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Restaurant CRM
Restaurant CRM software helps restaurant managers and owners maintain a centralized database of information on customers who have visited a restaurant or have ordered online. Restaurants of all categories and size can use this data for marketing and sales promotions, email or social media campaigns, and to support loyalty programs. This type of software offers standardized communication templates, workflows, and automated processes, which make it easier for users to regularly interact with customers and share personalized offers and updates.
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Learn more in our Buyers Guide
Compare All Restaurant CRM
The Assistant Manager
The Assistant Manager
The Assistant Manager (TAM) is a fully integrated POS solution that provides a point of sale, inventory management, CRM, e-commerce, accounting, WMS and merchandising functionality in one application suite. It provides an int...Read more
Wireless Standard POS
Wireless Standard POS
Wireless Standard by B2B Soft is a cloud-based point-of-sale system specifically designed for the wireless industry. Wireless Standard is fully integrated with added-value products like bill payment services, handset insurance pro...Read more
iVend Retail
iVend Retail
4,000+ customers in 45 countries are running iVend Retail by CitiXsys Americas Inc., an integrated suite of applications that delivers sales and operational tools for stores including e-commerce, mobility and more....Read more
Gotmerchant.com
Gotmerchant.com
Gotmerchant.com offers a free retail POS system for restaurants and bars that are interested in using a solution with integrated gift and credit card processing services. Gotmerchant.com gives the merchant everything they need, fr...Read more
TouchBistro
TouchBistro
TouchBistro is an all-in-one POS and restaurant management system that makes running a restaurant easier. Providing the most essential front of house, back of house, and guest engagement solutions on one powerful platform, TouchBi...Read more
Software pricing tips
Read our Restaurant CRM Buyers GuideSubscription models
- Per employee/per month: This model allows you to pay a monthly fee for each of your employees.
- Per user/per month: Users pay a monthly fee for users—normally administrative users—rather than all employees.
Perpetual license
- This involves paying an upfront sum for the license to own the software and use it indefinitely.
- This is the more traditional model and is most common with on-premise applications and with larger businesses.
Rated best value for money
Silverware Avrio
Silverware Avrio
SilverWare Avrio POS is a cloud-based point of sale retail and hospitality solution designed for all types of companies in the hospitality industry. This point of sale solution includes customer relationship management tools, real...Read more
Revel Systems
Revel Systems
Revel is a cloud-based business platform that integrates operations and customer channels with point-of-sale (POS) functionality in a single dashboard. It is suitable for stores and restaurants of all sizes and provides users with...Read more
Lightspeed POS
Lightspeed POS
Crafted specifically for the hospitality industry and perfect for cafes, restaurants, bars, and any other hospitality business imaginable. Lightspeed Kounta POS is the point of sale that is easy to use, simple to manage and powerf...Read more
Popular Restaurant CRM Comparisons
Buyers Guide
Last Updated: March 11, 2022In the restaurant business, growing your customer base is important, but it isn't the ultimate prize. The real prize is your list of regular patrons, which you must constantly try to expand by turning new patrons into repeat customers. Sure, your food plays a big role here, but technology can also help.
According to Toast's 2017 Restaurant Technology report, 95% of restaurateurs agree that technology improves their business' efficiency. Regardless of the format—quick-service restaurant (QSR) or fine dining, a chain or a stand-alone establishment—restaurant customer relationship management (CRM) tools can change how you engage with your customers.
These solutions allow you to personalize customer interactions, roll out customer outreach and loyalty programs, and integrate with third-party aggregators to expand market reach. Interested? We'll help you learn more about restaurant CRMs and what you should consider while evaluating options.
In this buyer's guide, we'll cover:
What is restaurant CRM software?
Common features of restaurant CRM software
What type of buyer are you?
Benefits of having a restaurant CRM
Market trends to understand
What is restaurant CRM software?
Restaurant CRM software helps restaurant managers and owners maintain a centralized database of information on customers who have visited a restaurant or have ordered online. Restaurants of all categories and size can use this data for marketing and sales promotions, email or social media campaigns, and to support loyalty programs.
This type of software offers standardized communication templates, workflows, and automated processes, which make it easier for users to regularly interact with customers and share personalized offers and updates.
Restaurant CRMs also incorporate functionality for table reservations and online ordering (through a restaurant website or third-party platforms). They can also track customer orders and preferences and record details such as allergies, milestones (e.g., birthdays), and past order suggestions to allow restaurants provide personalized offers and services to customers.
Benefits of a restaurant CRM
There are many benefits of using a restaurant CRM. Here's a look at the most notable:
- Improved customer connections: A CRM helps you reach out to your customers through personalized email marketing campaigns, which are equally vital for multibranch QSRs and single-location establishments.
- Ease of rolling out loyalty and discount programs: With a restaurant CRM, you can leverage your customers' preferences to create customized loyalty and discount programs to improve customer retention. You can also track the success of your ad campaigns with dashboard views.
- Integrations with with mobile apps and popular ordering websites. A majority of customers now order food and make reservations through third-party apps and websites. CRMs specifically designed for restaurants usually offer integration with these apps.
Common features of restaurant CRM software
Here are the important features to look for when choosing your restaurant CRM software:
| Centralized customer information dashboard | The core of a restaurant CRM, customer information includes customer name, contact details, and past transaction history. It can also include milestone dates such as a customer's birthday and anniversary, as well as preferences, allergies, or health warnings. |
| Email and SMS marketing | Marketing emails and mobile messages can be formatted using built-in templates, personalized, and scheduled for every customer. |
| Single-view performance dashboard | Most restaurant CRMs provide a single dashboard view of sales and customer statistics, including daily revenue. |
| Online table reservation system | Some CRMs allow customers to make reservations through third-party apps and websites |
| Social media and online marketing | Integrations with social media platforms help in rolling out marketing campaigns across multiple platforms, all from within a central dashboard. Offers can be announced to all existing followers and their connections quickly and conveniently. |
| Loyalty rewards and benefits program | Restaurant CRM tools come with modules for loyalty rewards and benefits programs that are instrumental for enhancing customer retention. |
What type of buyer are you?
You need restaurant CRM software if you own or manage any of the following:
- Food truck or independent restaurant: Outlets operating out of a single location looking to gain competitive edge with customer retention and brand loyalty will benefit from centralized customer information database that can be used for easier and quicker marketing campaign creation. Constant communication with customers makes brand promotion more effective, increasing customer recall.
- Multibranch restaurant: Multiple-location restaurants or food and beverage establishments look for full-featured CRM software to communicate their promotions and offers to increase customer footfall and enhance customer engagement and retention.
- Franchised chain: Franchised chains find restaurant CRM software's social media and online marketing feature useful to establish and expand their online presence.
Market trends to understand
Data analytics for hyper-customization: Big data and analytics are becoming pervasive, and restaurateurs are increasingly using transactional data and order histories to hyper-customize their services. Hyper-customization is a rapidly growing trend that allows restaurateurs to understand their customers better, improve the overall customer experience, and retain more customers.
Growth of mobile ordering and payments. The surge in food ordering via smartphones and the rise in mobile payments have made mobile-ready CRMs a must-have for a growing customer base. Mobile payments grew by 75% in 2017, and the trend will only continue to grow.
Note: The applications selected in this article are examples to show a feature in context and are not intended as endorsements or recommendations. They have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable at the time of publication.