food critic is in the house. Restaurateurs praise Resy’s analytics on guest behaviors and its ability to let customers join mobile waitlists or modify bookings seamlessly.

Resy’s pricing is typically a flat monthly fee (depending on features/party size limits), which can be more predictable than per-cover charges. It’s a favorite of operators who want a premium feel and control over the guest experience (American Express acquired Resy, and it often caters to the upscale dining segment).

Yelp Guest Manager

From the folks behind the Yelp review platform, this system (formerly NoWait + Yelp Reservations) leverages Yelp’s vast audience to boost your restaurant’s visibility. Yelp Guest Manager combines reservations and waitlist management. Diners can find and book your restaurant when browsing on Yelp, which is a huge funnel for new customers.

For the restaurant, the app provides an integrated way to manage online bookings and walk-in waitlists together, with text alerts to guests, table assignment, and tagging of customer preferences.

A big advantage is the built-in marketing: being on Yelp’s platform can attract diners browsing in your area, and Yelp’s network provides exposure that standalone systems might not. Guest Manager also gives analytics on guest frequency and feedback, helping you identify regulars or trends in customer behavior.

Pricing for Yelp’s system varies by package (it often has a flat monthly rate) and is generally competitive, sometimes even offering a free basic waitlist tool with paid upgrades for full reservation capabilities.

Comparison of the top reservation systems

Restaurant Marketing Software

Restaurant marketing software helps food service operators reach new diners and keep regulars coming back. These tools simplify campaigns like loyalty promotions, targeted emails, and special offers, so busy managers and chefs can engage customers without added hassle.

Automating marketing tasks with a good restaurant marketing software platform can boost repeat visits, increase average check size, and measurably build brand loyalty.

Punchh

Punchh is a popular restaurant marketing software platform focused on customer loyalty and engagement. It acts as a marketing cloud that ties into your POS system and customer data to deliver targeted promotions and rewards in real time. With Punchh, restaurants can design custom loyalty programs, from simple digital punch cards to tiered VIP clubs, and send out personalized offers via mobile app, email, or text to drive traffic during slow periods.

For example, Tropical Smoothie Cafe uses Punchh to run an omnichannel loyalty program that communicates with members (and even non-members) at both national and local levels, keeping guests engaged across in-store and online channels.

Major chains have reported significant results using Punchh. One barbecue restaurant chain saw loyalty participation jump by double digits after launching a Punchh-powered rewards app.

Punchh typically works with multi-unit and enterprise restaurants on a custom-quote basis, with no public flat fee. Interested operators need to contact Punchh for pricing details. While there’s no free plan, the platform’s comprehensive loyalty and marketing capabilities are tailored to deliver strong ROI for large-scale loyalty initiatives.

TouchBistro Marketing

TouchBistro Marketing is an add-on module to the TouchBistro restaurant POS, designed to put promotions and guest outreach on autopilot for independent restaurants.

This tool integrates seamlessly with TouchBistro’s POS and loyalty program, using the built-in CRM to segment guests and trigger automated campaigns. Restaurateurs can set up customized email offers, SMS alerts, and even a branded web app for customers that are all aimed at bringing diners back more often.

For instance, one TouchBistro user offers an automatic birthday reward (free deliveries during the customer’s birthday month) and personalized promotions based on purchase history, resulting in higher order frequency.

Because TouchBistro Marketing works hand-in-hand with the loyalty feature, it can send the right deal to the right guest at the right time (e.g., a discount on a favorite menu item to boost a mid-week visit). Early adopters have seen notable results: some customers doubled their visit frequency and grew their average ticket size by 30% after a few targeted campaigns.

TouchBistro Marketing is a paid add-on, priced at about $99 per month on top of the core POS software. There’s no long-term contract required (TouchBistro offers month-to-month subscriptions), and you can contact TouchBistro for a demo.

This solution is especially practical for small to mid-sized restaurants already using TouchBistro, as it extends the POS into a full restaurant marketing software suite without needing third-party tools.

SevenRooms

SevenRooms is an all-in-one guest experience, CRM, and marketing platform used by restaurants, hotels, and nightlife venues to personalize outreach and boost loyalty. Best known for its reservation and table management features, SevenRooms also offers powerful marketing automation geared toward driving repeat business.

The platform builds detailed guest profiles that include tracking visit history, preferences, feedback, and then lets operators set up automated campaigns to capitalize on that data. For example, a fine-dining restaurant can configure SevenRooms to automatically email a VIP guest who hasn’t visited in a few months, perhaps offering a complimentary glass of champagne if they book a new reservation.

