Finding software can be overwhelming. Software Advice helps hundreds of restaurants choose the right restaurant CRM system to manage marketing campaigns, maintain customer data and improve sales.
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Epos Now is a retail management system for small to mid-sized businesses. In addition to its Point of Sale module, the solution also offers integrated Inventory Management, Customer Management, and Retail Accounting, including general... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: Cloud
Business Size:
Toast POS is a flexible system built exclusively for restaurants and the food service industry. Offering tools like online ordering, delivery, takeout, mobile app ordering, contactless payments, and e-gift card purchasing, this solution... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: CloudOn premise
Business Size:
ShopKeep is an iPad and Android POS system for retail businesses, restaurants, bars, franchises and quick-serve businesses. The POS software offers a touch screen interface, when used on an iPad or Android tablet device, which allows... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: Cloud
Business Size:
Upserve is a complete restaurant management solution featuring an Android or iOS-based point-of-sale (POS) system, automated inventory management, sales analytics, and more. The platform offers several time-saving tools, including... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: CloudOn premise
Business Size:
BPA Restaurant Pro is a retail management solution designed to help small to large enterprises manage accounting processes and streamline point-of-sale operations. Key features include time tracking, reporting, inventory management,... Read more
Platforms: Win
Deployments: On premise
Business Size:
SpotOn Restaurant is a cloud-based point-of-sale solution that enables businesses to streamline processes related to food ordering, tableside payments, customer retention and more. The online ordering functionality enables businesses... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: Cloud
Business Size:
Revel is a cloud-based business platform that integrates operations and customer channels with point-of-sale (POS) functionality in a single dashboard. It is suitable for stores and restaurants of all sizes and provides users with... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: CloudOn premise
Business Size:
Hippos is an on premise point of sale (POS) can be operated with or without the internet. The internet is only used to sync data between the POS and Cloud (web portal). Hippos solution is designed for cafes, bakeries, quick and full-service... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: CloudOn premise
Business Size:
Clover POS is an integrated point-of-sale (POS) system with custom hardware designed for several types of retailers. This POS system is available in both web-based and server-based deployment versions and offers countertop hardware... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: CloudOn premise
Business Size:
Bepoz is a cloud-based point-of-sale (POS) solution designed for restaurant, retail and admissions businesses of all sizes. The product caters to both single as well as multi-location retail. It offers stock control, cash control,... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: On premise
Business Size:
ITWERCS POS is a cloud-based retail solution that helps restaurants manage point-of-sale operations, customer interactions, reservations and more. The centralized platform enables employees to create personalized profiles and track... Read more
Platforms: Win
Deployments: Cloud
Business Size:
LS Retail is a retail management system consisting of point of sale (POS) and enterprise resource planning (ERP). Key features include inventory management, customer management, retail accounting, e-commerce, warehouse management and... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: On premise
Business Size:
Gotmerchant.com offers a free retail POS system for restaurants and bars that are interested in using a solution with integrated gift and credit card processing services. Gotmerchant.com gives the merchant everything they need, from... Read more
Platforms: Win
Deployments: CloudOn premise
Business Size:
TouchBistro is an iPad-based point of sale (POS) solution for restaurants of all types. Specifically designed to meet the unique needs of the restaurant industry, TouchBistro comes complete with food service specific features and advanced... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: CloudOn premise
Business Size:
Talech POS is a cloud-based retail, restaurant & bar and professional services solution that offers point-of-sale (POS), inventory and customer management, appointment scheduling and deep, real-time analytics. The solution stores data... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: Cloud
Business Size:
PayPal is a digital payment platform that enables businesses and individuals to pay and accept payments through an online portal without revealing any financial details. The solution is suitable for businesses of all sizes. PayPal... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: Cloud
Business Size:
Lightspeed Restaurant is a cloud-based point of sale (POS) solution for restaurants suitable for full-or quick-service restaurants, bars, nightclubs, hotel restaurants, cafes and more. Key features include floor management, customer... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: Cloud
Business Size:
Odoo Point of Sale (POS) is part of Odoo’s integrated suite of business applications. The module is available both on and offline and provides unified data across stores and has an integrated inventory management function. Odoo’s... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: CloudOn premise
Business Size:
CAKE is a cloud-based point of sale (POS) solution for restaurants. Primary features include payment acceptance, guest and waitlist manager, online ordering, gift cards and table-side ordering. It allows users to track real-time sales... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: Cloud
Business Size:
Square Point of Sale is a mobile POS system available for iOS and Android devices. Key capabilities of the Square POS system include online payment processing, sales reports, inventory tracking, digital receipts, Square marketing campaigns,... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: Cloud
Business Size:
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In the restaurant business, growing your customer base is important, but it isn't the ultimate prize. The real prize is your list of regular patrons, which you must constantly try to expand by turning new patrons into repeat customers. Sure, your food plays a big role here, but technology can also help.
