What a Typical Restaurant Software Tech Stack Includes

These days running a restaurant comes with a lot of technology. Starting with the most important, there is the POS system followed by website and social media management. After that, take your pick! Tech is available for reservations, online ordering, third-party delivery, scheduling, waitlists, loyalty program, food and beverage management, food safety, payroll, accounting, team communication, it’s honestly endless. Whatever tech you use, it is referred to as a tech stack. Times have changed since my family had its restaurant in the early 1980s when all you had to do was focus on delivering a great guest experience!

In this episode of my podcast, The Restaurant Prosperity Formula, I break down what I love about restaurant software and all the ways it can support you in the goals you have for your restaurant and your life. I offer my recommendation for how to make the most of technology and the pitfalls of relying on it too much. Lastly, I touch on overcoming the fear of the unknown, which is a major factor in using technology but also something that can hold you back.

You need software to run your restaurant today. It's a must in all industries. There's a term now called a tech stack, which I see as all the software, systems and apps you need to run your restaurant.

Let me tell you why I love software. As somebody who created software from the ground up at my former company, I love software as a restaurant coach, and I love software as a restaurant operator. It simplifies the process.

You may have this complex step by step process to do something, and often software can streamline it, simplify it, speed up the process. You don't have to do double data entry or put the numbers in at all because it's pulling directly from your POS system or another piece of software. The data is incredible because it allows you to proactively run your restaurant. With the data, you can see how you've done and make decisions on what you want to do going forward, what numbers you need to achieve, how you’re going to achieve that, what systems you need to put in place, because you have the data that tells you a story.

There are a lot of other reasons to love software, which I cover in this episode of the podcast. But be warned, even the best software isn’t useful if it isn’t used. There is no ROI on a software system no one uses.

My advice is this. You need software for every aspect of your restaurant business. But more importantly, you need to have systems in place that you and your whole team understand and follow. If you don’t have these systems first, start low tech. Document everything and establish the systems then get the software.

You as a restaurant owner need to understand that software is critical to getting things done in your business, to grow your business, to control your business, to simplify your operations, to ensure that people are doing things your way without you having to be there. But the truth of the matter is they are just tools to simplify tasks. Nothing replaces the knowledge, the training, the stick-to-itiveness of getting the work done. That's what you have to focus on first.

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