Marketing campaigns can be segmented (first-time guests vs. regulars, positive reviewers vs. those who had issues, etc.) so that each customer gets a personal touch that encourages loyalty.

High-end restaurants like Otium in Los Angeles and Spago Beverly Hills have deployed SevenRooms’ marketing automation (called 7X) to turn their wealth of guest data into profitable, repeat visits.

SevenRooms typically does not publish pricing online; you must request a quote. Industry sources indicate the cost starts around $6,000 per year (roughly $500 per month) for the core platform.

There’s no free version, but SevenRooms does offer a free trial so restaurants can test its capabilities before committing. With its robust features, SevenRooms is a bigger investment suited for full-service restaurants and groups that prioritize deep guest engagement and a high-touch loyalty strategy.

Restaurant Marketing Software – Comparison Table

Pricing is based on latest available information and may vary depending on restaurant size and requirements.

Restaurant Loyalty Software

In addition to marketing tools, restaurants often deploy dedicated restaurant loyalty software to turn one-time visitors into long-term regulars. A strong loyalty program can significantly boost repeat sales because loyal customers tend to visit more frequently and spend more per visit than newcomers.

Modern restaurant loyalty software replaces old-fashioned punch cards with digital apps and points systems, making it easy for guests to earn rewards and for operators to track customer habits. These platforms help busy food service leaders (from executive chefs to operations directors) set up and manage rewards programs without needing technical expertise.

Whether it’s a mom-and-pop eatery or a multi-unit franchise, the right loyalty software can drive consistent foot traffic by rewarding customers for their patronage in a way that’s fun and engaging.

Owner.com Loyalty & Rewards

Owner.com’s Loyalty & Rewards is an all-in-one loyalty program built specifically for independent restaurants looking to compete with big-chain programs. Part of Owner.com’s comprehensive platform (which also includes online ordering, a custom website, and mobile app), the loyalty software allows even small eateries to offer a professional, points-based rewards system like the “big brands” do.

Restaurants using Owner.com can automatically enroll customers to earn points on each direct order and then redeem those points for freebies or discounts on future visits – no physical punch cards required.

The program is highly configurable: operators can adjust point values per menu item and customize rewards to fit their concept (for example, a pizzeria might offer a free side or dessert after 100 points).

A great success story comes from Metro Pizza, a local restaurant that implemented Owner.com’s loyalty features and saw a 10% sales increase (over $10,000 in additional revenue) in the first month after launch. The platform also provides a branded mobile app for guests to track their points and receive push-notification offers, which helps keep the restaurant top-of-mind.

Owner.com uses a flat pricing model – about $499 per month for the entire suite, which includes the loyalty program plus website, ordering, marketing, and support. There are no long-term contracts or surprise fees. It’s month-to-month and designed to pay for itself by driving more direct orders and repeat business.

SpotOn Loyalty

SpotOn Loyalty is the customer rewards solution within the SpotOn restaurant platform (which also offers POS, online ordering, and marketing tools). This restaurant loyalty software emphasizes ease of use for both guests and operators.

Customers can enroll at checkout by simply providing a phone number or through the free SpotOn mobile app, instantly earning points for their purchase. Those points translate into rewards (configured by the restaurant, such as money off the bill or free menu items), and redemption is seamless because rewards are automatically applied via the POS when a guest qualifies, with all activity tracked in the SpotOn dashboard.

SpotOn Loyalty also shines in its marketing integration: it can automatically send out offers for birthdays or reach out to lapsed customers with “we miss you” incentives, without the staff having to lift a finger.

Restaurants have used SpotOn Loyalty to build membership-style engagement. For example, one owner noted that after switching to SpotOn and rolling out its rewards program, they’ve seen such success with repeat business that they are now considering franchising the concept. The system’s easy scalability across multiple locations makes it ideal for growing brands that want a unified loyalty solution.

SpotOn’s loyalty program is offered as an add-on feature. It costs around $45 per month for the loyalty module when added to a SpotOn POS plan. (SpotOn’s POS packages themselves can start at $0 upfront with processing fees, or $99+ per month for more full-service setups.) There’s no separate contract just for loyalty. It’s part of the flexible SpotOn ecosystem and the company prides itself on transparent pricing with no hidden fees.

