Discover the most popular restaurant management software and how to pick what fits your business. 🫵🏻
As business owners, you just have to make decisions about how much tech you're going to bring into your work. Even the food sector, which kinda held onto some of its traditional ways while other industries went full digital, is now feeling the rush of apps and restaurant software.
For restaurant owners and managers, the real challenge is figuring out how to find the tech that actually supports and simplifies your daily operations. You gotta stay away from technology that just makes things more complicated than it gives you control. So, let's talk about the most popular categories of restaurant software and how to choose the one that’s just right for your place.
In this article, we'll teach you how to pick the right system for you, no fuss, and straight to the point! 👌
What Types of Software Are Used in Restaurants? 🧑🏻🍳
The easiest way to understand the different restaurant management software options is to break them down into three main categories: Back-of-House (kitchen and storage), Front-of-House (dining area and customers), and Financial Operations software. You might even find some programs that combine more than one function.
First: Back of House (BOH) Software
These programs are all about helping your kitchen stay organized, your fridge stay full, and communication between the kitchen and dining area run smooth as silk.
Supplier Ordering Software This might be one of the most important BOH programs. It's the software that lets you order food and products from your suppliers. Sure, there are traditional ways (like leaving a late-night voicemail for suppliers), but the time you save with advanced tech solutions is going to be huge. With Wady, you can fill out and send your orders right in our app with simple taps – any time of day, from anywhere.
Inventory Management & Food Costing Software Managing inventory might not be the most exciting part of running your restaurant, but if it's not done right, it can dig a huge hole in your business and your profits. An inventory management tool helps your team keep track of what's in the storeroom without getting lost in piles of papers. With the program, you can enter your different product types, then easily add or deduct from your stock as soon as it arrives or gets used. Try to look for an inventory management option that integrates with other programs, like your POS system, so the stock adjustment process is automated.
Kitchen Management Software These programs can really simplify the process of handling customer orders coming from the dining area. By having everything in one place, the staff in the front and back of the house can keep track of incoming orders on busy nights. Everyone in your restaurant can check on the status of orders, meaning the chances of orders getting lost or forgotten drop significantly.
Second: Front of House (FOH) Software
These FOH programs are all about helping your front-of-house team manage guest traffic in your restaurant in a smooth and organized way.
Point of Sale (POS) System The Point of Sale (POS) system is considered one of the most essential programs every restaurant absolutely needs. This is where your customer pays for their experience at your restaurant. Many POS systems combine payment processing with other useful tools like table management and online ordering.
Restaurant Reservations & Waitlist Software This is a feature that's really gaining popularity in the industry. Reservation software lets customers book their spots online or add themselves to a waitlist, which saves the hostess who takes calls and arranges tables a lot of time. With the program, restaurants can set how many reservations they can accommodate at certain times, and customers can choose their preferred time and number of people. And if no reservations are available, they can add themselves to a waitlist. Customers can also cancel or modify their reservations themselves.
Table Management System Table management software can make tracking where guests are seated and who's responsible for serving them much easier. This type of program not only improves your team's ability to manage the entire front of the house more easily, but you can also track seating data to use after the rush. This could help you figure out which tables guests stay at longer or which areas need extra support from waiters. And if your POS system offers this function, that's an amazing bonus, because you'll be able to dig deeper into the data of tables that order more, too.
Online Ordering Software Online ordering is another software option that has massively surged in popularity in recent years. The pandemic basically forced restaurants to offer easy ordering when takeout was the only option. And even now, after dining restrictions have been lifted, customers expect to be able to place their orders online, whether for takeout or delivery.
But the question is: How do you find the restaurant software that fits your needs?
Like we explained, there are tons of software options you can use in your restaurant. While this opens up many exciting doors in the sector, how do you actually know which one is best for you specifically?
For most restaurants, a POS system is the most important management tool to start with. This might be one of the more expensive programs, but it's usually worth the cost to make sales easier for your team and give customers the options they expect. After that, think about other software tools you might add to your POS system. (Wady is a free option that can make your ordering much simpler).
With any program you're considering, look for three key components: Functionality, Ease of Use, and Price.
Functionality: Make sure the program you're looking at has all the capabilities you actually need. An online ordering system that also lets customers make reservations gives you two functions in one tool.
Ease of Use: Restaurant management software is supposed to make your life easier, not harder. Look for tools that are simple to use with clean, clear interfaces. It really shouldn't take your team a long time to get started and operate the new program.
Price: Most software options work on a subscription basis, meaning you'll pay a certain amount each month to keep using the program. For many POS systems, the monthly cost will include card processing and any other hardware you might need. Look for options that fit your budget and give you the most functionality.
Restaurant software has become an essential part of the industry. And now you have a framework to decide which software systems can actually support your business and which ones might not be worth your time.
