Top 6 restaurant management systems compared

In many ways, technology has made it easier to run and manage your restaurant. But with all of the tech out there, choosing the right system isn’t easy.  

You want to provide your guests with a seamless guest experience. One that starts with the first reservation and continues beyond the bill at the end of the meal. But you also want features that help run your business such as real-time waitlists, table management, contactless payments, an integrated POS system, built-in gift cards, and no-show protection.  

Using the right restaurant management software can help you attract and build a loyal customer base. But how do you know which one is right for your business? What are the best options in restaurant management software right now?

To help get you started, we’re breaking down 6 of the top online restaurant management systems below. It all boils down to what you want. Do you just want to take bookings? Or do you want an all-in-one platform that combines every tool (reservations, POS and payments) in one? 

Read on to see what fits your restaurant. 

Here are the best restaurant management systems available:

1. Superb
2. ResDiary
3. OpenTable
4. The Fork 
5. Quandoo 
6. SevenRooms

1. Superb — GXM 

Superb is the only cloud-based, cross-platform (you can use it on iPads, Desktops and mobile phones) Guest Experience Management platform (GXM) on the list. 

With guest data at the core, GXM combines an advanced restaurant booking system, EPOS system and payments in one. It includes powerful, smart table management, guest profiles and CRM features that help your restaurant, bar or pub with everything from attracting new guests and creating magical guest experiences to retaining customers. 

Superb’s all-in-one integrated solution gives you access to more guest data and makes it easier for your team to work. That means you can take the guest experience and your restaurant marketing to the next level with advanced insights like spend per guest, itemised menu items per guest and voided tickets, and improved customer service. 

Superb’s GXM also features powerful no-show protection, gift cards, and tickets in one solution — no need to integrate with other products or services. The platform doesn’t charge per booking or cove and offers next-day payments for gift cards, deposits, tickets, and no-show fees. 

Simply put, Superb puts you in control of the data and the guest experience, allowing you to build direct relationships with your guests.

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2. ResDiary

ResDiary offers gift cards, tickets and tokenisation with Stripe to prevent no-shows.  

From booking partners to EPOS systems, ResDiary works with 60+ integrations to keep your restaurant running smoothly. 

Like other restaurant management software, it offers table management and events management and is entirely cloud-based. 

With 0% commission on bookings, restaurants and venues will benefit from direct bookings from ResDiary’s apps and sites, your sites, social media, and Reserve with Google.

All payments are processed through Stripe so guests can rely on secured transactions, and you can get your money within a few days of the reservation being made.

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3. OpenTable 

OpenTable is an online restaurant reservation service that prides itself on helping restaurants manage floor plans, reservations and online waitlists from one place. OpenTable offers reservation software that lets you organise shift summaries, automate reservation reminders, optimise turn times and more.

Like other online reservation platforms, OpenTable puts you in front of over 27 million diners by listing your venue on their app and website. 

From the restaurant side, when it comes to anticipating your guests’ needs, OpenTable integrates data from other systems such as your point-of-sale, review sites, and booking partners. 

OpenTable charges per cover for reservations.

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4. The Fork 

The Fork is a restaurant booking and discovery platform that aims at improving visibility, increasing reservations during off-peak periods and equipping your business with a booking system that manages customers and your seating plan. 

Credit card imprints, confirmation emails and SMS and guest reliability scores are included to help you stop no-shows. 

For restaurants aiming to increase visibility, The Fork puts your business in front of over 20 million visitors a month on their app and website. Reservations made through The Fork’s website or one of its booking partners will be billed per seated cover.

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5. Quandoo

Quandoo’s restaurant reservation system has the standard features you expect to reach more diners and manage reservations. 

When it comes to booking, Quandoo lets guests book from their app or website. In addition, you can set up a booking widget to accept reservations from your restaurant website or social media. 

Quandoo offers a simple floor plan mapping tool with real-time availability of tables. Integrations help you connect with restaurant POS systems and applications such as Google and Facebook to streamline your workflow. 

This system charges restaurants for every cover submitted through the system.

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6. SevenRooms

SevenRooms aims to help restaurants create memorable experiences for every customer by providing the operations tools and insights you need.  

It offers an auto-assign seating algorithm that maximises covers and turns and integrates with a variety of restaurant POS systems. 

SevenRooms also boasts restaurant feedback software that sends surveys to guests and a feature that aggregates reviews from the web and collects them in one place. Your restaurant can use this feedback to tailor their next visit.

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The choice is yours 

When it comes to restaurant management software, there’s a system out there for every budget and need. 

But when it comes to a platform that puts you in control of guest data, there’s only one — Superb's Guest Experience Management platform (GXM). 

GXM is more than just another system that runs your restaurant, it’s the way to build relationships, create personalised guest experiences, and get guests to come back to your restaurant. 

It’s not about multiple systems or an all-in-one. It’s about taking advantage of every touchpoint you have with a customer and using that to your advantage. 

What to look for when considering restaurant management software 

When it comes to finding the best restaurant management software on the market, you’ll notice that a lot of systems promise the same thing. But with a closer look, you’ll see that each one offers different features that will benefit your business and match your budget. 

Features: 

Answering these questions will help you determine if the restaurant management software you have your eye on will actually meet your restaurant's needs. 

• How easy is the software to use? 
• Does it require integration with a POS system or booking software to work — or is everything included in one platform? 
• Can you reduce last-minute cancellations and no-shows with credit card guarantees, prepayments and text messages? 
• Can you post your reservation link on your restaurant website or do you have to shuttle guests through a different website?

Cost: 

Before you settle on any software, check for hidden fees and booking commissions. Some platforms require you to pay per booking, while others come with a monthly subscription fee. Don’t forget to check on the cost of added integrations like a point-of-sale system and payment service provider.

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