DataCandy

DataCandy is a well-established restaurant loyalty software platform known for its simplicity and affordability, catering to both small businesses and enterprise restaurant chains. It provides everything a restaurant needs to launch a digital loyalty program and gift card system without heavy IT investment.

With DataCandy, restaurants can set up points-based rewards or even digital punch-card style programs via a mobile app and member portal. The system includes features like email marketing campaigns, customer segmentation for targeted offers, and detailed analytics to track member spending and visit frequency.

For a small cafe or family diner, DataCandy might mean replacing paper loyalty cards with a sleek app that lets customers earn points on each coffee and see their rewards in real time, while giving the owner insights into purchasing trends.

It’s also robust enough for larger brands: for instance, the healthy fast-casual chain Copper Branch uses DataCandy to reward loyal customers and glean insights from their behavior. Another restaurant, Jukebox Burgers, reported that implementing DataCandy’s loyalty program made their business look more professional and gave them greater control over marketing to their regulars.

DataCandy offers straightforward plans that fit different budgets. Small restaurants can start with the basic loyalty package at roughly $50 per month per location (this also includes a gift card program in the basic bundle). There is typically a one-time setup fee and then a monthly subscription.

Premium enterprise plans with more advanced analytics are available at custom pricing for larger chains. DataCandy usually offers a free trial as well, so operators can try out the software for a couple of weeks and see how easy it is to enroll customers and track rewards.

Comparison of the top restaurant loyalty software

Actual costs may vary based on the number of locations and specific needs. Owner.com’s fee includes multiple services, SpotOn’s loyalty is an optional module added to its POS, and DataCandy offers tiered plans. Always contact vendors for the most up-to-date pricing for your restaurant.

Restaurant Food Safety Software

Food safety is the foundation of any restaurant’s reputation. Traditionally, ensuring HACCP compliance and health code standards meant clipboards of paper checklists, binders of logs, and endless manual monitoring. But not anymore.

Today’s restaurant food safety software digitizes these critical processes, making it easier for teams to consistently follow food safety protocols and for managers to verify compliance in real time.

Free restaurant food safety templates

VISIT THE HUB

These tools are tailored for kitchen operations: they provide digital checklists (e.g. temperature logs, cleaning schedules), smart reminders, and often IoT integrations like Bluetooth temperature probes or fridge sensors.

For food safety leaders (from executive chefs to Ops directors), such software offers peace of mind that every location is maintaining standards and documentation. Here we highlight three leading solutions:

FoodDocs

An easy-to-use digital Food Safety Management System for restaurants that boosts efficiency, streamlines compliance, and protects your brand. FoodDocs stands out for its smart setup and automation: you can set up a HACCP-compliant system in about 15 minutes by answering a few questions, after which it auto-generates monitoring schedules tailored to your operation.

The platform provides digital checklists with notifications, so staff complete tasks like temperature checks or line checks on a tablet, with photo evidence as needed. All records are stored centrally in the cloud, which has big benefits.

One multi-unit restaurant group, Terroni, reported that during a health inspection, FoodDocs helped them earn a stellar report by keeping “all supporting records in one easy, accessible location,” impressing the inspector.

Managers can get a real-time dashboard of each location’s food safety status (no more wondering if the opening checklist was done. You can see it was, with timestamps and photos. Favorite features for users include the ability to add photo or video instructions to any task (great for training new staff on how to, say, calibrate a thermometer) and automated alerts if something isn’t done on time.

The system provides us with an easy-to-use solution for standardizing our work processes, which helps support every employee's role in maintaining food safety monitoring and best practices. The value FoodDocs has added to our company goes well beyond the hours saved daily for our teams through streamlining daily monitoring activities and processes!

 

Michael Worbanski

Human Resources and Operations Safety Specialist

Gruppo Terroni

FoodDocs is a cloud-based software (web app and mobile) and offers a 14-day free trial. Pricing starts around $199/month for a single restaurant location, which can quickly pay for itself by saving managers 10+ hours a week on paperwork and avoiding food safety issues.

Jolt

A well-known operations platform, Jolt includes a digital food safety solution used by brands like Chick-fil-A, Smoothie King, and Legoland’s eateries. Jolt’s food safety module focuses on automating the routine tasks that keep your kitchen safe.

For example, Jolt offers automated temperature monitoring with smart sensors and probes that continuously log cooler or food temps and alert you if anything goes out of safe range. It also provides quick digital temperature logs for line checks and receiving, plus date-code label printing to ensure every prep item is labeled with its discard date.

