Thousands of restaurants open up all over the world each year. Many of these restaurants don’t make it past the three month mark. While there are a lot of things that contribute to the closing of a new restaurant, neglected books, mangled finances, and total server chaos are at the top of the list.

Running a restaurant isn’t possible without precise organization. Thankfully, excellent restaurant software does exist.

Know Your Needs

Restaurant software comes in many forms. Some software keeps track of checks while other software keeps tabs on product pricing. Further, some software suites combine nearly every aspect of a restaurant into one neat package. In order to find out what you need your software to do, take a good look at your business.

After analyzing your business, you will likely see certain holes that need patching. Whether it’s balancing the books or managing tables, there’s a software suite available. Before buying any software, take a program for a test drive.

Straightening the Learning Curve

Most software comes with some type of learning curve. If you have a hard time understanding how a program works, it might be best to look for one that’s user-friendly.

Consider a program that your staff will easily grasp if you intend to share the program with others. While a slight learning curve may be inevitable, software that nobody can operate is simply a waste of time.

Security is Vital

As a restaurant owner, your eyes have to be everywhere at once. When this isn’t possible, a software program that includes encryption features will become your best friend. Make sure that any program you choose can be password protected, locked, and fully customizable. It is also imperative that you find a program that offers password retrieval. Otherwise, a lost password may also mean lost files.

Likewise, find server software that requires individual passwords. It is far too easy to allow your finances and other crucial information to fall into the wrong hands. Purchasing software that does not have a number of security features in place is a mistake.

Rapid Reports

The advantage of any good software program is printable reports. Customizable software will allow you to print almost any kind of report according to your preferences. From viewing ordering information to finding out who sold the most entrees, software that includes reports is helpful and useful.

Cost Considerations

You can’t count on price when it comes to this type of software. Less expensive software might not come with password protection, reports, or customization options. Even though this type of software might be easier on your wallet, a program that is lacking will cause lots of unneeded stress.

In general, a great restaurant software program will cost anywhere from $300 to more than $1000 (at the time of this writing).

Choose server and accounting programs based upon features. Carefully consider the features that you will need in order to operate your food business flawlessly. Once you have accomplished this task, you can then begin to compare restaurant program prices.