Managing a restaurant takes constant attention. From tracking food costs to scheduling employees and handling orders, the work adds up fast.

Mistakes in these areas don’t just affect the back office but also customer service and profit. That’s where the right restaurant management tools come in.

These apps help restaurant owners save time, cut back on stress, and run operations more smoothly.

In this article, you will learn how different types of management apps can help you reduce costs, improve service, and stay organized, without making the process more complicated.

Point of Sale (POS) System

A POS system does more than process payments. For many restaurants, it acts as the main hub for order taking, kitchen communication, and tracking sales.

It connects the front of house and back of house so that restaurant managers can easily manage service flow and reduce delays. With the right POS, staff can send orders to the kitchen in seconds, split checks, and accept multiple forms of payment.

Modern systems often include tools for inventory management, food cost tracking, and time clocking. This helps restaurant owners control costs, track popular menu items, and manage labor without using multiple apps.

POS tools also give you insights that support better accounting, purchasing decisions, and pricing changes. Choosing a user-friendly, all-in-one pos system helps you save time, cut waste, and grow with confidence, such as:

1. Square

Square is a flexible POS system that suits restaurants of all types, especially small locations or food trucks looking for a reliable and affordable solution. It runs smoothly on iPads and mobile devices, which reduces the need for bulky hardware.

With Square, you can accept payments, manage menu items, track sales, and access basic inventory features from one simple dashboard.

Its clean layout and fast setup make it a smart choice for restaurant owners who want to get started quickly. You can upload photos, edit item names, and adjust price points with just a few taps.

Square also lets you run without Wi-Fi, so you can keep service going even during outages.

Pros

• Works with or without internet access.
• Easy to set up and customize items with names, photos, and pricing.

Cons

• 2.75% fee per swipe for credit card transactions.
• Gift cards must be purchased directly from Square at $1.50 each.

Pricing

Square offers a free plan with core features and transaction fees. The Plus plan is $29 per month, plus processing charges.

2. Toast

Toast is a POS platform built for food service businesses. Unlike general-purpose platforms, Toast focuses on the unique needs of restaurants, from fast casual to fine dining.

It supports mobile ordering, menu control, split payments, and fast service at the table. This helps employees handle more tables with fewer errors and improves the overall service experience for customers.

You also have access to a built-in kitchen display system. Orders appear instantly on kitchen screens, cutting down wait times and reducing miscommunication between front and back of house.

Managers can track sales, view reports, and even monitor staff activity all from one platform.

Pros

• Offers menu management, tableside ordering, and check-splitting tools.
• Syncs directly with the kitchen, which helps teams move faster and stay on the same page.

Cons

• Requires Toast’s own hardware, which adds upfront costs.
• Some users find the system hard to learn at first.

Pricing

Toast has a free plan with limited features. The Plus plan includes additional tools and starts at $69 per month.

Inventory Management

Keeping track of food, drinks, and supplies can take hours each week. Without the right system, it’s easy to overorder, forget what’s in stock, or miss when items run low.

That’s why many restaurant operators use inventory management tools to get better control over their stock and keep their operations running smoothly.

A good restaurant inventory management system helps you monitor usage in real time, track deliveries, and reduce overstock. It makes it easier to manage your food costs, spot waste, and make smarter purchasing decisions.

These tools also let you build order guides, set low-stock alerts, and group items by category, such as kitchen, freezer, or bar.

By having a clear picture of what’s in your restaurant space, you can keep the ordering process simple and avoid wasting money on items you don’t need.

Many inventory apps also integrate with other tools like a POS system, so your sales and stock data stay aligned. This improves accuracy and saves time when placing future orders.

Below are two restaurant software programs to help you control stock and reduce waste.

3. BlueCart

BlueCart gives restaurants better visibility over stock by updating inventory levels in real time. Each purchase and sale is recorded automatically, reducing errors and helping teams track what’s in storage.

You can organize inventory by area, such as freezer, prep station, or bar, using separate sheets for easy access.

Its predictive features use sales history, season trends, and current stock data to suggest when and how much to reorder.

Instead of guessing or relying on outdated logs, managers can make clear, timely decisions. Alerts further help flag low inventory, while pricing tools highlight where costs could be trimmed.

Pros

• Real-time tracking keeps inventory accurate without extra effort.
• Flexible features support growing teams and connect with POS systems.

Cons

• Customization is limited, which may not suit all restaurant setups.
• Some users find the layout harder to use, which slows down tasks.

Pricing

BlueCart doesn’t list prices on its site.

4. BevSpot

BevSpot is designed to help restaurants and bars manage inventory without getting buried in spreadsheets. It tracks stock levels in real time and updates quantities as items are used.

You can scan barcodes, record purchases, and assign items to specific storage areas like coolers or liquor rooms. Even without internet, you can log inventory and sync it later.