One of Jolt’s strengths is its real-time alerts and notifications: if the freezer temp rises above your set threshold at 2 AM, managers get an instant alert on their phone so they can act before product spoils. Jolt also stores all logs in the cloud, which mean no more digging through clipboards. When the health inspector asks for records, you can pull up organized logs in seconds.

Besides food safety, Jolt’s app handles task checklists, employee messaging, and more, making it a comprehensive daily operations tool. It’s available on web and mobile (often run on an iPad in the kitchen).

Jolt’s pricing is subscription-based and modular (e.g., scheduling, labeling, sensors are add-ons) starting around $90/month for basic plans (scaling up with more features or locations). It’s a popular choice for restaurants that want an all-in-one operations and compliance solution.

Zenput

An enterprise-focused operations execution platform that is also widely used for food safety and audit compliance, especially by large multi-unit chains. (CrunchTime acquired Zenput in 2022, integrating it with their platform.)

Zenput enables restaurant operators to create digital checklists and audits that field teams complete via a mobile app, ensuring consistent procedures across every location.

For instance, a regional fast-food chain can push a daily “Food Safety Checklist” to all stores at 10am, requiring line cooks to verify grill temps, sanitizer solution, etc., with photo proof. The data comes back to headquarters instantly.

Zenput emphasizes real-time data collection, including the ability to capture photos, temperature readings, and signatures, which is invaluable for QA and safety oversight. It also offers automated temperature monitoring similar to Jolt, integrating IoT temperature sensors to log fridge/freezer temps 24/7 and alert if there’s a problem.

Another benefit is its powerful reporting and analytics: you can identify trends like which locations consistently miss certain food safety tasks and proactively retrain them. Zenput integrates with many POS and inventory systems too, connecting operations with other data streams.

As an enterprise tool, pricing is by quote and tailored to the number of locations and modules, but the ROI for large organizations is often justified by labor savings and risk reduction. It’s best for multi-unit groups that require top-down visibility and control over food safety and operations.

Comparison of the top restaurant food safety software

Restaurant POS Systems (Point of Sale)

A restaurant POS system is the heart of your operation. It’s where orders, payments, and many back-office processes come together. The best POS software goes far beyond the old cash register. The top systems include:

• Tableside ordering
• Menu management,
• Inventory tracking
• Staff time clocks
• Loyalty program integration
• Detailed sales analytics

Choosing the right POS can increase your revenue (through faster service and more payment options) and make management easier with consolidated reports. The U.S. restaurant POS market has a mix of long-time industry players and newer cloud-based providers. Here we compare three of the most widely-used and trusted POS platforms today:

Toast POS

A leading all-in-one POS built specifically for restaurants, known for its Android-based terminals and rich feature set. Toast POS has become extremely popular, especially among full-service and quick-service restaurants in the US, and was rated the “best overall restaurant POS” in many 2025 comparisons.

Why do so many restaurants choose Toast? For one, it offers a free Starter plan (pay-as-you-go model) which lowers the barrier to entry. You can get basic ordering and payment processing with no monthly software fee.

From there, Toast is highly scalable: you can add online ordering, delivery integration, gift cards, loyalty, payroll, and inventory modules as needed, all under one system. Its interface is intuitive and optimized for speed, which servers and cashiers appreciate. For example, servers can use handheld Toast Go devices to fire orders directly from the table to the kitchen, and even accept contactless payments on the spot.

Toast’s back-end provides robust sales and menu reports that help in decision-making. A key consideration is that Toast requires using its built-in payment processing (and proprietary hardware), and usually a multi-year agreement for the best pricing. Payment processing rates are competitive (around 2.5% + 10¢ with its Pay-as-you-Go plan, slightly lower on paid plans).

Overall, Toast is loved for being a versatile, constantly evolving platform that can fit almost any restaurant type, from a food truck using a single terminal to a fine-dining restaurant with handhelds and kitchen displays.

Square for Restaurants

A simple, budget-friendly POS solution ideal for smaller restaurants, cafes, and food trucks. Square is well known for its easy-to-use credit card readers and POS app; Square for Restaurants is their restaurant-specific POS app that runs on iPad.

Its biggest attraction is the free plan. You can run your restaurant’s core POS (orders, payments, basic menu management, and some reports) for $0 monthly cost, just paying Square’s payment processing fees (around 2.6% + 10¢ for in-person swipes). This makes Square extremely popular with new and small operators.

