Top 10 Alternatives to OpenTable: Leading Restaurant Management Software Solutions

As a restaurateur, you know how cutthroat the foodservice industry can be. Not only do you have to make sure that you’re offering excellent food and service; you also have to monitor back-office responsibilities, such as sales and inventory management. To keep your edge over the competitors, you will need to have reliable restaurant management software solutions like OpenTable.

Trusted by businesses worldwide, OpenTable is known for its best-in-class table management, POS, and menu planning tools. It also offers a plethora of solutions that will help you streamline other aspects of your restaurant operations. However, while this software solution offers a comprehensive set of features, it is still possible that OpenTable is unable to meet some of your requirements. Whether it doesn’t fall within your budget, lacks specific tools that you are looking for, or any other reason, don’t fret. We have compiled the top 10 alternatives to OpenTable to help you out.

Restaurant management software solutions have become essential tools for success in the industry. These stats tell you why:

• 83% of consumers use their mobile devices to search for restaurant locations and open hours, according to the National Restaurant Association.
• 55% read reviews to learn about the quality of services offered, while 79% of diners state that restaurant technology can help to enhance their experience.
• 68% of diners prefer that waiters use handheld tablets to provide better quality service.
• 80% of restaurant owners say that technology enables them to become more productive and competitive, and it helps to boost sales.

Despite the proven benefits of restaurant management software, most restaurants in the United States are still laggards when it comes to adopting them. Only 12% of restaurants say they use cutting-edge technology. Just 25% facilitate online reservations. Why do most restaurants hesitate to invest in technology? Here are the reasons:

• 49% cite maintenance
• 63% cite cost
• 44% name training

Aside from the abovementioned, the coronavirus pandemic has also forced plenty of businesses to adopt to new customer demands such as online ordering.

The good news is that restaurants are open to making the necessary investments with 25% of establishments willing to spend more time and money on technology. Finally, 53% of restaurateurs state that predictive ordering is the facility they most wish to include in their services.

Now that you have learned the importance of restaurant management software solutions, it is time to buy a quality system for your needs. However, this could be a tedious task as there are plenty of good options out there. To simplify the process, we have detailed the main features and benefits of OpenTable as well as the top 10 alternatives to OpenTable in this article.

What is OpenTable?

OpenTable is an innovative cloud-based restaurant management platform that comes along with the Priceline Group suite. It offers two modules: Guest Center and Connect. These modules make it simple for restaurant owners and managers to make online reservations, set up seating arrangements, and identify repeat patrons.

OpenTable utilizes touch-screen technology to simplify the work of restaurant managers. It recalls customer choices in real-time which makes the work of restaurants simpler. In addition, customers can book reservations online quickly and easily. Top features of the Guest Center module include reporting and analytics, table management, shift planning, guest profile, and reservations. Meanwhile, the key feature offered by the Connect module is its basic reporting option.

Benefits of OpenTable

OpenTable has many benefits. Here are the major advantages when you use this top software:

1. The reservation process is more streamlined and issues that arise from lost reservations and internal miscommunication are eliminated.
2. When customers book reservations they get discounts on bills at participating restaurants.
3. Customers can book online reservations without any charge.
4. Restaurant managers can identify the number of open tables and fill them instantly.
5. Customers do not have to wait for a long time to get a seat.

Though OpenTable is a quality solution, it is not the only fish in the pond. We give you a wider range of options by detailing the tools that come with the top 10 alternatives to OpenTable.

Top 10 Alternatives to OpenTable

1. Toast POS

Toast POS empowers businesses in the US to improve customer experience, minimize costs, and boost staff efficiency. A popular Android POS system, this software can be utilized by quick-service restaurants, fine dining restaurants, coffee outlets, bakeries, pizza chains, breweries, and bars. The highlight of Toast POS is its menu management tool that enables you to set up menus with groups and sub-groups, customize menus separately for online and offline audiences, and set menu prices for specific times, such as a happy hour menu.

You can easily check out these features when you sign up for Toast POS free demo.

Toast POS

Try out Toast POS with their free demo

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Similarly, with its restaurant ordering functionality, you can take orders on the fly, send automatic alerts to the waiter when the order is ready and split bills and menu items among diners. Plus, the platform simplifies payments for diners by offering features, such as “pay at the table,” emailing or printing receipts, and enabling them to tip waiters directly from the tablet. In addition, diners can get loyalty points from payments that they can redeem later. Finally, this system provides detailed reporting of product mix across menus and enables you to track real-time menu sales. To give you greater options, we present good Toast POS alternatives here.

2. When I Work

When I Work is a complete employee management solution that helps with managing employee schedules, tracking employee attendance, and improving team communication. Teams of all sizes can use it to build efficient shifting schedules and check on team members’ availability. With this, you can save hours from fixing employee schedules and enhance employee productivity. These all translate to an efficient workplace that has the potential for growing profits.

