Serve Up Success: The Top 7 Apps Every Restaurant Manager Needs

In the bustling world of hospitality, restaurant managers are the unsung heroes who keep the wheels turning. From juggling reservations and overseeing kitchen operations to managing staff and ensuring guest satisfaction, the demands are relentless. Enter the digital age, where a suite of innovative apps stands ready to transform the traditional chaos of restaurant management into a well-oiled machine.

Toast Now is a mobile app created by Toast, aimed specifically at enhancing restaurant management through real-time operational control and insights, available on iOS and soon on Android platforms. This app is a crucial tool for restaurant owners and managers, enabling efficient management of their operations remotely.

Key Features:

• Real-Time Data Access: Toast Now offers instant access to critical data such as live sales and labor costs, allowing owners to make informed decisions on-the-go.
• Enhanced Communication: The app includes a Manager Log to facilitate seamless communication between management and staff, ensuring all team members are aligned and updated in real time.
• Delivery Channel Control: Managers can adjust delivery and service options directly through the app, which helps in managing kitchen flow during peak times by turning delivery channels on or off as needed.
• Inventory and Menu Management: Toast Now enables quick updates to menu items and tracks inventory in real-time, aiding in efficient management of stock and menu offerings.

Advantages:

• Operational Efficiency: With features like Advanced Table Management and Server Item Fire, Toast Now helps in improving the speed and accuracy of service.
• Strategic Insights: The app provides valuable analytics and reporting tools that offer insights into business performance, helping users optimize operations and enhance customer satisfaction.
• Mobility: Designed for on-the-go management, the app ensures that owners and managers have control and oversight of their operations, regardless of their physical location.

Disadvantages:

• Platform Availability: Currently, the app is only available on iOS, which might limit accessibility for Android users until the Android version is released.

Overall, Toast Now is particularly suited for restaurant operators looking to streamline their operations and improve efficiency through a mobile platform. The app's integration with Toast's POS system further enhances its utility, making it a comprehensive solution for modern restaurant management.

SevenRooms is a guest experience and retention platform designed for the hospitality industry. It serves a broad range of businesses, including restaurants, hotels, and nightclubs, offering tools for reservation, seating, and guest management. The app is known for enhancing operational efficiency and personalizing guest interactions.

Key Features:

• Real-Time Data Management: SevenRooms allows for real-time access to guest data and spend details, which can significantly enhance personalized service and drive higher revenue.
• Advanced CRM Capabilities: The platform includes a robust customer relationship management system that automates guest profiling and marketing, enriching guest profiles through integrations with over 100 platforms.
• Operational Control: From reservations to table management and order payments, everything is managed through a single interface, supporting seamless front-of-house operations.
• Personalized Guest Experiences: SevenRooms enables businesses to offer customized experiences, such as VIP treatment and special perks for regular guests, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Marketing and Revenue Optimization: The platform offers tools for targeted marketing campaigns and promotions designed to increase guest retention and spend.

Advantages:

• Comprehensive Integration: SevenRooms integrates with various third-party services, including popular POS systems, enhancing its utility for diverse operational needs.
• Guest Experience Enhancement: The app's focus on personalized service and guest engagement helps in creating memorable experiences that encourage repeat business.

Disadvantages:

• Complexity and Learning Curve: Some users find the platform complex, with a steep learning curve required to fully utilize all its features.
• Pricing: SevenRooms does not offer a free version (but a free trial) and requires contacting the company for custom pricing, which might be a barrier for smaller operations.

Overall, SevenRooms is highly valued for its ability to drive direct relationships with guests, streamline operations, and enhance guest experiences through data-driven personalization and efficient service management. It is suitable for businesses looking to elevate their guest service and operational efficiency through advanced technology.

Tock Dashboard is a reservation and table management system tailored for restaurants, wineries, and other hospitality venues. It is designed to streamline operations while enhancing the customer booking experience, whether managing ordinary reservations or special prepaid experiences. The Tock Dashboard app is available for both iOS and Android devices.