According to Toast's 2017 Restaurant Technology report, 95% of restaurateurs agree that technology improves their business' efficiency. Regardless of the format—quick-service restaurant (QSR) or fine dining, a chain or a stand-alone establishment—restaurant customer relationship management (CRM) tools can change how you engage with your customers.
These solutions allow you to personalize customer interactions, roll out customer outreach and loyalty programs, and integrate with third-party aggregators to expand market reach. Interested? We'll help you learn more about restaurant CRMs and what you should consider while evaluating options.
In this buyer's guide, we'll cover:
What is restaurant CRM software?
Common features of restaurant CRM software
What type of buyer are you?
Benefits of having a restaurant CRM
Market trends to understand
What is restaurant CRM software?
Restaurant CRM software helps restaurant managers and owners maintain a centralized database of information on customers who have visited a restaurant or have ordered online. Restaurants of all categories and size can use this data for marketing and sales promotions, email or social media campaigns, and to support loyalty programs.
This type of software offers standardized communication templates, workflows, and automated processes, which make it easier for users to regularly interact with customers and share personalized offers and updates.
Restaurant CRMs also incorporate functionality for table reservations and online ordering (through a restaurant website or third-party platforms). They can also track customer orders and preferences and record details such as allergies, milestones (e.g., birthdays), and past order suggestions to allow restaurants provide personalized offers and services to customers.
Customer information dashboard in Eatapp Restaurant CRM (Source)
Benefits of a restaurant CRM
There are many benefits of using a restaurant CRM. Here's a look at the most notable:
- Improved customer connections: A CRM helps you reach out to your customers through personalized email marketing campaigns, which are equally vital for multibranch QSRs and single-location establishments.
- Ease of rolling out loyalty and discount programs: With a restaurant CRM, you can leverage your customers' preferences to create customized loyalty and discount programs to improve customer retention. You can also track the success of your ad campaigns with dashboard views.
- Integrations with with mobile apps and popular ordering websites. A majority of customers now order food and make reservations through third-party apps and websites. CRMs specifically designed for restaurants usually offer integration with these apps.
Common features of restaurant CRM software
Here are the important features to look for when choosing your restaurant CRM software:
| Centralized customer information dashboard | The core of a restaurant CRM, customer information includes customer name, contact details, and past transaction history. It can also include milestone dates such as a customer's birthday and anniversary, as well as preferences, allergies, or health warnings. |
| Email and SMS marketing | Marketing emails and mobile messages can be formatted using built-in templates, personalized, and scheduled for every customer. |
| Single-view performance dashboard | Most restaurant CRMs provide a single dashboard view of sales and customer statistics, including daily revenue. |
| Online table reservation system | Some CRMs allow customers to make reservations through third-party apps and websites |
| Social media and online marketing | Integrations with social media platforms help in rolling out marketing campaigns across multiple platforms, all from within a central dashboard. Offers can be announced to all existing followers and their connections quickly and conveniently. |
| Loyalty rewards and benefits program | Restaurant CRM tools come with modules for loyalty rewards and benefits programs that are instrumental for enhancing customer retention. |
What type of buyer are you?
You need restaurant CRM software if you own or manage any of the following:
- Food truck or independent restaurant: Outlets operating out of a single location looking to gain competitive edge with customer retention and brand loyalty will benefit from centralized customer information database that can be used for easier and quicker marketing campaign creation. Constant communication with customers makes brand promotion more effective, increasing customer recall.
- Multibranch restaurant: Multiple-location restaurants or food and beverage establishments look for full-featured CRM software to communicate their promotions and offers to increase customer footfall and enhance customer engagement and retention.
- Franchised chain: Franchised chains find restaurant CRM software's social media and online marketing feature useful to establish and expand their online presence.
Market trends to understand
Data analytics for hyper-customization: Big data and analytics are becoming pervasive, and restaurateurs are increasingly using transactional data and order histories to hyper-customize their services. Hyper-customization is a rapidly growing trend that allows restaurateurs to understand their customers better, improve the overall customer experience, and retain more customers.
Growth of mobile ordering and payments. The surge in food ordering via smartphones and the rise in mobile payments have made mobile-ready CRMs a must-have for a growing customer base. Mobile payments grew by 75% in 2017, and the trend will only continue to grow.
Note: The applications selected in this article are examples to show a feature in context and are not intended as endorsements or recommendations. They have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable at the time of publication.