Best POS System for Restaurant Reservation Management

Valentine’s day is almost here and as a restaurant owner or manager, you know how it gets during the holidays. Yep, it’s going to be busy. That also means you’ll be taking plenty of reservations. If you don’t yet have an easy to use restaurant reservation management software, it’s time to get one. For the customer, it’s better to book a table in advance rather than show up in hopes that they’ll be available spots. Restaurant rushes are where many companies cash in but when incorrectly managed, the result is frustrated customers and damaged reputation. When managed well, the result is occupied tables, faster service, and happy customers. Also, the increased efficiency and improved guest experience gained through strong restaurant reservation management will inevitably boost your bottom line. Knowing how many reservations you have each day can help estimate the number of staff needed in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Every restaurateur worth their salt knows how important it is to be prepared. Ideally, you should get a POS with a built-in table booking system (for restaurants) or something integrable with a proven and reputable restaurant booking system. Restaurant reservation management software simplifies the reservation process for both customers and employees. Plus they typically enable online booking, which frees up your phone line. A good table booking system (for restaurants) make it easy for customers to cancel their reservations if situations change. And automatically re-opens tables that become available due to cancellations. In this article, we’ll help you discover the best POS system for your restaurant based on reservation management capabilities. Let’s get started.

1. TouchBistro

TouchBistro is a cloud-based restaurant POS system used by thousands of businesses around the world. The software has a very easy plus flexible user interface, powerful inventory, and management features. TouchBistro has practically anything a busy restaurant will ever need. The POS is specifically designed for restaurant folks so it’s no surprise that their restaurant reservation management feature is awesome. You can integrate it with your website, sync up to Reserve with Google, and even let customers reserve through a mobile app. There’s also the ability to track guest status, which is handy for accurately estimating wait times. Plus you can follow up with customers via text message and email reminders to reduce no-shows. You can also optimize floor plans via the restaurant reservation management feature. Also, customers can leave reservation notes concerning things like dining preference, special needs, allergies, and more. You can customize notes as needed. All of this can help practically any full-service restaurant maximize its revenues. Handling the day-to-day challenges of a food service establishment is just faster and simpler with TouchBistro. You don’t need bulky systems to operate the POS since it can run from an iPad and Mac mini (not required unless using 6+ iPads). The mobility provided by iPads make order taking, processing, and table management super-fast plus ridiculously easy. TouchBistro also helps you make informed decisions data, improve service, and sales. Advanced analytics help businesses check trends, customer behavior (e.g. average spend), and more. Data is accessible whether on-the-go or on-premise via any Internet-enabled device. Also, the POS and restaurant reservation management systems are seamlessly integrated. So both front and back of the house will always be on the same page. TouchBistro makes restaurant owners do their happy dance.

Visit TouchBistro

2. Upserve

Upserve is a comprehensive, cloud-based, easy to use, and affordable restaurant POS system that runs on both Android or iOS-based devices. Restaurants can automatically manage inventory, access sophisticated sales analytics, improve workflow, and much more. There are several time-saving tools provided by this POS with the best one being ResyOS integration, a restaurant reservation management system. It’s one of the reasons why Upserve is considered the best POS system by many. ResyOS is the perfect online restaurant reservation system. Not only can customers book reservations online and via a mobile app, but it also comes with amazing administrative tools for managers. You can manage tables, stay organized with a ticketing system, and Resy has a built-in CRM (customer relationship management). That means it’ll gather important information about your guests to help you know them better, which is great for marketing. Upserve was designed not just with restaurant businesses in mind but its employees too. For example, front-of-house staff can easily assign tables and know what’s actually going on with each customer. Servers will know whether or not a table has received their dishes. Including course food items, edit or customize orders, and leave notes for cooks all while mobile. Other notable features of Upserve include menu intelligence, tableside service, workforce management, and much more. Furthermore, Upserve Live, the company’s official mobile app, lets restaurants access analytics on-the-go. Managers can track sales, discount or coupon usage, labor costs, etc.

Visit TouchBistro

3. Shopkeep

Shopkeep is a cloud-based POS system geared towards restaurants and bars. Like the other POS on this list, Shopkeep is highly mobile because it runs on the iPad. The software has a simple UI (user interface) that makes onboarding a cinch. So it’s perfect for restaurants that have a high turnover or often need to bring in extra help. Shopkeep integrates with OpenTable to manage your reservations and waiting list. You can view reservation and waitlist details in real-time via the mobile or desktop app. The status of tables is updated whenever customers pay their bill or a reservation is canceled. Making it really easy to keep track of things. Customers can book reservations online from your website or third-party sites like Apple, Google, or TripAdvisor. OpenTable also maintains a network of over 23 million consumers. These users regularly search the database to find restaurants that use the software to book reservations. Your restaurant will be featured in the database as well. Today over 25,000 small businesses use Shopkeep. The POS system satisfies the needs of companies in the foodservice industry well. It’s amazingly simple to use, fast, and processes transactions quick, which is handy for keeping your line ups short. Shopkeep also comes with effective inventory management tools. You’ll immediately know when items are about to run out of stock, identify trending products, edit or upload new items, and more. Also, worth noting is its built-in advertising features. The POS is capable of collecting customer data, which can be used to better understand your audience for marketing purposes.

Visit Lightspeed

Improved Customer Convenience Leads to More Sales

One study published by Eventbrite revealed 78 percent of Millennials prefer to spend money on a desirable experience. And millennials are the largest consumer generation in both Canada and the USA. Evidently, customers want amazing dining experiences and convenience is a huge part of that. You can’t achieve a high level of customer experience with a mediocre restaurant booking system. Good restaurant reservation management improves customer experience and makes visiting your restaurant more desirable. No one likes to wait in line for a table. The fact is being able to book reservations is a time saver that improves the dining experience for customers. So make sure you implement an online restaurant reservation system or simply upgrade your existing POS to one of the aforementioned. It’s important for maximizing profits. Good luck and Happy Valentine's Day.