Even though it’s free to start, it’s quite feature-rich and user-friendly. Setup is so quick that many independent restaurateurs claim to literally download the app and start taking orders the same day. The interface is intuitive enough that staff training takes minutes. Square also offers a Plus plan (~$60/month per location) that adds more advanced features like seat management, course firing, and integrations.

One downside is that Square for Restaurants (the app) is currently only available in a few countries (U.S., Canada, U.K., etc.). But in the U.S., thousands of small restaurants use Square and appreciate its simplicity and reliability. It’s cloud-based so you can see your sales remotely in real time.

Also, because it’s part of the larger Square ecosystem, you get access to extras like Square Online (for online ordering), Square Loyalty, and an employee scheduling add-on, all nicely integrated if you choose to use them.

Square for Restaurants is best for small, budget-conscious venues that need an easy POS with no long-term contract.

Lightspeed Restaurant

A modern cloud POS known for its strong inventory control and analytics capabilities. Lightspeed (originally founded in Canada) acquired another POS called Upserve/Breadcrumb, and the combined product is now offered as Lightspeed Restaurant POS.

It’s a popular all-in-one system used across North America and Europe, particularly by restaurants that want robust back-office tools in addition to the point-of-sale. Lightspeed runs primarily on iPads and is loved for its slick interface and detailed reporting. For example, managers can dive into reports on menu item profitability, server performance, and even log food inventory counts within the POS.

One of Lightspeed’s differentiators is its built-in analytics and accounting integration (it can connect with QuickBooks or Xero), plus features like loyalty and delivery integrations. It also tends to be more open than some competitors: you can choose your payment processor or use Lightspeed’s, and it has an API for custom integrations.

Many restaurateurs who outgrow simpler systems upgrade to Lightspeed for its more advanced capabilities in multi-unit management, stock control, and purchasing.

Pricing for Lightspeed Restaurant starts around $69/month for the software (billed annually), plus device and transaction fees. It often offers packages that include hardware and loyalty add-ons at higher tiers.

Lightspeed is trusted by many midsize restaurants and growing hospitality groups. It provides a nice balance between ease-of-use and enterprise-grade functionality, making it a top consideration for those who want to deeply analyze and optimize their restaurant operations.

Comparison of the top restaurant POS systems

Restaurant Employee Scheduling & Workforce Management

Labor is one of the biggest costs (and headaches) in the restaurant industry. Employee scheduling software helps managers build and communicate work schedules faster, handle shift swaps, track hours, and forecast labor needs, all while staying compliant with labor laws and budgets.

If you’ve ever spent Sunday night texting staff to fill shifts or manually tallying overtime, these tools are game-changers. Modern staff scheduling apps also often include team communication, time clock functionality, and even labor cost reporting that integrates with sales data. Here are three top scheduling tools popular in restaurants:

Homebase

A highly popular scheduling and time-tracking app known for its free tier and ease of use. Homebase is built for the realities of hourly work and handles last-minute call-outs, shift swaps, and changing staff availability with ease. For instance, if a line cook calls out sick, you can send a shift cover request to all qualified staff via the Homebase mobile app, and someone can claim it in seconds.

The core scheduling interface is drag-and-drop and shows you real-time labor cost as you schedule (so you don’t overshoot your budget). It also sends automatic reminders to employees about their upcoming shifts and alerts managers if someone is about to hit overtime.

Homebase’s basic version is free for one location (up to 10 employees), including scheduling, a time clock, and team messaging. This has made it a go-to choice for many small restaurants and cafes.

Paid plans (starting around $20-$60/month per location) add deeper features like labor cost forecasting (by syncing with your POS sales), compliance tools, and HR docs.

The app is very user-friendly. Many restaurant managers say Homebase “handles the chaos, so you can focus on running your restaurant, not chasing down coverage”.

7shifts

A scheduling and labor management platform designed specifically for restaurants. 7shifts has gained wide adoption from independent restaurants to franchises for its robust features that go beyond just scheduling.

It excels at labor optimization and can forecast staffing needs based on your sales trends and even suggest scheduling adjustments (for example, flagging if you’re consistently overstaffed on Mondays or if you might need an extra server on a holiday based on last year’s data).

7shifts also simplifies compliance with features like schedule enforcement (to prevent clopenings that violate rest laws) and tip pooling calculations. For multi-unit operations, 7shifts offers a dashboard to oversee scheduling and labor costs across all locations.

