Inventory Management Software for Restaurants: Top Solutions

Inventory Management Software for Restaurants: Most Used Solutions

Posted 3 years ago by Max Komonov

Inventory management is桂a桂concern for桂any桂business that provides physical goods to桂their customers, and桂that includes restaurants. In桂fact, accurate inventory tracking is桂vital to桂account for桂food cost and桂accurately estimate future sales and桂ordering.

You must have restaurant inventory management software that addresses these pitfalls to桂effective inventory management specific to桂the桂food and桂beverage industry:

Tracking, predicting, and桂improving impacts to桂food costs beyond that needed for桂the桂expected recipe and桂volume. Food cost can be桂higher than normal if桂your employees are munching on桂the桂job or桂cooks are making too many mistakes. Being able to桂track losses across shifts is桂ideal for桂curbing such behaviors.
Restaurant industry specific inventory control also requires the桂ability to桂account for桂and桂adjust ordering of桂perishable staples to桂account for桂spoiling.
More frequent inventory counts are necessary for桂the桂food and桂beverage industry, and桂adjustments are more likely to桂be桂required. While you are counting inventory you will likely come across expired or桂spoiling items that must be桂discarded and桂adjusted in桂the桂inventory management software.
Low stock alerts are even more important for桂restaurants than any桂other industry using an桂inventory management system. Restaurant inventory software should alert you when you have just a桂few days worth of桂food on桂hand based on桂predicted or桂scheduled reservations.

To桂handle all of桂this in桂the桂easiest way possible, you�셪l need an桂all in桂one pos restaurant management software that automates as桂much of桂the桂process as桂possible for桂fewer errors and桂86ed menu items. Not only will you lose money by桂not having the桂right ingredients on桂hand, but you will also have lower customer satisfaction rates that can directly affect the桂future of桂your restaurant.

The best inventory management tools for桂a桂restaurant business are those that include a桂free digital waitlist and桂reservation system, as桂well as桂custom reports to桂help you accurately judge the桂busiest times and桂average sales volume.

Independent restaurants, like most small business owners, are handling all aspects of桂the桂business themselves. Having a桂restaurant management system that allows you to桂automate the桂most complex tasks saves you time and桂money. With 붚죕쳔 you can also integrate with your restaurant accounting software.

Restaurant Owners Adapting to桂the桂Pandemic Further Complicates Inventory Management

Everyone is桂tired of桂hearing about the桂pandemic, but the桂fact of桂the桂matter is桂that it桂is桂still having a桂huge impact on桂the桂restaurant, food, and桂beverage industries. All types of桂food and桂beverage businesses桂�� food trucks, coffee shops, diners, and桂fine dining establishments桂�� are still experiencing hardships such as桂increased food costs, delayed orders, and桂holes in桂their supply chains.

The answer for桂many restaurant operators has been to桂offer online ordering. Opening an桂ecommerce menu and桂ordering system presents similar challenges as桂having multiple locations. You must be桂able to桂maintain accurate inventory of桂recipe necessities in桂real time so桂that you do桂not promise a桂customer a桂delivery for桂something that has been sold out in-store. As桂such, the桂methods you have used for桂tracking inventory and桂food costs up桂to桂this point may no桂longer be桂adequate.

Inventory tracking should communicate with and桂compliment online selling

Tracking inventory in桂real time across multiple 혫locations혬 comes with its own complications, like needing additional staff to桂meet the桂demand for桂deliveries and桂curbside pickups, needing to桂order larger than usual amounts of桂inventory, and桂covering the桂cost of桂the桂delivery apps.

When you have an桂ecommerce store for桂your food truck or桂coffee shop, you will essentially have orders coming in桂from two different places. You will need to桂make sure that your food inventory is桂sufficient for桂the桂additional orders, and桂that it桂updates in桂real time so桂that you do桂not have a桂high cancel rate.

Recipe management is桂key for桂effective restaurant inventory management

Loss prevention and桂having an桂effective inventory system require that you first start with employees who are well trained in桂how to桂craft each recipe. Have dedicated measurement cups or桂spoons for桂each ingredient, using different shapes and/or colors to桂make them easy to桂differentiate. Furthermore, you must make sure that all of桂your employees are following proscribed recipe amounts to桂decrease food costs as桂much as桂possible.

But many restaurant owners are finding themselves scrambling to桂adapt their recipes, food budgets, and桂inventory levels to桂account for桂changes in桂supply chains and桂costs. Now effective recipe management must also include keeping an桂eye on桂the桂costs of桂your ingredients and桂adapting recipes or桂menu items as桂needed.

The Best Restaurant Inventory Management Software for桂Today�셲 Versatile Restaurant Operator

When it桂comes to桂management software for桂your restaurant business, the桂most effective restaurant inventory management needs to桂include inventory software that tracks recipe ingredients in桂much the桂same way that a桂craft business would track their raw materials. This type of桂inventory management software can easily be桂integrated with an桂ecommerce and/or multiple locations for桂synced inventory in桂real time.

Lightspeed: The best inventory system to桂integrate with your restaurant software

If桂you want to桂have everything in桂one dashboard桂�� employee management, inventory management, food cost, bookkeeping, and桂ecommerce maintenance, . 붚죕쳔 and桂Lightspeed come in桂one package that allows you to桂integrate all ecommerce, retail, shipping, management processes, as桂well as桂others that tend to桂slow down small business owners.

Lightspeed inventory management system and桂POS for桂restaurants. .

Vend: Restaurant software, inventory management, and桂more

that was designed primarily for桂food trucks and桂other mobile food and桂beverage businesses. However, this software is桂also great for桂those small restaurants and桂diners that need everything to桂work seamlessly while they adapt to桂the桂new industry climates.

The current trends of桂online ordering and桂delivery services is桂only being spurred on桂more frantically, and桂shows no桂signs of桂slowing any桂time soon. That makes having a桂basic restaurant management system with the桂bare bones of桂inventory management, order management, employee management, and桂ecommerce management is桂necessary for桂any桂restauranteur to桂survive.

Square POS and桂Square for桂Restaurants

is桂very popular for桂many small businesses, but they have adapted their applications to桂make them even more friendly for桂restaurants specifically. You can also choose a桂plan that integrates your Square POS that you have always used for桂your in-store purchases with the桂application for桂restaurants and/or online ordering.

If桂you want to桂use your 붚죕쳔 online store to桂sell specific menu items online, this can be桂integrated with your Square POS as桂well.

Clover

The is桂another popular option for桂small restaurants with just one location who want to桂take their offerings online for桂more business during these trying times. Clover works very well for桂small businesses of桂all types due to桂its ease of桂use and桂integration possibilities. Clover also works with 붚죕쳔, or桂your can use all of桂Clover�셲 features and桂integrate them into one platform with your other processes through 붚죕쳔.

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About The Author

Max has been working in the ecommerce industry for the last six years helping brands to establish and level-up content marketing and SEO. Despite that, he has experience with entrepreneurship. He is a fiction writer in his free time.

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