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It’s time to boss up and run your restaurant with help from a team of inventory managers, marketing gurus, data analysists, and HR specialists. You could hire all those experts – or deploy the latest restaurant operations software.

Loaded with powerful features and tools, today’s software solutions are surprisingly easy to use. Each of the restaurant operations software platforms reviewed includes a central dashboard that’s accessible from any Internet-connected device. So yes, you could technically manage your restaurant from an armchair at home…

Ready to see the reviews? First up are 5 reviews for restaurant operations software that is included with the purchase of a new POS system. If you already have a POS system? Maybe one that’s a little older? No worries, get reviews of 5 restaurant operations software options that integrate with most legacy POS systems.

Restaurant Operations Software Built Around a POS System

1) Toast POS

Best if You Want and Android-Based POS It has expanded to offer robust restaurant operations software that does it all
Additional Tools Menu Management, CRM, Loyalty Program, Online Ordering, etc.
Pricing Starts at $79/month
ROI Claims increase sales by 20%, improve tips by 300%, and deliver thousands of dollars in annual cost savings.
Worth Noting With over 50 API integrations, Toast POS plays well with other tools you may already be using.

Ready to ditch your old POS system? Turn to Toast POS and go mobile. This all-in-one POS platform runs on Android mobile devices: from sleek kiosk stations to handheld tablets that let servers take tableside orders.

Toast POS is a web-based restaurant operations software platform (aka it’s “in the cloud”). So, you can remotely access real-time reports from any internet-connected device.

With Toast POS restaurant operations software, you can tap into other tools from loyalty programs to online ordering. Toast POS is constantly adding new features and enhancements based on trends in the restaurant biz.

2) Lavu

Best if You Want an iPad-Based POS System with 300+ Features Lavu is a mobile POS system and cloud-based restaurant operations software platform
Additional Tools Kiosk Ordering, Digital Menu Boards, Sales and Labor Reporting, Inventory Management
Pricing Starts at $69/month
ROI Claims Contact Lavu for case studies.
Worth Noting Need help? Lavu excels in customer service with 24/7 US-based customer care.

More than an iPad-based POS system, Lavu stands out with over 300 features included in its bar and restaurant operations software. It’s also unique in providing a portfolio of management tools for both the front and back of the house. For example, Lavu KDS is a kitchen management platform that empowers BOH staff to manage tickets plus view real-time orders and other communications from waitstaff – all on an iPad (or individual iPads at each station).

Like most of the restaurant operations software options reviewed, Lavu was built for bars and restaurants. Users love foodservice-friendly features like the 86 Countdown, which alerts staff when inventory is low.

3) Upserve

Best if You Want an iPad-Based POS System for FOH & BOH Upserve’s restaurant operations software runs on the iPad-based Breadcrumb POS
Additional Tools Recipe Costing, Loyalty Program, Customer Insights, Waitstaff Performance Tracking, Multi-Location Analytics
Pricing Starts at $99/month
ROI Claims Increase revenue by 30% and online orders by 10%, save 50 hours per month.
Worth Noting Upserve has “86’d” hidden payment processing fees and offers a transaction-based model.

Easier, smarter, and built for restaurateurs. That’s how Upserve describes their POS platform and restaurant operations software. More than just standard POS reports, Upserve HQ generates “actionable insights” that can be used to increase sales, lower costs, and improve customer loyalty.

Upserve HQ emails a Daily Digest report with a snapshot of the previous day’s performance: from which hours were busiest to ticket numbers by daypart. This restaurant operations software includes unique features like reputation management that collects all online reviews in one place. Another standout feature is the Upserve Guest Book that creates a guest profile for every customer who pays by credit card.

4) Square for Restaurants

Best if You Want a Customizable iPad-Based POS System Square’s restaurant operations software includes additional tools to help managers deliver “full service at full speed.”
Additional Tools Floor Plan Management, One-Tap Order Firing and Holding, Customer Management, Employee Management
Pricing Starts at $60/month
ROI Claims Contact Square for case studies of their restaurant operations software.
Worth Noting Square offers a free 30-day trial, which is longer than most trial periods.

Square has one of the best user interfaces available in the world of restaurant operations software. Using their signature color coding on the Square iPad, it’s simple to quickly enter orders, manage tables, and set up menus. This ease of use speeds up and streamlines the process of running your restaurant.

Nervous about taking your POS system to the cloud? Square has you covered – literally. The company uses machine learning (combined with human monitoring) to identify fraudulent activity. If this restaurant operations software detects fraud? Square handles the payment dispute for you – for free.

5) CAKE from Sysco

Best if You Want a Big Name POS and Restaurant Ops Software CAKE POS is a modern, mobile POS platform that runs on touchscreen tablets.
Additional Tools Guest Manager, Online Ordering, Shift-Based Menu Creation
Pricing Starts at $69/month
ROI Claims Increase table turns by up to 6% and projected annual revenue by $14,000.
Worth Noting To get the most out of this restaurant operations software, visit CAKE University: an online resource center with hundreds of articles.

Best if You Want a POS System and Restaurant Operations Software Backed by a Big Name: CAKE POS is a modern, mobile POS platform that runs on touchscreen tablets. It doubles as a payment processor with a flat 2.5% transaction fee.

Additional Tools Available: Guest Manager, Online Ordering, Shift-Based Menu Creation

Pricing: Starts at $69/month

ROI Claims: Increase table turns by up to 6% and projected annual revenue by $14,000.

Worth Noting: To get the most out of this restaurant operations software, visit CAKE University: an online resource center with hundreds of articles.