Key Features:

• Flexible Reservation Options: Tock allows customers to make free, zero-cost reservations or opt for prepaid reservations for special events and dining experiences, increasing revenue opportunities for venues.
• Advanced Table and Guest Management: The platform offers comprehensive tools for managing reservations, guest lists, floor plans, and seating assignments. The guest management capabilities include robust CRM features that enable personalized guest interactions.
• Real-Time Operational Control: Managers can handle operations remotely, thanks to Tock’s real-time table management system, which is accessible from any device with internet connectivity.
• Marketing and Communication Tools: Tock supports customized texting for waitlist management, enabling direct communication with guests. Its financial reporting tools integrate with major accounting software, helping venues optimize their operations based on detailed analytics.
• Guest-Focused Booking Experience: Tock’s booking widget integrates seamlessly into a venue's website, allowing for a smooth reservation process without requiring customers to leave the site.

Advantages:

• Increased Revenue Streams: By offering both standard and prepaid bookings, venues can capitalize on special events and dining experiences.
• Enhanced Customer Experience: Tock’s intuitive interface and flexible booking options provide a superior experience for guests, potentially reducing no-show rates.
• Operational Efficiency: The platform’s comprehensive features facilitate efficient management of bookings, tables, and guest data, all from one central system.

Disadvantages:

• Complexity for New Users: Some users might find the array of features overwhelming, requiring a period of adjustment to fully utilize the system’s capabilities.

Tock Dashboard is particularly beneficial for hospitality businesses looking to elevate their operational efficiency and enhance the guest booking experience with a variety of customizable and integrated features.

SkipTheDishes Restaurant App is a key tool for businesses looking to tap into the vast network of SkipTheDishes, which is renowned as Canada's largest online food delivery service. It enables restaurants to increase their order volumes by connecting with more customers through the SkipTheDishes network. The app is praised for its effectiveness in connecting restaurants with a larger customer base and providing a robust system for managing the intricacies of food delivery.

Key Features:

• Order Management: Restaurants can manage order details and timing directly through the app, enhancing the efficiency of their service.
• Real-Time Tracking: The app allows tracking of deliveries on a real-time map, ensuring restaurants and customers can see the progress of their orders.
• Menu Management: Restaurants have the capability to manage their online menus, making updates and adjustments as needed easily.
• Expanded Reach: By joining SkipTheDishes, restaurants can access a broader customer base, which can significantly increase their orders.

Advantages:

• Increased Visibility: Restaurants gain visibility among the vast SkipTheDishes user base, which includes tens of thousands of restaurants across Canada.
• Efficiency in Operations: The app's integrated features streamline operations, making it easier for restaurants to handle the logistics of online ordering and delivery.
• Customer Insights: The platform provides feedback from customers, which can help restaurants improve their service and menu offerings.

Disadvantages:

• Fees and Commissions: Restaurants must pay a commission on each order placed through the platform, which can affect their overall profitability.
• Dependency on Platform: Relying heavily on SkipTheDishes for orders can make restaurants dependent on the platform for a significant portion of their revenue.

Overall, SkipTheDishes Restaurant App offers powerful tools for restaurants to manage orders, track deliveries, and update their menus, making it an essential platform for those looking to expand their reach in the food delivery market. 

7Shifts is a restaurant team management platform designed to streamline operations and enhance efficiency in the hospitality sector. Available for iOS and Android devices, this tool simplifies scheduling, payroll, and employee retention through an all-in-one app, significantly easing the complexities of restaurant management. 

Key Features:

• Efficient Scheduling: Quickly create and manage staff schedules, with features that allow employees to submit their availability and request time off. This tool drastically cuts down the time managers spend on scheduling tasks.
• Integrated Payroll Processing: Automatically syncs with time clock data to facilitate smooth payroll operations, reducing the manual effort involved.
• Team Communication: Enhances team communication with built-in features, ensuring that everyone is up-to-date with their schedules and any changes.
• Tip Management: Provides automated calculations for tips, making it easier to manage and distribute them accurately among staff.
• Real-Time Analytics: Offers real-time tracking of labor costs and sales to help make profitable scheduling decisions.

