Seven Rooms, OpenTable, Posist are some of the best restaurant CRM software in the industry. They will let you manage your guest profiles, collect data, automate marketing, offer loyalty programs, accept bookings and much more.
On top of CRM features, most of these software are full restaurant-suits. They take care of almost everything your restaurant may need. This often includes revenue analysis, employee management, inventory management and so on.
Most of these software are used by the biggest restaurant chains on the planet, this tells us they can’t be a waste of your time. Despite their client-base, they’re all pocket-friendly. Most of these even have a free forever plan.
Let’s discuss these in detail.
Best restaurant CRM software in the industry
These software offer the most features for restaurant and guest management in 2024:
- Seven Rooms- Overall best CRM software for restaurants.
- Open Table
- Posist
- Eat App
- Monday
- MilagroCorp
1. Seven Rooms
With clients such as MGM, Marriott International, Accor, Hyatt and others, I doubt I’ll have to prove it’s one of the best CRM software for restaurants.
For starters, it builds a guest database. Total number of visits, total orders, special dates, preferences and a lot more is stored for a personalised experience.
It can also assign tags to guests automatically based on their behaviours and triggers set by you. These tags can be used to find guest groups and then create unique marketing campaigns for each.
It can also send personalised e-mails based on triggers ($X spend/birthdays etc.). The open-rate, clicks and conversions is monitored too.
It also has a booking feature that will let your customers book tables directly from your website. It can also be plugged with Reserve With Google and social media platforms. Paid add-ons, prepaid meals, special dates and a lot can be captured at the time of booking.
Guests can even be alerted once tables are available. In fact, you can choose who gets notified first based on their tags, spends and so on.
It also features a very advanced table management system. Your guests can also book you via SMS if you link it to Seven Rooms. You choose which staff members have or do not have access to the SMS line. There’s a Seven Rooms app that can be used for communications as well.
You can automate “perks” as well. Based on a user’s actions (e.g. “shared a review”) they may get perks like “special menu” or “special couch seating” and so on.
Lastly, it can automatically request reviews, assign tags to users based on their reviews and send response mails for the reviews.
Best features:
- Detailed guest profiles, dates, preferences, spends etc.
- Automated, trigger-based emails.
- Table booking and management app.
- SMS and native-app for communications.
- Automated review requests and response management.
- Reserve with Google & social media integrations.
Pricing:
There are 3 plans but they’re shared once you get in touch with the team.
2. OpenTable
OpenTable says it’s the “most complete” CRM software for the food industry. You can start with using it for reservation management. Anyone can book you directly using a booking widget, saving you commissions that’s generally paid to third-party websites. You are also listed on OpenTable’s network which too is a source of bookings.
It also helps view, manage and respond to reviews on multiple platforms from OpenTable. Reviews can be requested automatically once a diner leaves your restaurant. You can also put guests on a reservation list and notify guests when seats become available. When reservations are confirmed, automatic E-mail and SMS confirmations are sent to the users.
You can also discourage no-shows by mandating credit cards during registrations and creating custom deposit/advance policies that fit you best.
It has an advanced floor-plan management feature. It helps best arrange and assign tables to maximise your in-take capabilities.
OpenTable also creates guest profiles, preferences and records other data that can be analysed and used later. It also uses tags to group visitors based on their preferences and other data.
Automated e-mail campaigns can be sent based on various triggers.
It also covers shift management and displays real-time data of the revenue being generated.
The app is iPhone-ready, this means the entire CRM including the floor plan feature can be controlled from your iPhone.
You can even monitor your staff, their revenue and overall performance using OpenTable.
OpenTable’s best features:
- Complete booking management. Independent and on OpenTable.
- Creates guest profiles and tags them.
- Employee performance monitor.
- Automated e-mails and SMS.
- Floorplan management.
Problems with OpenTable:
- SMS Updates are a paid add-on.
- You pay a charge on all bookings (even through your website) on the cheapest plan.
- There’s a 2% service fee on takeouts, across all plans.
OpenTable Pricing plans:
There are 3 pricing plans:
- Basic: $149.00/month
- Core: $299.00/month
- Pro: $499.00/month.
3. Posist
I loved Posist’s data collection sources. It can collect and filter guest data from nearly any source. It can be orders, surveys, reviews or many other places. Posist then stores this data at a central location.
It also groups customers based on their behaviour, interactions, frequency of visits and other metrics.
It also has a marketing feature. This lets you connect to your guests via a number of ways such as e-mails, social media, SMS etc.
Its loyalty-management feature allows you to monitor and reward frequent visitors, increasing their visits and chances of bringing in friends.
It also has an analytics feature that allows you to send customised e-mails based on a guest’s special dates, order history and other data.
Its advanced PoS allows you to take orders and remember customer preferences. You can also manage no-shows and send automated reminders to waitlisted customers.
Advanced features like floorplan management exist as well.
It has features for inventory management, kitchen management, menu management and so on.
Posist best features:
- Collects guest data and creates profiles.
