The restaurant industry has seen a significant change due to advancements in technology. It is essential to understand this change and adjust to get a competitive edge.
One such technological model is Software as a Service (SaaS). It is perfect for restaurants of all sizes. SaaS for restaurants is transforming the hospitality industry with improved workflow and enhanced customer experience.
Are you thinking of integrating SaaS into your restaurant? This guide will help you make a wise decision. Read on and learn about different aspects of it.
30-Second Summary
Are you thinking of getting a competitive edge in the restaurant industry? You need to integrate the SaaS for restaurants system. It helps create a seamless workflow and manage all tasks efficiently.
In this blog, you will learn everything about Restaurant SaaS. Explore what it means, its benefits, operational aspects and impact in this guide.
What is SaaS for Restaurants?
SaaS for Restaurants, or Restaurant SaaS, is a subscription-based model. It is cloud-hosted and accessible through the internet.
Unlike traditional software, it does not need an on-premise installation. These SaaS solutions are particularly useful for restaurant owners who want to stay updated with real-time data without worrying about infrastructure.
SaaS for restaurants covers multiple operational areas.
- Point of Sales (POS) systems
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
- Payroll and HR
- Employee scheduling
- Table management
- Inventory, accounting and billing
Key Restaurant SaaS Operational Areas
The Restaurant SaaS plugins code and scripts offer multiple functionalities that manage your business. Below is a breakdown of operational areas managed by SaaS for restaurants.
Online Ordering Systems
Many restaurants are using SaaS platforms for direct ordering. Using these solutions avoids third-party commissions. You can create a website or a mobile app for the ease of customers.
To place an order, customers can easily browse the menu and pay online. Moreover, many SaaS platforms manage order delivery.
Some companies that provide SaaS solutions for restaurants are:
- Chownow provides branded online ordering experiences and marketing tools to restaurants.
- Owner.com offers restaurants a website builder, an online ordering system and marketing tools.
- Profit Boss is a platform for restaurants for order and delivery fee management.
- Foodyman SaaS is a platform that offers mobile apps for online ordering.
Point of Sales for Restaurants
A POS system processes orders, tracks sales and manages payments for restaurants. Unlike basic cash register functions, it offers advanced features.
Real-time analytics, customer insights and inventory management are some of the advanced functionalities. It integrates with other solutions for a streamlined workflow across departments.
Some Restaurant SaaS companies supporting POS systems are:
- Toast has robust features and a user-friendly interface. It is ideal for employee management, online ordering and detailed sales reports.
- Lightspeed Restaurant POS has a powerful inventory management system. It is perfect for large restaurant chains that need accounting software.
- RestroPRO SaaS is ideal for restaurants, hotels, cafes and food trucks. It offers order management, reservations and much more.
Payroll and HR for Restaurants
These SaaS for restaurants platforms manage the workforce efficiently. Payroll and HR software tracks employee data, work hours, calculates wages and ensures compliance with labor laws.
You can automate tasks such as timekeeping, payroll calculations, performance reviews and tax filings.
The top payroll and HR solutions for restaurants are:
- 7shifts is an employee scheduling software. It has labor compliance and payroll management features.
- Gusto provides payroll processing, tax filing, benefits management and HR compliance.
Employee Scheduling
Restaurant SaaS solutions are necessary for smooth scheduling. You can create and manage shifts in restaurants using these platforms.
These tools ensure that there is adequate staffing during peak hours and reduce overstaffing during slow days. You can also improve labor cost management and avoid scheduling conflicts.
Some employee scheduling platforms for restaurants are:
- Homebase offers easy-to-use scheduling, time tracking and compliance management tools.
- Deputy provides mobile-accessible features, including employee scheduling, communication and time tracking.
Table Management
These SaaS platforms streamline reservations, manage waitlists and optimize seating arrangements. Guests can reserve tables online and restaurant staff can allocate tables effectively.
If you integrate it with POS, you get real-time data on table turnover and the flow of guests. The popular table management SaaS tools are:
- OpenTable integrates with POS and CRM. It helps restaurants to manage bookings and customer relationships efficiently.