Advantages:

• Cost Savings: Reduces labor costs by optimizing schedules based on accurate forecasting, which can save thousands annually.
• Time Savings: Automates various processes to reclaim hours previously spent on manual tasks, giving managers more time to focus on service quality.
• Improved Employee Retention: By improving communication and scheduling flexibility, and offering insights into team engagement and satisfaction, 7Shifts helps reduce staff turnover by up to 13%.

Disadvantages:

• Dependency on Technology: While it streamlines many processes, reliance on this platform requires consistent internet access and training for staff to adapt to its digital environment.
• Cost Consideration: Although there is a free plan, more advanced features require a paid subscription, which might be a consideration for smaller operations.

Overall, 7Shifts is widely appreciated for its user-friendly interface and its ability to significantly ease the administrative burden on restaurant managers and operators. It is ideal for any size of restaurant, from small eateries to large chains, providing tools that are crucial for modern restaurant management.

Restaurant365 is a restaurant management platform that streamlines various operational aspects of restaurant management, integrating accounting, store operations, and workforce management into a single system. It's particularly recognized for enhancing efficiency and accuracy across financial and operational processes. Available is the app for both iOS and Android devices.

Key Features:

• Advanced Accounting: The platform offers robust accounting features, including general ledger, bank reconciliation, budgeting, financial reporting, and forecasting. It's designed to integrate seamlessly with your point-of-sale (POS) system for real-time financial data.
• Operational Efficiency: Restaurant365 provides tools for inventory management, recipe costing, and vendor invoice management, helping operators control prime costs and improve margins.
• Workforce Management: Features include streamlined hiring, onboarding, payroll, and scheduling, all aimed at improving staff retention and administrative efficiency.
• Customizable Reporting: The platform allows for custom financial reporting, making it easier to track performance and make informed decisions.

Advantages:

• All-in-One Solution: By integrating various functions into one platform, Restaurant365 eliminates the need for multiple disparate systems, making it easier to manage and get a holistic view of business operations.
• Data Centralization: It centralizes data across accounting and operations, enhancing the ability to make data-driven decisions quickly and accurately.
• Scalability: Suitable for a range of business types, from small independent restaurants to large franchises and multi-location groups.

Disadvantages:

• Complexity and Cost: Some smaller or newer restaurants might find the system complex and the cost a bit high, especially with the platform's pricing structure which is generally billed quarterly.

Overall, Restaurant365 is trusted by many large restaurant groups and is considered a powerful tool for those looking to optimize their restaurant operations comprehensively.

HotSchedules is a leading employee scheduling app designed to simplify schedule management and enhance communication within teams. It's recognized for its speed and user-friendliness, making it a preferred choice for managing work schedules and team communications effectively. Moreover is the app available for both iOS and Android devices.

Key Features:

• Shift Management: Employees can easily swap, pick up, or release shifts with a single click, promoting a flexible work environment.
• Communication Tools: The app facilitates clear communication between team members and managers, which is essential for maintaining operational efficiency.
• Work-Life Balance: Integrates with personal calendars and notifies employees of schedule changes, supporting better work-life balance.
• Managerial Oversight: Managers save significant time creating schedules and can instantly approve shift changes, while also accessing sales and labor data to monitor business performance remotely.

Advantages:

• Time Saving: Managers report up to 75% time savings on schedule management tasks.
• Ease of Use: Both employees and managers find the app intuitive and simple to navigate.
• Enhanced Accessibility: HotSchedules supports multiple platforms including iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, making it highly accessible for users on various devices. This multi-platform compatibility ensures that team members can access their schedules and communicate effectively from virtually anywhere.

Disadvantages:

• Technical Issues: Some users have reported encountering bugs and glitches within the app, which can affect its functionality. These issues may include errors in displaying the correct information in group chats or problems with message synchronization, which could potentially disrupt daily operations and communication.

Overall, HotSchedules is well-regarded for its robust functionality that streamlines scheduling and improves team communication, making it a solid investment for businesses seeking to enhance their operational efficiency.

With these tools at your fingertips, you’re better equipped to face the daily challenges of restaurant management with confidence and creativity. So, take the leap and integrate these powerful apps into your management strategy. Watch as they help your restaurant transform into a more efficient, more responsive, and more profitable establishment. Your staff, your guests, and your ledger will thank you!