- Tag guests based on behaviour, expenses, orders.
- Automated e-mails/SMS
- PoS integrations
Problems with Posist:
- Restaurant CRM is an individual tool, multiple tools exist offering all these features instead of one all-in-one solution.
Posist Pricing plans:
- The pricing isn’t transparent, contacting the team needed.
4. EatApp
There are multiple factors which make EatApp one of the best CRM solutions for your restaurant. It starts by collecting all user data at once central location. Contact details, special dates, preferences and everything else is collected. Of course these profiles are auto-tagged and updated with each guest activity.
Using this data, you can automated not just e-mail but also SMS and Whatsapp marketing campaigns!
It does have a feedback request and management automation. Reviews are requested automatically and depending on the review, further action can be automated (or undertaken manually).
On top of the CRM features, it also has a full-fledged, independent booking feature. No third-party commissions needed. You can add guests to a waitlist and they’ll be notified via SMS once their table is ready.
A digital and real-time floor management feature tells you which are the best seats for your guests.
You can also enable online bookings so your guests can add themselves to your waitlist directly. You can enable advance deposit requirements to reduce the number of no-shows.
EatApp best features:
- Collects all relevant user-data.
- E-mail/SMS and Whatsapp automation.
- Waitlists and automated reminders of availability.
- Online booking and reservations.
- Real-time floor plan.
- Automated review request and management.
Problems with EatApp:
- Many required features (e.g. online waitlists/advance deposits etc.) are paid-addons, even on the most expensive plans.
EatApp pricing plans:
There are 4 plans:
- Free forever
- Starter: $34.00/month
- Essential: $90.00/month
- Pro: $160.00/month.
5. Monday
Monday is a work-tool. It’s a project manager, to-do list software, HR manager and obviously also a CRM software for the food industry. It already has clients such as Coca Cola and Canva which tells us it definitely will work for your restaurant as well.
One of its biggest USPs is its user-interface. Almost all of it is drag & drop. You can drag actions, reports, automation to get what you desire. Even the most basic of users can use Monday.
Like all best restaurant CRM systems, it too collects and groups data from each client.
It has a very detailed and informative “overview”. It displays everything including average customers, total spends, and even employee shift information at one central location.
Its automation is equally impressive. Monday is capable of automatically notifying you when a new customer is gained, employees are on leave, specific ingredients are low/missing and so on. Even specific actions can be set which are taken when these triggers are met.
It can also be integrated with with dozens of popular apps and tools such as Gmail, Zoom, Github, Google Calendar and so on.
Monday best features:
- Drag & drop user-interface.
- Collects and displays user-data at one place.
- Detailed overview of all important metrics.
- Impressive automation features.
- Manage employees, ingredients and many other aspects.
- Dozens of integrations.
Problems with Monday:
- You need to get minimum 3 seats on any plan.
Monday pricing plans:
A total of 5 paid plans exist:
- Free forever
- Basic: $36.00/month
- Standard: $51.00/month
- Pro: $28.00/month.
- Enterprise: Custom plans, for very large restaurants.
6. MilagroCorp
MilagroCorp is an all-in-one solution that does everything you want a restaurant CRM to do. They even design customised websites and apps for your restaurant if you don’t have one. It also includes an integrated reservation feature using which you can accept booking directly and avoid paying third-party commissions.
Its “SmartWait” feature allows users to join a waitlist and get an idea of when their tables will be ready. They can walk in when they want to and avoid having to wait at the restaurant in advance.
It also utilises guest information to send personalised e-mails and campaigns that can increase walk-ins and orders. A loyalty program exists which awards users levels and points based on their activities. It’s available both for the user and the restaurant owner. Discounts and incentives are automatically triggered when the requirements are fulfilled.
It also has a SmartMenu which automatically upsells items depending on what the customer is viewing.
It also has an employee management feature that lets you create employee schedules and notify them of their shifts. You can monitor each shift, department, area and assign employees where required.
Its advanced POS makes using, modifying, and monitoring orders a breeze.
MilagroCorp best features:
- SmartMenus automatically upsell.
- SmartWait prevents extra wait time.
- Personalised and automated e-mail campaigns
- Loyalty program
- Advanced PoS that handles orders, billing and more.
- Employee Management
Problems with MilagroCorp:
- It’s one of the most expensive restaurant CRMs.
Pricing plans:
- Startup: Free
- Restaurant Revamp: $563.00/month
- Hospitality: $1274.00/month
- Growth Accelerator: $2191.00/month
- Hospitality Pro: $4675.00/month.
Benefits of CRM in a restaurant
A restaurant CRM helps you manage & record almost everything about your restaurant, increase leads/revenue and save costs where possible.
Here are some of the primary benefits of a restaurant CRM:
Get more leads/new customers
You can integrate most CRMs with your website/landing pages and accept bookings directly. This of course means more leads and sales.
Some CRMs also offer listings on their dashboards. This makes your restaurant visible on a list of restaurants and that acts as another source of new customers.