- Tock is an advanced table management and reservation solution. It offers prepaid bookings, dynamic pricing and guest segmentation.
Inventory and Accounting Software
Using inventory and finance SaaS platforms reduces time-consuming tasks. Inventory management for small restaurant SaaS automates stock tracking, financial reporting and supplier management to improve sales.
You can get real-time insights about the financial health of the business and reduce human errors and stock-outs.
The popular SaaS for restaurants inventory and accounting solutions are:
- BlueCart has different features designed particularly for restaurants, including inventory management, automatic reordering and purchasing solutions.
- MarketMan is a cloud-hosted platform that supports procurement, stock tracking and supplier management.
CRM for Restaurants
A restaurant owner can easily track customer preferences and manage marketing campaigns using these SaaS platforms. This approach enhances customer loyalty.
The advanced features allow you to collect valuable customer data, such as dining history, favorite dish orders and special food requests. This data supports personalized experiences, loyalty programs and targeted promotions.
Some CRM tools for restaurants are:
- SevenRooms provides premium restaurant experiences through reservation and customer relationship management.
- Upserve is a comprehensive restaurant management tool. It integrates with other POS, CRM and marketing tools.
Benefits of SaaS for Restaurants
Have a look at how Restaurant SaaS empowers the hospitality industry.
Less Initial Investment
These SaaS platforms do not need a hefty initial cost. There are free SaaS for restaurants tiers, which you can upgrade afterward. This pay-as-you-go method allows you to put resources in the business where it is important.
Reduced Overall Expenses
The maintenance, support and upgrades of software are handled by the SaaS provider. It minimizes your expenses and serves as a cost-effective solution. You also save the cost of hiring an in-house IT team, reducing overall expenses.
Simple Setup
The ease of setup and installation makes these platforms a good choice for restaurants. The SaaS for restaurants software does not need complicated software installation or hardware setups. You can introduce a new SaaS system without disrupting any operations.
Ease of Use
All SaaS solutions are easy to use and have intuitive interfaces. The simple features make them accessible to people with different technical knowledge. This ease of use is ideal for staff training and productivity.
Software Updates and Support
The SaaS providers update the platform. They introduce new features and security improvements regularly. It ensures that your business is using the latest technology. In case of any issues, you get 24/7 support.
Data Security
The SaaS for restaurants solution prioritizes data safety. They employ data encryption and other security protocols to protect sensitive information. The customer and transaction data remain secure in compliance with data protection regulations.
Offline Mode
Many Restaurant SaaS platforms provide offline features. These features ensure that your business keeps running during internet outages. Once the connectivity is back, the offline data syncs with the cloud and no information is lost.
No Long-term Contracts
While traditional software requires long-term commitments, SaaS provides flexible subscriptions. You can test new features and see if they align with your business goals. If not, you can simply cancel the subscription.
Emerging Niches in SaaS for Restaurants
This technology is changing the restaurant sector with emerging trends. Some famous niches in the hospitality industry are:
Ghost Kitchens
Ghost kitchens are also called dark kitchens or cloud kitchens. They are commercial spaces that focus on preparing food for delivery or takeout.
In other words, ghost kitchens do not have a dine-in space. The SaaS for restaurants technology streamlines online orders, menu management and delivery logistics.
The features of this SaaS business model are:
- Grouping of orders across multiple platforms, such as DoorDash and Uber Eats
- Optimization of delivery dispatch
- Centralized kitchen scheduling
- Virtual brand analysis and management
The famous tools are:
- Qenu: It supports digital menus, multiple kitchen operations and real-time reporting.
- Velox: It uses AI to provide logistics and kitchen performance insights.
QR-Menu Platforms
It is a digital solution for managing and presenting menus. It offers a contactless order and payment system. The restaurants can change and update their menus. Customers can access them by scanning the QR code.
The latest features are interactive and enhance customer engagement. You can use DigiRestro multi vendor SaaS restaurant QR menu generator to create and manage digital menus.
Have a look at the latest innovations.
