BlogRogneda Kniazhina
Technical writer with a natural ability to craft content that’s real and relatable. Rogneda has a passion for translating complex ideas into simple language and a keen eye for detail.
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Top Apps for Restaurant Owners and Managers
Restaurant businesses today are undergoing many changes associated with the experience digitalization, and even at this stage – almost the initial one – there is still room for improvement. On the way to meeting clients' needs and boosting customer satisfaction, business owners try to find the right balance between services and the way they are provided. The increased demand for contactless ordering and payment has spurred the growth of a range of applications and software.
As a company that specializes in FoodTech software development, we would like to introduce you to tools and apps for restaurants that will help you simplify day-to-day processes.
Apply Flexible Point-of-Sale Systems
It can be said without exaggeration that the POS system is essential for the restaurant business. From the moment of its introduction to the present day, it has undergone many technical changes: it has become more user-friendly, embraces more options and strives for compactness and portability. So, modern POS systems are a mixture of a tablet/computer and cash register with a wide range of possibilities, able to cover back of house operations.
With a proper POS system, you should be able to:
Calculate check and cash for each order;
Store data on payment methods for each guest;
Enter and store information about regular customers;
Generate sales reports for different periods.
When choosing software for restaurants, owners or managers should pay attention to several key factors: ease of use, value for money, availability of necessary components and the ability to update the software. Point-of-Sale systems are often integrated with other applications, for example, restaurant billing software or more powerful analytical tools for better analysis of restaurant activities, customer needs, and preferences. When choosing or creating your POS system, take versatile integrations into account.
Implement Robust Accounting Software
Keeping track of cash flow becomes simple and easy with the right accounting software that allows you to not only enter data and generate reports but also make forecasts of future spending or profits.
Most companies use spreadsheets, manual labor and simple free software, which is still significantly limited in functions. Among state-of-art apps for restaurant managers, the large-scale accounting systems can be embedded in your POS system or other management applications, providing you with more reliable real-time information regarding finances.
Modern restaurant accounting applications are very intuitive, and a basic set of options allows you to:
Receive information about the finances of your restaurant in real-time;
Track payables and receivables;
Integrate into other restaurant software (POS terminals and payroll systems);
Receive information anytime and anywhere.
One of the best accounting software for restaurants is QueekBooks, which has the necessary set of features, accessible and with flexible pricing for different needs. However, you can get a custom accounting system developed following your needs and expectations.
Try Employee Training Applications
Many restaurant business owners complain about high turnover in their field and the difficulty of training new employees in a short time. In addition to basic responsibilities, restaurants can have distinctive features that new staff also need to learn.
To simplify, automate, or make the learning process standalone, you can use applications for restaurant owners that are flexible enough to contribute your courses and documentation.
As a rule, owners use pre-paid or free training platforms for various learning purposes. Various research shows that young people use smartphones in the workplace, and since they are the majority in the talent pool for the restaurant business as well, it is more efficient and expedient to use applications.
The main options for such an app:
Ability to add, sort, assign edit and delete educational content;
The introduction of quizzes, surveys and exams (for advanced training or checking the level of knowledge of personnel);
Tracking the success of each employee;
Drawing up an individual growth plan.
Regardless of whether you are using a ready-made application or planning to implement your idea through custom development, start by identifying the main goals - this will be the starting point for choosing functionality.
Take Care of Your Employees with Scheduling Software
In pursuit of customers and creating convenience for them, do not forget about the convenience for your employees. While offering flexible scheduling to waiters, administrators, and kitchen workers, give them partial access to the schedule table so they can manage or track their own working hours.
This can be done in several ways: regular tables (not efficient and easy to get confused), online platforms (rarely have a sufficiently high mobile responsiveness or accessibility from any device), or restaurant applications.
Also, software that manages the back office allows you to get rid of unnecessary paperwork (applying for vacations or exchanging shifts) and speed up decision-making because most actions can be performed in real-time.
Options you need:
Flexible commented calendar;
Standardized forms for filing requests for vacation, time off or sick leave;
The ability to set extended rights and restrictions for each user;
Reporting.
The additional advantage of such an application will also be the ability to integrate with other restaurant business solutions.
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