When it comes to running or operating a restaurant, it is imperative that you utilize a restaurant management software system. Restaurant management systems keep track of everything from sales, to inventory, to ordering and even spotting trends so that you can help the business be more profitable.

While there are many restaurant management software programs, their function within the restaurant is generally the same -- to eliminate the chaos of paper book-keeping. There are many suppliers of restaurant management software, so it's important that you take the time to familiarize with several so that you can compare restaurant management software features and work with the best for your business.

1. Attend a school or university and receive restaurant management software training and education while getting a degree in restaurant management.

2. Train yourself with restaurant management software programs online or after a download.

3. Get a live demo of restaurant software management programs from a restaurant management software provider.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Go to a school which utilizes software for restaurant management

A restaurant management software system is integral to running any restaurant business. In order to familiarize yourself with such applications, it's important to obtain a degree or certification in restaurant management. During your course of study you will interface with different software applications that will be utilized in live restaurants.

I recommend: Check out The Restaurant School which is part of Walnut Hill College. They offer a very popular program in restaurant management that utilizes restaurant management software programs. The Career Academy of New York, also offers a similar program utilizing similar software tools.

Interface with a restaurant management system online or by download and educate yourself

Many companies that offer restaurant management software offer online training via their website or by download. This is an invaluable tool for keeping yourself up-to-date on the latest applications so that you can be a productive member of the restaurant management team at your place of employment.

I recommend: Check out Speedline Solutions which offers training for different software applications via the web. Point of Success also offers training on different software applications. Simply download the training program and you are good to go.

Receive restaurant management software education and training at an expo

When you go to a trade show, you not only get to interact with people in your field, but there are also valuable demonstrations and live training sessions that you can attend. By attending the trade shows and keeping up on the latest software, you will continue to be a valuable asset when it comes to the management of your restaurant.

I recommend: Check out the website for the Western Food Expo. Held each year in California, they provide a list of restaurant management software companies that will demo their products and train people on their software. The Wisconsin Restaurant Association also holds an expo where software solution companies demo and train people.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Streamline your restaurant management software so that it is user-friendly. Don't purchase multiple applications from multiple companies for multiple purposes. Stick with a company that offers a wide variety of software that is easily integrated with each other.

Part of running a successful restaurant is controlling your costs and inventory. However, the hectic life of a restaurant owner or manager doesn’t always lend itself to running reports and filing paperwork. Investing in restaurant management software is one step in simplifying your filing system and tracking everything from menu sales to payroll.

There are many restaurant management software programs available. Some act as a POS (Point of Sale) while others integrate your entire accounting system into one software program. Many restaurant management software programs incorporate profit and loss statements, cash flow analysis and routine banking into one, easy to use program. Although most restaurant management software doesn’t come cheap, it can save you a lot of time and money in the end.

A good restaurant management software system will improve your business in many ways, including:

1. Tracking inventory of food, alcohol, and paper goods
2. Track sales, for a certain menu item, server or day of the week
3. Track cash flow to show where every penny of your money is going

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find Out What Menu Items are Popular

Restaurant management software programs can quickly tell you what your most popular menu items are. This allows you to update your restaurant menu accordingly. Software for restaurant management also lets you update specials in your POS quickly and easily. With a POS system linking the dining room, kitchen and bar, customer orders never get lost, increasing the speed and efficiency of your staff.

I recommend: POSguys.com offer easy to set-up POS systems that are as simple as plugging in a cord. They carry dine-in POS systems as well as take-out POS systems, both of which have built-in payment processing for debit and credit cards. RestTech.com also carries a line of POS systems that simplify menu ordering and ensure quick service for customers.

Keep Track of Your Payroll with Software for Restaurant Management

With old fashion time clocks, it is hard to know exactly how high your payroll is creeping. With restaurant management software programs, you can see exactly where your payroll is at with the click of a button. Incorporating payroll into restaurant management software also cuts back on bookkeeping costs and can help simplify the process of making the weekly schedule.

I recommend: Executouch.com restaurant management system helps you prepare payroll, as well as calculate taxes and tip reporting. It also allows you to write your own checks, prepare annual W2's and quarterly reports. RestaurantPlus PRO offers a fully integrated restaurant management system that includes a built-in time clock, payroll calculations and employee scheduling functions.

Know Where Your Money is Going

With well integrated restaurant software systems, you can track every dollar you spend, from payroll to paid outs for office supplies. This can help cut down on unnecessary spending. Restaurant management software systems also hold servers accountable for all their sales, cutting down on employee theft.

I recommend: Quickbooks Pro, from the makers of Quicken, is a very user-friendly program that allows restaurant owners to keep track of multiple bank accounts, as well track expenses and income. CASH TRRAP is another restaurant accounting software that simplifies bookkeeping and cash flow analysis.

Protect Your Customer's Personal Information

Credit card theft is a disturbing new trend in the restaurant and retail industry. Employees with access to customer's credit cards are a possible liability to you, the business owner. You can protect your customer's personal information from potential theft with restaurant management software that includes extra security measures.

I recommend: Portable credit card terminals ensure that a customer’s credit card never leaves his or her hand. Total Merchant Services carries several portable credit card models.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Computers are subject to bugs, viruses and general malfunctions, so buy the extended warranty on all your restaurant management software. Otherwise, all that money you save in bookkeeping gets spent on technical service.

With the management software available today, restaurateurs can no longer afford to overlook the huge technological advances made in recent years that improve customer service. Start by learning the equipment you need to install a state-of-the-art, point-of-sale system, whether your restaurant specializes in quick service or upscale dining. Then discover key facts about how software helps you make purchases, keep track of customer receipts and even create eye-catching menus.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

POS

POS refers to the point-of-sale system, the latest technology to hit the restaurant industry in decades. With POS, restaurants are no longer slaves to paper orders or receipt slips.

I recommend: Buyer Zone explains the hardware that comprises the POS and how it is used in diners, sub shops and fine-dining establishments.

Controlling food costs

The idea behind controlling food costs is that you are able to estimate the total cost of the recipes your restaurant depends on.

I recommend: The discussion of controlling food costs at Armsco explains how this somewhat laborious task is essential to achieving maximum growth in profits.

Handling reservations

Handling reservations with restaurant software enables you to enter your reservations on a computer database that also helps you manage your tables. The program saves the data so you can prepare reports that compare the number of reservations over time.

I recommend: The National Restaurant Association shows how handling reservations the right way is the first step toward reducing the money you waste on "no show" customers.

Inventory control

When you practice inventory control, you establish a system for maintaining fresh ingredients at all times. This means that your kitchen staff knows when to prepare certain recipes to ensure that key ingredients are at their peak.

I recommend: See the explanation of inventory control at Business Software Solutions to get an idea of how this essential practice helps you monitor the shelf life of your products so you never have to worry that customers were served old food.

Purchasing procedures

Purchasing procedures refers to the step-by-step method you follow in determining what foods, beverages and other supplies your kitchen needs to operate.

I recommend: Food Service Warehouse not only offers practical advice for building your inventory, it also explains how you can find vendors willing to help you in your purchasing procedures and how to make the most cost-effective deals.

Menu designs

Successful restaurateurs know that menus show more than just prices. Menu design refers to your restaurant's ability to communicate its distinctive character, what sets it apart from the competition.

I recommend: At MenuHouse, you can read about the impact of eye-catching menu designs on your customers and, ultimately, your business.