- AI-generated menu recommendations based on customers’ behavior
- Easy integration with online wallets and loyalty programs
- Updated prices based on time and demand
- Inventory sync
Some famous platforms are:
- UpMeals OS: It curates digital menus and connects wellness tracking and smart vending.
- Ti-Restro: It offers QR ordering in multiple languages to drive business growth.
AI-Driven Restaurant Operating Systems (OS)
Like any other sector, AI is becoming widely popular in the restaurant industry. A SaaS for restaurants platform integrates AI for seamless operations.
All restaurants that are moving forward with technology use AI as the nerve center. These platforms use machine learning for every aspect, including labor, marketing and menu.
The features of these operating systems are:
- Staffing and prep recommendations
- Automated menu generation based on sales insights
- CRM integration for personalized customer experience
- Chatbots and voice-enabled ordering
The top platforms using an AI operating system are:
- Square POS: It provides a comprehensive restaurant management system with AI capabilities.
- Nory: This platform leverages AI for streamlining restaurant operations and focuses on maximizing profits.
The Unified SaaS Operating System
Many SaaS for restaurants solutions specialize in one or more areas. However, having a unified system is necessary that has a complete structure with AI support. This SaaS platform can help restaurants make smarter decisions quickly.
Such a platform will be able to handle:
- Ghost kitchen workflows
- Driver and delivery dispatch
- Customer data
- Inventory and supplier prices
- Menu automation
- Predictive staffing
Menu Engineering According to Real-Time Cost and Demand
This is the best SaaS for restaurants that want to update their menus based on customers’ demand and supplier prices.
These solutions achieve customer satisfaction and increase profitability using the latest technology and real-time data.
The three basic aspects on which the menu is optimized are:
- Cost of ingredients
- Inventory availability
- Customer preferences and sales trends
Example Scenarios
To help you better understand, we have listed some examples.
- Your supplier raises the price of salmon by 25%. The system will alert you and provide solutions tailored to your needs.
- Let’s say your kitchen is low on avocados. The system will suggest that you take out guacamole from the menu temporarily.
- The system will show you the food trends, such as vegetable burgers for vegans. You can highlight this item on the digital menu and drive sales.
Benefits of Menu Engineering
- You can improve profit margins by avoiding the sales of low-profit ingredients during cost spikes.
- It does not require manual menu reviews, resulting in faster decision-making.
- It prevents the promotion of items with limited stock and reduces waste.
- It improves sales by promoting high-demand items with high-profit margins.
Tools for Menu Engineering
- EagleOwl
- Supy
- ApicBase
Hyperlocal Marketing Powered by SaaS CRM
Hyperlocal marketing is very important for improved sales. It targets a particular geographical group within walking distance of your restaurant. Combining it with SaaS CRM ensures increased foot traffic and repeat orders.
How Does it Work?
Advanced CRM SaaS for restaurants collects data from the following:
- Online orders
- Reservation systems
- Loyalty programs
- In-store transactions
- Social activity
This data helps a restaurant in:
- Customer segmentation
- Multiple offers when a customer has not ordered in a while
- Automate messages
- Track the success of the campaign
Example Scenario
Imagine you are using a CRM tool for your restaurant. A customer who hadn’t visited you for a week walks by your place at 8:45 a.m. The CRM tool will track it using geolocation and trigger a message, “We miss you! Grab a coffee, which is on us today. Show this code before 11 am.” This approach leads to more foot traffic, a personalized experience and better sales.
Top Tools for Hyperlocal Marketing
- Popmenu
- Thanx
Why is Hyperlocal Marketing Important?
- It reaches customers in a timely manner who are likely to act.
- It targets the relevant audience based on their behavior and preferences.
- It reduces manual efforts by automating triggers.
- It tracks every campaign and optimizes it.
How to Choose the Right SaaS for Restaurants Tool?
Choosing the right Restaurant SaaS tool makes all the difference. Imagine your restaurant being extremely busy. However, it is not chaotic and every task is like a well-oiled machine.