When I Work

Try out When I Work with their free trial

At the heart of the software is an employee scheduling app that gives users lots of options for managing employee time. With this feature, they can fill shifts in case of absences or let employees swap shits in case of scheduling conflicts. It also comes with a time clock app that lets you turn any device into an employee time clock.

The vendor offers two plans: a Small Business plan for up to 100 employees billed at $2 per user and a quote-based Enterprise solution for 100 to over 10,000 employees. When I Work can be integrated with various payroll, point-of-sale, and business operations apps. These include Gusto, Run, ADP Workforce Now, and more.

For employee scheduling software alternatives, consider this list of When I Work alternatives.

3. Lightspeed Restaurant

Lightspeed Restaurant is a fully integrated POS system designed to improve various workflows, including restaurant management, staff management, and inventory control. For instance, through the software, you can build and customize your menu according to your exact requirements. You can add descriptions and high-resolution photos to menu items to help customers decide what to order. You can also use the menu to ensure that servers are informed of dish ingredients, including wine pairings and allergens.

The software comes with various features for staff management. Tips can be added directly to the system for fair distribution and transparency. You can set up user permissions per employee to ensure that only the right people can access data such as sales and employee schedules. Moreover, you can create and apply user roles to individuals or user groups and enable or disable permissions as needed. Managers will be able to access staff reports, including top-performing employees according to specific KPIs.

If you’re looking for similar restaurant management tools, you can check our Lightspeed Restaurant alternatives.

4. 7Shifts

7Shifts is an agile employee scheduling system designed to create effective schedules and promote even work distribution among the service crew. Popular with managers, this software’s breezy interface allows you to build your staff’s daily agendas along with the allotted time per activity. It also allows you to be on top of their tasks, so everything can be fitted within working hours. This reduces the likelihood of overtimes, thus making your operations more cost-effective.

7shifts

Try out 7shifts with their free trial

Since communication is critical in the restaurant industry, 7Shifts added a group chat functionality to its platform. With this, orders placed and the state of preparation can be quickly reported to the concerned parties. The crew can also coordinate if supplies are running low or if certain dishes are sold out. As a result, you can effectively manage the expectations of your guests. The app also provides analyses on budget and expenses, which aids you in managing your funds better.

If you want to know more about other platforms of this nature, feel free to browse through our list of 7Shifts alternatives.

5. TouchBistro

Our review team has no hesitation in naming TouchBistro as one of the leading restaurant management systems in the market. This iPad POS system helps both quick-service as well as full-service restaurants to improve their service and decision-making and boost sales. You can use your iPad to manage inventory, iPad menus, staff and scheduling, mobile payment processing, floor plans, and tableside orders. The software also offers top-notch analytics and reporting capabilities. In addition to these, the vendor has recently updated the platform’s order screen, added a remote menu management option, and included integrations for Cayan Genios Mini device and Chase Paymentech over the past year. You can easily check out these features when you sign up for TouchBistro free trial.

TouchBistro offers advanced management tools, superior ease of use, and features specifically designed for the foodservice industry. This platform integrates the various payment options to help you efficiently manage expenses and receipts. Plus, its POS system makes payment processing simpler by enabling customers to pay via credit cards and gift cards. Finally, the TouchBistro Loyalty program provides incentives to diners to visit and spend more, which enhances their lifetime spend. If you want to look at more software options, browse good TouchBistro alternatives here.

6. Oracle Hospitality

Oracle Hospitality offers a ton of enterprise-grade solutions to streamline operations in hotels, casinos, and cruises. The solutions include sales and catering management, property management, channel management, and a POS system, among others. Through the software, you can be on top of your inventory, assign guests to rooms, and optimize all of the activities within your establishment. It also has a mobile app that allows your personnel to locate guests in need of service and address their concerns at the soonest time possible.

What sets Oracle Hospitality apart is the breadth of its functionalities. It seamlessly integrates with a wide range of Oracle tools, like Opera’s distribution and POS systems, to deliver an all-in-one solution that any entity in the hospitality industry can benefit from. Moreover, its analytics function allows you to tailor your services in accordance with your guests’ exact preferences. This leads to an increased rate of satisfied customers and an even more favorable image for your brand.

Should you wish to see other restaurant management software, check out our list of Oracle Hospitality alternatives.

7. Sapaad

Sapaad is an integrated POS solution that is designed for the needs of food establishments of all sizes.  It is known for its comprehensive inventory and food costing tools as well as its mobile ordering system. Deployed on the cloud like OpenTable, this platform is easily accessible via desktop and mobile devices, making it easier for you to monitor operations in real-time wherever you are. With this at your disposal, you can manage recipes for your restaurant, roll out loyalty programs, as well as accommodate online ordering. It also has a customizable dashboard where you can access reports about your sales.