One standout feature is its integration capability. It connects with many POS systems (Toast, Lightspeed, etc.) to pull actual sales data and further refine its labor suggestions.

Employees get a great mobile app for viewing their shifts, swapping or bidding on shifts, and messaging coworkers. As one G2 review noted, “7shifts has massively saved time with scheduling and is a great form of communication with staff”.

It offers a free plan for up to 1 location/30 employees (with limited features) and paid plans that scale by number of employees/locations (starting around $34.99/month for the first plan tier). If your restaurant is growth-minded or has complex scheduling needs, 7shifts is often the go-to choice for labor management.

HotSchedules (Fourth)

A veteran in the restaurant scheduling space, HotSchedules has been trusted by hospitality businesses for over a decade and is now part of Fourth’s workforce management suite. It’s known as the industry-standard scheduling app for many large restaurant groups and franchises, and is used by over 2 million users across 150,000+ restaurant locations worldwide.

HotSchedules provides a highly effective scheduling interface with advanced features like demand-driven scheduling templates (using historical sales and foot traffic data to auto-generate staffing plans) and robust compliance rules (automatically accounting for minors’ work hour restrictions, required breaks, etc.).

One of its biggest strengths is communication: staff and managers communicate through the HotSchedules app via messaging and shift notifications, eliminating the chaos of phone calls and sticky notes. Employees can easily swap shifts within the app (with manager approval flows).

For managers, HotSchedules drastically cuts the time to create and update schedules. Fourth advertises that it can make scheduling 75% faster, and many users agree it saves hours each week. It also directly integrates with many POS systems to track actual labor against scheduled labor in real time. The platform is cloud-based with accessible mobile apps for iOS/Android.

Typically, HotSchedules is priced per employee or per location (it’s not public on the website; you get a custom quote or through resellers), and it’s often a bit pricier than newer entrants. But for larger operations, the efficiency gains and reliability are worth it.

If you’re a franchise or high-volume restaurant juggling lots of restaurant staff, HotSchedules is a battle-tested solution to keep your team scheduling organized and compliant.

Comparison of the top restaurant scheduling tools

Restaurant Online Ordering & Delivery Software

In the age of takeout and delivery, having a solid online ordering system is as essential as your dining room. This category includes platforms that enable customers to place orders via your website or app, as well as aggregator management tools that connect third-party delivery apps to your POS.

The right solution can open up new revenue streams (takeout, curbside, delivery) and ensure you aren’t losing orders or paying exorbitant commissions. Here are three top solutions in this space:

ChowNow

A popular online ordering platform that powers commission-free orders for over 22,000 restaurants. ChowNow is all about letting independent restaurants take back control from big third-party delivery apps. With ChowNow, you get a branded ordering system on your own website and a mobile app if you want, so customers can order directly from you.

Unlike Grubhub/UberEats, ChowNow charges a flat monthly fee (and payment processing) but no per-order commission, which can save restaurants thousands of dollars a year in fees. They also handle all the tech: from setting up your online menu to integrating with delivery drivers or enabling pickup.

A great part of ChowNow is the marketing support: their team helps set up email marketing and even Facebook/Instagram ads to drive customers to your direct ordering, and your restaurant gets listed on the ChowNow app/marketplace for extra exposure.

For example, a neighborhood pizzeria might use ChowNow to add an “Order Online” button to its website and Facebook page, allowing customers to order takeout directly. The pizzeria pays maybe ~$149 monthly but avoids giving 30% of each order to a delivery app.

ChowNow’s system can integrate orders into some POS systems or print them out to a tablet/printer. It’s best for small-to-medium restaurants that want to grow online sales while keeping more profit (and customer data) in-house.

Olo

An enterprise-grade digital ordering platform used by many U.S. restaurant chains. If you’ve ever ordered from a big brand’s website or app (say Chipotle or Wingstop), chances are Olo was behind it. Olo provides a white-label ordering solution that lets restaurants manage orders from their own channels (website/app) and third-party marketplaces in one system.

With Olo, a chain can offer a seamless branded online ordering experience to customers while also funneling orders from UberEats/DoorDash directly into the same POS stream.

One of Olo’s biggest strengths is control: “Unlike third-party apps that own the customer experience, Olo gives you complete control over digital ordering, branding, and customer data,” letting restaurants maintain their direct relationship with customers. It’s highly customizable and integrates with virtually everything (e.g., POS systems, loyalty programs, delivery couriers, etc.).