This is easy to achieve if you know the right platform to invest in. In this section, we will see the steps you should take before choosing a SaaS tool.
Budget Considerations
As a restaurant owner, the first thing you should consider is financial constraints. You need to analyze the options available in your budget range.
Apart from subscription fees, you need to consider transaction fees, set-up costs and increased expenses as your business flourishes.
Vendor Reliability
Before choosing any SaaS tool, you need to check the vendor’s credibility and reliability. Go for vendors that have a proven track record in the industry.
See if they provide dependable customer support. Assess if they offer consistent updates and a roadmap of features they will introduce in the future.
Customization Options
Every restaurant is different. In this case, one-size-fits-all is not an ideal approach. Not every tool has the features you are looking for.
Therefore, choose the tool that offers customization options. Evaluate if the software can provide personalized elements, such as menu layouts, report metrics and customer communication features.
Reviews and Testimonials
Customer feedback is an easy way to see the software’s capabilities. The vital insights on customer satisfaction and the tool’s performance will help you make a wise decision for your business.
See testimonials that tell about the ease of use. Read reviews on integration abilities with your existing software.
Best Implementation Practices for SaaS for Restaurants
When you are implementing a Restaurant SaaS tool, you should do the following for the best outcome.
- Before a full rollout, do a pilot test. Use it for a small group of tasks and staff. Evaluate how this tool works.
- Train your staff using the tutorials provided by the vendor. It clearly outlines how to use different features to streamline various tasks.
- After implementation, regularly audit data security, privacy and backup policies.
- Stay in contact with the vendor to ask for troubleshooting support.
Future of SaaS for Restaurants
If you have a SaaS idea for restaurants, you can get excellent results by implementing it. You must be asking why. The fact is that SaaS is the future of the restaurant industry.
There are around 3.6K companies in the Restaurant SaaS sector worldwide, actively transforming this landscape.
Many SaaS tools are becoming more sophisticated to provide comprehensive features to all restaurant owners.
For example, DigiRestro single owner multiple restaurant QR menu generator is an advanced platform. It allows one restaurant owner to manage various restaurants and QR codes for digital menus.
Below are the trends you need to look out for in the future:
- AI and automation will become more popular to provide smarter predictions and workflows.
- The IoT integration will connect smart kitchen equipment and devices.
- Customers will be able to order via chatbot and voice through Google Assistant and Messenger integrations.
- These platforms will have sustainability features that will track carbon and energy usage reports.
Real World Cases of SaaS for Restaurants
Many restaurants started using Owner.com instead of third-party ordering. The results are:
- Metro Pizza saw exceptional profit of $112K sales per month, 54% growth and around $29 thousand per month savings in commissions.
- Talkin Tacos was able to achieve $7M in sales with 970% growth and saved around $435K.
CloudKitchens integrated a proprietary platform called Otter into its ghost kitchen network. The results are:
- It combined orders from DoorDash, Uber Eats, etc.
- Otter handled 18% of the U.S. food delivery transactions by 2024.
Wrapping Up
The restaurant industry is adopting technology rapidly. The use of SaaS for restaurants solutions changed task management. From online ordering to delivery, everything is properly streamlined with these SaaS platforms.
In this blog, we outlined the benefits, implementation and impact of Restaurant SaaS. Make your business the next big thing in the industry using this guide. For more SaaS related information, feel free to explore the Latest SaaS Updates.
FAQs
What is SaaS for Restaurants?
A Restaurant SaaS is a cloud-based platform. It operates on a subscription model. This solution streamlines various aspects of restaurant operations to improve efficiency and drive growth.
How does a Loyalty Program work?
A Loyalty Program is a rewarding system for customers. It improves repeat customers for your restaurant. You can gather customer data and preferences. This information allows you to personalize rewards for increased customer satisfaction and retention.
How to get started with a Restaurant SaaS solution?
You need to evaluate your business’s needs before getting started with a Restaurant SaaS solution. Assess the goals you want to achieve, such as online reservations or ordering. You can explore no-code software options as well, as they do not require any coding knowledge.