It also offers variance reports that show differences between expected stock and actual usage. This helps you spot issues like waste or missed deliveries.

You can also view data on vendor spending and ingredient costs, which supports smarter purchasing decisions. With seamless integration with POS, the platform pulls sales data automatically, saving time and reducing manual entry.

Pros

• Tracks usage, spending, and vendor activity in one place.
• Works with many POS systems to sync data and reduce extra steps.

Cons

• Some items still require manual input, which can lead to mistakes.
• The mobile interface could be smoother for everyday use.

Pricing

BevSpot offers a free plan with basic tools. The Standard plan costs $299 per month. The Pro is priced at $699 per month with more advanced features.

Employee Scheduling

Staff scheduling can be one of the most time-consuming tasks for any restaurant. Without a good system, it leads to overstaffing, missed shifts, and unhappy employees.

Manual methods like spreadsheets or handwritten calendars make it harder to adjust shifts quickly or view availability in real time. To fix this, many restaurants now rely on digital restaurant management tools designed for smarter scheduling.

These tools give managers insight into availability, time-off requests, and peak demand. They pull in data from previous sales to recommend staffing levels, helping control labor costs and reduce overtime.

Built-in features like shift swap requests, real-time alerts, and mobile notifications keep the team connected and reduce miscommunication.

Some apps also combine scheduling with payroll and time clocking to give you a better view of labor spending across the week.

Here are restaurant apps that simplify scheduling and support stronger shift planning.

5. Sling

Sling is a scheduling app for restaurants that want more control over staff planning, payroll, and communication. Now part of the Toast platform, it helps managers build weekly schedules based on sales trends and staff availability.

The app includes built-in messaging, so the entire team stays connected without needing outside chat tools.

Managers can track labor costs as a percentage of projected income. This helps them avoid overstaffing and stay within budget.

It also includes a time clocking feature, which tracks when employees start and end shifts. Real-time alerts warn you when labor spending starts to run high, which gives you the chance to act before the day gets out of hand.

Pros

• Labor alerts help control costs before they spike.
• Tracks projected labor compared to expected sales.

Cons

• Some users report unreliable alerts and message delays.
• Time clock settings may not work well for every role or shift type.

Pricing

Sling offers a free plan with basic scheduling features. The Premium plan is $2 per user per month. The Business plan is $4 per user per month and includes forecasting and more advanced reporting tools.

6. Connecteam

Connecteam is a mobile-first platform to help restaurants manage schedules, track time, and stay organized. It gives managers the tools to assign shifts, approve changes, and keep the team updated from a single dashboard.

Staff can check schedules, submit availability, and swap shifts using the app, eliminating the need for printed calendars or manual text messages.

The platform also supports GPS tracking and geofencing, which helps verify clock-ins and improve operational efficiency across multiple locations. You can set up location-based check-ins to make sure shifts begin at the right place, on time.

The built-in chat and announcement tools further help keep everyone aligned on daily priorities.

Connecteam includes features beyond scheduling. You can use it to track daily tasks, view shared to-do lists, and manage staff-wide communication from their phones.

Pros

• Employees can handle their availability and swaps independently.
• GPS and geofencing improve team oversight across locations.

Cons

• Some users experience occasional app crashes.
• Most advanced features are locked behind higher plans.

Pricing

The Basic plan starts at $35 per month. The Advanced plan is $59 per month with added automation. The Expert plan is $119 per month and includes advanced analytics. The enterprise plan has custom pricing.

Customer Loyalty Management

A strong loyalty program helps restaurants turn first-time guests into repeat customers. By rewarding frequent visits, you can increase order size and drive steady growth.

Many modern restaurant management tools now include loyalty features that automate this process. These tools track spending habits and visit frequency to help you gain insights into customer behavior over time.

With the right system, you can create custom rewards, offer birthday discounts, or build tiered incentives based on how often someone orders.

Loyalty tools also support mobile check-ins, branded point tracking, and digital punch cards. Some even sync with your POS, making it easier to track progress and apply rewards at checkout. These features save time and support long-term success by keeping your best customers coming back.

To support customer retention, many restaurants turn to tools like:

7. Glue Loyalty

Glue Loyalty helps restaurants build customer retention through simple, trackable rewards. It offers both automatic and manual punch-card setups.

Through the platform’s branded app, customers can view their points, see available rewards, and access time-based promotions.

The system groups customers into spending tiers, which allows restaurant owners to send tailored promotions to each group. You can run campaigns across SMS, email, or web and use the platform’s tools to build custom content.

These features give you a practical way to keep your customers engaged and coming back.

Pros

• Tier-based system supports reward customization by customer type.
• Tracks behavior to help send personalized offers.

Cons

• The Growth plan lacks point tracking and tier features.
• POS syncing and automation are only available in the top pricing tier.