Multi-location restaurants love that they can update menus or store hours across all platforms from one dashboard. Olo also excels at handling high volume and complex orders (scheduled orders, catering, etc.). It is not typically used by independents and is best suited for regional and national chains that need an enterprise solution.

Olo’s pricing is custom but generally involves a setup fee and monthly fees per store, and sometimes per-order costs; it can also charge for integrations.

Despite the cost, Olo is often justified for big brands because it can significantly boost digital sales and efficiency by unifying all online orders under one system.

Deliverect

A relatively newer tool that has quickly become essential for restaurants juggling multiple delivery apps. Deliverect is an online order aggregator that connects delivery apps and your POS to streamline order management. Imagine you have orders coming in from Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub, plus your own website. Without Deliverect, you might have several tablets buzzing and staff re-keying orders into your POS (which can cause errors and delays).

Deliverect solves this by integrating with all the major delivery platforms and injecting those orders directly into your POS and kitchen printer, just like your in-house orders. All your online orders show up in one unified format. This reduces the chance of missing an order and eliminates the labor of re-entering tickets.

It also consolidates reporting so you can see total online sales across platforms in one report. For example, a busy downtown restaurant using Deliverect will have UberEats and DoorDash orders automatically print in the kitchen and deduct from inventory, with no extra steps by staff.

Deliverect supports two-way menu syncing too: update an item or mark it 86’d in your POS, and it can push that to the delivery apps (so you don’t keep selling a dish that ran out). The platform is cloud-based and works behind the scenes (once set up, you mainly “feel” its impact in the smoothness of operations).

Deliverect charges a monthly subscription based on number of locations and integrations (often around $100-$150/month per location for a typical setup, though exact pricing varies).

It’s used by restaurants of all sizes, from single-location eateries that are heavy on delivery to large chains. It also enjoys praise for helping operators “say goodbye to delivery headaches” by unifying online order workflows.

Comparison of the top online restaurant ordering and delivery solutions

What are the key things to look for when choosing restaurant management software?

The features might change by category, but the decision-making filters? They stay the same. Here are the 8 non-negotiables to consider before you say yes to any restaurant software:

1. Ease of use: If your team needs a manual to log in, it’s not the right tool. Look for clean design, fast load times, and mobile-friendly interfaces.
2. Integration ability: Does it connect with your POS, inventory, scheduling, or accounting tools? If not, expect siloed data and double work.
3. Real-time visibility: You should be able to log in from anywhere and see what’s happening, whether it’s a missed fridge temp check or a spike in labor cost.
4. Reliable support: Things break. Tech glitches. You need a vendor with responsive chat, email, or phone support. Not a ghost town.
5. Customizable to your operation: Can it flex to your menu, prep schedule, staffing flow, or location count? Avoid rigid systems that force you to change your process.
6. Clear ROI: Does it save time, cut waste, or reduce labor hours? If it’s just “cool,” keep looking. If it solves a real pain point, you’re on the right track.
7. Transparent pricing: Watch out for hidden fees, contract lock-ins, or per-location add-ons that balloon costs. Ask for a full cost breakdown before you sign anything.
8. Staff adoption potential: Will your team actually use it? The best software gets out of their way and becomes part of the flow. If it’s clunky, no one wins.

Bottom line? Choose tools that are built for restaurants, not retrofitted for them. And always pick progress over perfection. A tool that’s 80% right but used daily is better than one that’s “perfect” but never opened.

How do I build a smart restaurant management tech stack?

Let’s be real. You don’t want 10 separate apps that don’t talk to each other. So how do you build a restaurant tech stack that actually works?

Start with your POS system. That’s the heartbeat of your operation. Most other tools (inventory, reservations, food safety) can plug into your POS. So pick a POS that plays well with others.

Next, choose software that has:

• Pre-built integrations (like Toast’s integration marketplace)
• An open API (for custom builds if needed)
• Middleware support, like Omnivore or Deliverect, if you're using multiple third-party delivery services or systems

Example: If you're using Toast POS, you can connect it to 7shifts (for scheduling), MarketMan (for inventory), and FoodDocs (for food safety), all without duplicating data.

The goal? A unified system where sales, labor, and compliance data all flow together and you don’t need to re-enter anything manually.

Should I choose an all-in-one platform or best-in-class tools for restaurant management?