CAKE offers two primary platforms: CAKE POS and CAKE Guest Manager. When used together, this restaurant operations software can smarten up and simplify processes. For example, when a check is closed on the CAKE POS, the table status is automatically updated on CAKE Guest Manager (so your host doesn’t need to walk the floor).

If you want servers to take tableside orders, CAKE POS offers the OrderPad solution backed by Sysco’s best-in-class security safeguards.

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Restaurant Operations Software if You Already Have a POS System

6) BevSpot

Best if Your Inventory Process Needs TLC BevSpot began as an inventory management platform
Additional Tools Food and Drink Pricing, Category-Level Sales Tracking, Invoice Management, Centralized Online Hub for Vendor Orders
Pricing Starts at $68/month
ROI Claims Reduced time to place vendor orders from 5 hours to 20 minutes, decreased time to take inventory from 2 hours to 20 minutes for a restaurant in Southport, NC. See additional customer case studies of this restaurant operations software.
Worth Noting BevSpot’s restaurant operations software includes a visual Bottle Slider tool that promises to cut beverage inventory time in half.

Thanks to this restaurant operations software, you just might look forward to taking inventory. After all, it can take minutes instead of hours. Multiple people can even take food and beverage inventory at the same time on their own smartphones. Then, BevSpot’s best-in-class inventory management tools then process that data to reveal valuable insights in real time. For example, log into your BevSpot dashboard on your laptop, desktop or mobile device – and see top items with excess inventory. Put those items on special ASAP to prevent spoilage and waste.

7) SynergySuite

Best if You Want to Streamline Management of Your Back Office SynergySuite’s restaurant operations software helps you manage 4 key areas of your operations: POS, payroll, accounting, and vendors.
Additional Tools Smart Employee Timesheets, Food Safety, HR and Staffing, Cash Management, Daily P&L Reports
Pricing Starts at $20/month
ROI Claims Use the free ROI calculator to see how much SynergySuite can save your business. Tava Indian Kitchen reported savings of $1,000 per week.
Worth Noting SynergySuite offers a custom approach to restaurant operations software. You can purchase individual tools, so you’re not paying for software you don’t need.

As its name implies, SynergySuite restaurant operations software gives users the ability to combine, organize, and manage data from various platforms. SynergySuite integrates with over 100 of the most-used hardware and software systems in the restaurant industry. For example, if you’re using Toast POS as your payment platform, Quickbooks for accounting, and ADP for payroll, you can track all of those systems in one place: the SynergySuite dashboard.

8) SevenRooms

Best if You Want to Rock Your Guest Relationships: Make room on your list of restaurant operations software for SevenRooms – a powerful yet intuitive and easy-to-use platform for reservations and much more.
Additional Tools Waitlist and Seating Management, Guest Data and Profiles, Revenue-Generating Tools, Marketing
Pricing Contact for a Custom a Quote
ROI Claims 50% reduction in online marketing fees
Worth Noting Unlike other reservation apps and software, SevenRooms empowers you to truly “own” your customer data. Over 3 million reservations are booked monthly through this platform.

Unlike other reservation apps and software, SevenRooms empowers you to truly “own” your customer data. Over 3 million reservations are booked monthly through this platform.

With SevenRooms restaurant operations software, you don’t just manage customer relationships…you maximize them. You can easily build a robust profile for each customer, then utilize these insights to personalize their visit.

Create a memorable, awesome experience by knowing in advance if a customer follows a gluten-free diet or prefers a corner table. You can even set alerts so your GM or chef can greet the guest.

SevenRooms integrates with over 50 other apps, tools, and restaurant operations software platforms. It’s also scalable: so whether you run 1 or 1,000 locations, you can manage those guest relationships like a pro.

9) Ctuit (Recently Merged with Compeat)

Best if You Want to Improve Management of Staffing Ctuit and Compeat, two leading restaurant operations software providers, joined forces in 2017 to create a single platform that simplifies and streamlines nearly every BOH task.
Additional Tools Inventory, Staff Scheduling, KPI Reporting, Recipe Costing, Accounting, Manager Log, Labor Compliance
Pricing None provided online, fill out form at website.
ROI Claims None provided online, contact for case studies.
Worth Noting The Ctuit Event Management tool makes event planning a breeze with an event calendar, printable contracts, floor maps, and an event-specific menu maker.

Restaurant peeps. Technology geeks. Ctuit’s tagline for their restaurant operations software says it all. With over 30 years of experience in the restaurant world, Ctuit understands the intricacies involved in running a restaurant – and has built technology to improve those processes.

From benchmarking tools to ensuring compliance with labor regulations, Ctuit puts the power to manage operations in your hands. Literally. From Ctuit’s On the Fly Mobile App, users can monitor and manage their restaurant on their mobile devices.

10) Crunchtime

Best if You Need Restaurant Operations Software for Multiple Locations Specifically designed for chains, franchises, and managers that oversee multiple locations, Crunchtime consolidates operations on one easy-to-use platform.
Additional Tools Food Cost Management, Franchise Management, Inventory Management, Restaurant Engineering, Staffing and Scheduling
Pricing None provided online, fill out demo form at website.
ROI Claims Save 2-5% on food costs using the Actual vs. Theoretical Food Costing tool.
Worth Noting Improve food safety and food prep with the unique KitchenSync platform: a kitchen-proof touchscreen tablet that puts prep lists, recipes, and inventory at the fingertips of your kitchen staff.

The optimal solution for managers of multiple restaurant locations, Crunchtime’s restaurant operations software gives you the power to be in many places at once. How? With a powerful cloud-based platform that provides a real-time snapshot of both FOH and BOH operations – across all locations.