Pricing

Glue Loyalty’s First Look plan is free. The Growth plan costs $88 per month. The Autonomous Club is $127 per month, while the POS-integrated version costs $159 per month.

8. UpMenu

UpMenu runs a built-in loyalty system where customers earn points or stamps through both in-store and online orders. These rewards can be redeemed for free meals, discounts, or other offers.

The platform gives you a way to drive return visits while keeping the process simple and direct.

In addition to loyalty tools, UpMenu includes a website builder tailored for restaurants. You can create a branded site, showcase your full menu, and generate a QR code for digital ordering.

For deeper engagement, UpMenu offers a branded app that lets customers view rewards, reorder favorites, and track points. Everything stays in one place, giving guests a smooth, professional experience.

Pros

• Built for restaurants in the HORECA industry.
• Easy to set up, with features focused on retention and direct ordering.

Cons

• Limited flexibility when adjusting settings.
• No built-in way to change payment methods.

Pricing

The Basic plan costs $49 per month per location. The Standard is $89 per month. The Premium plan is $169 per month. Adding a loyalty program costs $19 per month.

Online Ordering and Delivery Management

Direct and delivery orders now account for a large share of sales, especially during peak hours. Without the right system, tracking these orders adds stress, slows service, and leads to mistakes.

Using an online ordering and delivery app helps you take control and run operations more smoothly. These tools give you complete visibility into what’s coming in, what’s available, and where bottlenecks occur.

Orders sync with the POS and kitchen systems, reducing delays and improving accuracy. Customers can place orders with confidence, knowing the menu reflects real-time availability.

By centralizing tasks like order entry, menu updates, and inventory syncing, you can improve efficiency across both front and back of house. The process becomes more efficient for staff, who no longer jump between platforms or repeat the same steps.

For growing restaurants, managing online orders internally also reduces third-party costs and builds stronger customer connections.

Some popular ordering and delivery apps include:

9. Uber Eats

Uber Eats helps restaurants expand their reach by connecting them with customers who prefer delivery. Joining the platform puts your restaurant in front of a larger audience, especially those who might never walk through the door.

Along with exposure, the system provides data that helps restaurant owners gain insights into what customers order most and when demand tends to spike.

The platform allows restaurants to showcase photos, descriptions, and pricing for their menu items. Live tracking keeps both staff and customers updated, while integration with the broader Uber network simplifies delivery logistics.

Pros

• Simple, user-friendly layout for managing delivery and pickup.
• Expands restaurant access to a wide delivery-first customer base.

Cons

• Commission fees can take 15% to 30% per order.
• Restaurants give up control of customer data and direct relationships.

Pricing

Fees start at 15% for pickup orders and go up to 30% for delivery, depending on the chosen plan.

10. ChowNow

ChowNow helps restaurants take back control of online ordering by removing the need for high-fee third-party platforms.

Orders go through the restaurant’s own website or app, which preserves profit margins and protects customer relationships. With ChowNow, you maintain ownership of your ordering system while still reaching a wide audience.

The platform includes loyalty tools and simple marketing features. You can set up promotions, reward returning guests, and send updates to past customers without relying on outside software. ChowNow also integrates with Google and Yelp, which improves visibility in local searches.

Delivery support is built in through ChowNow’s driver network, so you can handle takeout and delivery from one place.

Pros

• Menus are easy to update and match the restaurant’s branding.
• Google and Yelp integration boosts search visibility.

Cons

• Reporting features are limited.
• Manual order confirmation slows things down during busy hours.

Pricing

ChowNow Pro costs $199 per month, while Premier is $298/month. ChowNow Hub pricing depends on monthly online sales: $119 for up to $20K, $169 for $20K–$30K, and $229 for anything higher.

Replace Third-Party Apps With a Custom All-in-One Solution

Third-party apps often charge high fees and limit how restaurants interact with their customers. 

Buildify offers a better option. You get your own website and mobile app, ready in under ten days, for only $399 per month.

You can accept direct orders, run loyalty rewards, and control the full experience through a branded app and website. This setup helps you keep more from each sale and build stronger relationships with your customers.

Skip the fees. Buildify gives you full control over online ordering with a fast and affordable setup!

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FAQs About Restaurant Management Apps

Which software is best for restaurant management?

Toast is a strong all-in-one option with tools for orders, scheduling, and reporting. For staff coordination, 7shifts and Connecteam work well. If you need a custom app and online ordering setup, Buildify offers a done-for-you service, so you won’t rely on third-party apps.

What is the best POS system for restaurants?

Toast works well for dine-in service with advanced restaurant features. Square is better for smaller setups, quick service, and mobile use.

What is restaurant management software?

It’s a system that helps run key tasks like ordering, scheduling, inventory, payroll, and marketing. Some also let you schedule content or schedule posts to support customer outreach.