How to Find the Best Restaurant Software

If you’ve ever searched the Internet for the best restaurant software for your restaurant, you know there are a lot of options available. The goal of restaurant software is to use it to increase your profits and simplify your life. Watch this video, or keep scrolling for suggestions to find the best restaurant software for your restaurant and why you need it.

There are so many options out there for restaurant software. I want to help you sort through what you’re looking for and what kinds of software are a good fit for you.

First, what are you trying to accomplish? Are you trying to solve a single problem and just want a software for that, i.e., scheduling? There have to be six or seven restaurant software programs for just scheduling. There’s food cost software, inventory software and accounting software. So, what do you want to accomplish?

Software is great because nobody can screw up a formula changing a number like they can in a spreadsheet.

Here's the deal: I believe that the best solutions out there that aren't used on a daily basis are worthless while bad solutions used on a daily basis are priceless.

Make sure the software selections you make have a cost benefit for you and gives you a return on your investment.

Make sure it's easy to use and your employees like it.

If you’re trying to go bigger and use a software for something like recipe costing cards, make sure it’s easy to use to upload invoices, create recipe costing cards and training recipe cards.

If you want a software that is more of an all-in-one option, what areas of the restaurant are most important? You can get software that tackles:

• Daily managed log cash controls
• Complete food and beverage systems from recipe cards ordering inventory prep
• Labor controls from scheduling and master schedules
• Accounting and bill paying

If you know that you're not going to do everything available in a software product, decide if it is worth spending the money to just use a part of it. 

No matter which one you're going to buy, are you going to use it? Don't spend the money or the time unless you are committed to changing your business.

While one software may be easy to understand, and you’re sure it’s a good fit, make sure you’re ready for the change that it will bring and the work it will require at first.

Software can simplify the processes and leaves less room for error.

I cover Restaurant 101, putting systems in place and more in my book? Order your copy of  Restaurant Prosperity Formula: What Successful Restaurateurs Do here. 

If you would like to learn more about the importance of systems and how to run a restaurant, read our free special report, Is Your Food Distributor Screwing You? 5 Things You Can Do Now to Lower Food Cost. Download it here. Be sure to visit my YouTube channel for more helpful restaurant management video tips.