What makes Sapaad unique from its competitors, however, is that it has a call center module and built-in CRM functionalities that allow you to build client databases based on previous transactions. This means you can provide a more personable service without the hassle. To make things even better, the vendor also offers regular feature upgrades and routine fixes to make sure that your POS system is always in tiptop condition.

If you think this product is not the right restaurant management system for you then, be sure to take a look at these excellent Sapaad alternatives.

8. Clover

Clover is a POS system designed to support small and mid-sized restaurants. Through this POS system, restaurant staff can easily take orders and accept payments, while managers can conveniently track inventory and monitor employee performance more efficiently. The system also comes with features for improving customer engagement and retention.

Through Clover, restaurants can accept a wide variety of payments, including contactless NFC payments, EMV chip cards, swipe cards, checks, and cash. Through its Virtual Terminal module and the Clover Web Dashboard, the system also allows restaurants to accept payments anywhere with a tablet or smartphone.

Clover also works seamlessly with apps that enable easier employee management. Managers can easily set shifts and schedules and track employee time off to ensure that the restaurant is sufficiently staffed. The system also supports payroll processes and ensures that employee hours and taxes are automatically and accurately calculated.

If you’re looking for similar software, you can check out our list of Clover alternatives.

9. CAKE

Another alternative to OpenTable is CAKE. The software offers both POS and guest management solution for food and beverage service businesses of all sizes. CAKE’s function revolves around providing fast and efficient service to customers, which helps create great and rewarding experiences for the customers. Among CAKE’s core features are its table, guest, and waitlist management, which help keep everything organized and the service seamless and efficient even during peak hours. CAKE also accommodates online reservation and ordering for customers who prefer to avoid long waiting lines.

As a business solution for service-based establishments like restaurants, pubs, and bars, CAKE leverages customer data taken from transactions and feedback to continuously improve the overall business operations. Aside from its web-based portal, CAKE also has a dedicated application for iPhone and iPad devices.

If you need to learn more about other options in this software category, you may check out CAKE alternatives.

10. Revel Systems POS

Revel Systems POS is designed to support restaurants of all sizes. The system offers various management capabilities to help restaurant owners and managers track table service, monitor kitchen processes, and oversee enterprise-level operations. Revel Systems’ employee management tools also make payroll and time tracking more convenient.

This POS system improves the customer experience and ensures efficient tableside ordering through mobile order takers. Orders are automatically synced with the kitchen display system, ensuring accuracy for each order and improving customer satisfaction. Managers can also create a layout of the entire dining room to more easily monitor multiple sections and identify high-volume tables.

Revel Systems POS also comes with a suite of employee management features. Managers can easily create and edit employee schedules based on forecasted activity and email these schedules to employees. Data such as time worked, overtime, and employee punches can also be automatically exported to accounting software to ensure accuracy.

If you’re looking for restaurant management software with similar features, we’ve put together a list of Revel Systems POS alternatives.

Tips on Choosing a Restaurant Management System

Hopefully, with our top 10 alternatives to OpenTable, you were able to narrow down your restaurant management system options. Before you make a decision, however, be sure to carefully assess your prospective software. These programs do not come cheap, so it is best that you gauge their functionalities against your operational requirements right off the bat. Keep in mind that you shouldn’t simply opt for the software that offers the most features. Rather, you should choose one that will be able to give you the right tools for your business at the right price.

A good rule of thumb here is to find a scalable restaurant management software that offers the essential tools as a basic package. After all, it is better to start with a simple program that can carry out everyday tasks like tracking sales, processing payments, and managing tables rather than pay for a complicated system with tools that you might never even use.  You might also want to choose software solutions that can be deployed on the cloud as this will allow you to enjoy the convenience of monitoring your business via different devices. In addition to these, asking yourself the following questions might also be of help during the software selection process:

1. Is this software capable of adapting to the changing needs of my business?
2. Is it compatible with my existing business systems? Moreover, can it integrate with the applications I am using?
3. How difficult will it be for me to learn this new software?
4. Will this restaurant management software give me the data I need to improve my business operations?
5. Can the vendor assure me that my data is safe on their platform?
6. Does this support self-service options?
7. Does the vendor provide regular updates and routine maintenance for the software?

By Shaun Baker

With 5 years of experience in digital marketing and retail strategy under his belt, Shaun Baker is the resident eCommerce expert at FinancesOnline. A contributor to Entrepreneur, The Atlantic, and other business portals, he has spoken and written about various eCommerce subjects, from AI and headless commerce to the economics of Black Mirror’s “Fifteen Million Credits”. His (highly) opinionated pieces on the ebbs and flows of eCommerce as an industry remain both a dynamic resource of talking points and entertainment in itself.