It depends on what matters more to you: simplicity or specialization.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

All-in-one platforms (like Toast, Lightspeed, or Revel):

• Easier to set up and maintain
• Everything’s in one login
• Often cheaper when bundled
• Great for newer or smaller teams

Best-in-class tools (like pairing FoodDocs for food safety with Square for POS):

• Deeper features in each category
• More control and customization
• Better if you already know what you need

Think of restaurant management tools as a Swiss Army knife: handy, versatile, and simple. But sometimes, you just need a dedicated chef’s knife.

Growing restaurants often start with all-in-one, then add best-in-class tools as they scale.

What are the biggest mistakes restaurants make with management software?

Let’s save you some money and stress.

Here are the most common mistakes to avoid:

• Choosing based on price alone: Cheap software can cost you more in missed sales or frustrated staff.
• Not involving your team: If the staff hates the interface, they won’t use it. Always test with your actual users.
• Ignoring integrations: If it doesn’t sync with your POS or inventory system, expect lots of double work.
• Skipping training: Even the best tools fail without proper onboarding. Invest time upfront.
• Buying everything at once: Don’t overwhelm your team. Start with your biggest pain point. Then layer in more.

Smart software choices aren't about hype. They're about solving the right problem, in the right order.

How can I tell if restaurant management software will actually pay off?

Here’s a simple rule: If it saves you time or reduces mistakes, it’s probably worth it.

But let’s get more specific. Ask yourself:

• How much time will this save my manager each week?
• How much food waste could this help us prevent?
• How many guest complaints or bad reviews could it reduce?
• Will this help us avoid compliance issues or failed inspections?

Many tools offer ROI calculators on their sites.

Also look for:

• Case studies or customer quotes
• Trial periods to test the impact
• Benchmarks (e.g. Jolt users reduce food waste by X%, or 7shifts customers cut scheduling time by 80%)

If a tool helps your team work smarter and protects your margins, it's an investment, not a cost.

What about data privacy and security?

Great question. And one that doesn’t get asked enough.

Restaurant software collects:

• Staff schedules and contact info
• Customer details and order history
• Sales data, POS logins, and more

That’s sensitive stuff.

Before you commit to any tool, make sure it:

• Uses encryption to protect your data
• Has multi-factor authentication (MFA)
• Offers data export in case you ever leave the platform
• Is GDPR- or CCPA-compliant, depending on your region

Bonus tip: Ask if they own your customer data or if you do. Some third-party delivery apps keep it. That limits your marketing potential.

The best vendors take privacy seriously. If their sales team can’t answer your data questions confidently, walk away.

How do I roll out new restaurant management software solutions without disrupting everything?

Start small. Go slow. Train well.

Here’s a smart rollout plan:

1. Pick your pilot location: Choose one site or shift to test the tool before a full rollout.
2. Nominate a software champion: Someone tech-savvy who can help others and provide feedback.
3. Set a goal: For example, “Reduce food waste by 10% in 30 days” or “Hit 100% daily checklist completion.”
4. Provide hands-on training: Most tools offer onboarding support or training videos. Use them.
5. Celebrate early wins: If checklists are completed every day this week, shout it out. Get staff buy-in.
6. Document your process: Write a mini “how-to” guide based on your team’s usage. Future you will thank you when onboarding new hires.

The goal isn’t perfection on Day One. It’s progress you can build on.

Restaurant management is going digital, are you?

Digital solutions are transforming every aspect of restaurant management. From tracking inventory with precision to keeping guests flowing through your dining room, the best restaurant management solutions in each category helps you run a tighter, more profitable operation.

The right tools can save you hours of administrative work, reduce errors (no more forgotten reservations or missed fridge temps), and ultimately improve the experience for both your team and your guests.

However, with so many software options out there, you’ll want to choose carefully based on your restaurant’s size, concept, and specific pain points. It’s wise to take advantage of free trials and demos to see how a new inventory platform or scheduling app fits into your workflow.

Involve your team in the process, too! A solution is only effective if your staff finds it easy to use. Fortunately, the top vendors we’ve covered pride themselves on user-friendly designs and strong support to help you succeed.

In the end, adopting these digital tools is about working smarter, not harder. As food safety leaders and restaurant executives know, the industry’s traditional hospitality values (e.g., great service and consistent quality) can be upheld even better when backed by efficient technology.

Embracing the right restaurant management software in inventory, reservations, marketing, food safety, POS, and beyond gives you more control and insight into your business. That means you can spend less time firefighting operational issues and more time delighting customers and innovating your menu.

Frequently asked questions about restaurant management software