Personalize guest experiences
A CRM helps you collect data about your guests and know them better. This “data” generally includes:
- Contact information: Name/email/phone etc.
- Booking information: Previous bookings, preferences, allergies, total expenditure and more.
You can use this information to personalize the guest experience. You’ll know what to serve or not serve, their special dates, suggest food they may like etc. On part of the guests, they get a much better, customised experience than they would get at a random restaurant.
You can also use this data to “group” users together. These groups can then be targeted at once for various marketing, feedback and other purposes.
Once grouped, your marketing campaigns perform better. You’ll know who your high-paying clients are, the regulars, the bad reviewers and everything else. You can then target each group with campaigns best suited for that specific group.
Make customers return (with more friends).
A good CRM for restaurants has e-mail and SMS automation. You can send offers, discounts and any other marketing campaign directly to your customers.
Once a customer has been to your restaurant, it’s important to ensure they return. It has been proven that 70% of your first-time customers never return.
Many CRMs have loyalty programs. They let you create campaigns that reward users if they return. E.g. “Hey Mr/Mrs X. we haven’t seen you for the last 30 days, here’s a 10% discount code for your next visit”. You may also curate menus and food items specifically to their preferences and send a campaign that’s exclusive just for them!
You may also run a program that rewards “a group of at least 4 people”. In this case, you only need to send the campaign to 1 existing customer. If the offer is good, chances are they’ll bring in 3 new guests for you!
Advanced loyalty features on a CRM can also use a points-system. Users earn points for visiting X number of times or spending X amount of money. When they reach a threshold, they get access to special offers/discounts. You can automate this. You do not need to do things manually.
Monitor, Manage and improve feedback
A major feature any top CRM software for restaurants will offer is feedback acquisition and management. Guests will receive a review request on automation. The CRM also categorizes guests based on the review or rating they provide.
Feedbacks serve multiple purposes, both for you and your customers. You as a business owner get an unfiltered opinion of how your food, service and overall restaurant is actually doing. you can use this feedback to improve your restaurant and its problems directly.
Some CRM also allow you to reply to these reviews across various platforms directly from your CRM. This helps you address problems and miscommunications and smoothen things out by offering an apology, discounts or anything else.
The feedback (the positive ones) also helps you get more new customers as almost everyone looks at reviews before deciding where to eat.
Reports, Analysis and better ROI
CRMs love data. They record everything you throw at them. Each user’s revenue for you, your own marketing costs, employee salaries and everything.
Once you’ve enough data, you can look at the best & worst performing campaigns. You can see which timings and offers bring in the most money. Similarly, the campaigns losing you money are easily identifiable as well.
Using the CRM, you can then double down on what’s working and improve what’s not working. All of this eventually leads to better ROI.
Managing front & backends
The best restaurant CRM software will also help you manage your restaurant’s front and backends. By front-end, I mean tables, seating arrangements, waitlists etc. Guests are never left waiting more than they need to and your employees always know which tables are empty!
On the backend, a good CRM will let you manage your inventory, employee shifts, revenue and so much more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Allow me to answer a few questions about the best restaurant CRM software before we conclude.
Q. What is CRM in restaurants?
CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. A software that allows restaurants to manage and improve their customer relationships is a CRM in restaurant.
A CRM generally covers everything that your restaurant may ever need. This includes acquiring new customers, retaining old customers, managing customer data etc. Some CRM go beyond “customers” and also have features for employee management, inventory management, revenue and so on.
Q. What is the best CRM for restaurants?
In my opinion, Seven Rooms is one of the most feature-rich and established restaurant CRMs in the industry. Also, its client-base consists of billion-dollar companies. I’m sure they do their research before picking their partners.
Q. Is OpenTable a CRM system?
Yes. OpenTable is a CRM system. It’s almost as good as Seven Rooms and has a global presence. It facilitates user data collection, marketing automation, loyalty programs and everything else that a CRM should cover.
Q. What is a CRM in food?
CRM in food is any software that lets you build relationships with your guests in the food industry. The primary purpose these serve is collecting user data and helping you use said data to retain customers longer.
Conclusion: Which is the best CRM for restaurants?
Seven Rooms has all the features you may want in any restaurant CRMs. It’s the most all-in-one tool as it takes care of booking/reservations, waitlists, automated e-mails/SMS, feedback, and even revenue. If you’re new and confused, Seven Rooms is the best option.
EatApp is an equally feature-rich and easy-to-use CRM that you may like as well.
If for some reason the two options do not suit you, Monday, Posist, or the other options will not disappoint either.
These CRMs are almost identical in terms of features. Some CRM offer the same features but as an additional add-on while others offer it by default. It’s the pricing that sets these CRMs apart in most cases. You can pick your best restaurant CRM depending on your budget, and the features you need.
Related Reading:
- Restaurant Marketing Ideas
- Best Restaurant Marketing Tools
- Top Food Influencers
- Best Digital Menu Boards for Restaurants
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