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Hand picked by our HR Technology experts after product testing, user research, and much debate - enjoy!
The right HR software can help your restaurant business to hire, run payroll, keep up with changing shift schedules, and generally help you automate managing employees.
This article is for people in the restaurant industry who want to understand what the best HR tools are for your business. You may own and operate one location, many locations, a franchise, or you may be a dedicated human resource professional.
We focused this list on labor management tools that can help you streamline your human resources from hiring to onboarding, scheduling, time clocking, payroll and more.
Our Criteria: Here's how we chose who made the cut
We take research seriously. To make sure we’re offering our readers the very best solutions in a given software category, we are methodical, rigorous, and expansive in our research. We consult with HR professionals, vendors, and industry experts. We cut through the noise to bring you a carefully curated list of vendors, along with other essential information, to help you find the right software platform for your business.
Here’s how we chose who makes the cut:
Product: We believe in gaining a comprehensive understanding of a product before we recommend it, so we start by getting to know the software. Whenever possible, we meet with a senior executive (CEO or Head of Product) for a demo and Q&A. We also test the product ourselves to make sure it has a solid UI, intuitive workflows, and the features to make it a best-in-class offering.
User feedback: We go straight to the source and compile feedback on user experience. Real-world input supports our commitment to diligence in our software evaluation methods and the products we recommend. Keeping up with the everyday experience of HR pros also puts new vendors on our radar, and it keeps us close to our community so we can better connect the right products to the right people.
Financial metrics: We are certified finance nerds, so we use all the data we can get our hands on to make selections for our guides. We comb through data for concrete statistics like retention rates, growth, profitability, and scalability. We evaluate the bottom line of each product because we know making a software purchase can put your reputation on the line.
Best for a use case: Software is never a one-size-fits-all product. Sometimes the best solution is free or cheap. Other times it’s the one that is best for global companies or the one that’s sized right for early-stage startups. Keeping this in mind, we include solutions across the spectrum so our readers can find the best fit for their unique needs.
Here's more detail if you want to read more about how we research vendors. Our dedicated staff writers rely on hard data, impartial experts, and user feedback to ensure our reviews are helpful, truthful, and hopefully a pleasure to read!
Top Restaurant Software
We track thousands of HR Tech solutions. Here are the best restaurant tools as of 2023.
Why we love it
:
Toast is one of the few vendors in the HR tools for restaurants category that provide customer loyalty programs for restaurateurs to use to their advantage.
- Toast provides a lot of resources you can consult to train employees on how to use the software. It also provides general restaurant operation training.
- The platform offers loyalty programs, gift cards, and other incentives to help drive customer satisfaction.
- Toast allows you to access valuable metrics like average check amount, total orders, total sales, guest amount per time, and more.
- Toast provides a lot of resources you can consult to train employees on how to use the software. It also provides general restaurant operation training.
- The platform offers loyalty programs, gift cards, and other incentives to help drive customer satisfaction.
- Toast allows you to access valuable metrics like average check amount, total orders, total sales, guest amount per time, and more.
- Customer service is like a box of chocolates — you’ll never know what you’ll get. Some users complain about the long wait times they encounter before they can speak to a customer support representative, while others experience fast responses.
- Some users complain about the system’s high credit card processing fees.
- You have to get into a 2-year contract upfront before you can use this software.
- Customer service is like a box of chocolates — you’ll never know what you’ll get. Some users complain about the long wait times they encounter before they can speak to a customer support representative, while others experience fast responses.
- Some users complain about the system’s high credit card processing fees.
- You have to get into a 2-year contract upfront before you can use this software.
Toast
Review:
Toast is one of the top names in the restaurant SaaS category because it is a one-stop platform that combines point of sale, operations, digital ordering and delivery, marketing and loyalty, and team management — basically everything a restaurant needs to run their business. In a recent acquisition, they added employee scheduling, communication, and management solutions to the mix, making the system even more well-rounded.
Toast
Customers:
Via 33 Pizzeria, HOUSEpitality, Sepia, O’Maddy’s
Via 33 Pizzeria, HOUSEpitality, Sepia, O’Maddy’s
Toast
Pricing:
Buying Toast’s HR and POS systems together can save many restaurants quite a bit of money. Their pricing starts off with a free version and increases depending on what modules you want. There are also several add-ons you can include to make your package more comprehensive. You will have to speak to their sales representative to get a quote for these additional features.
Besides their free plan, they have two other paid plans, a custom plan, and a special offer for new restaurants. They are priced at:
- Point of sale: $69 per month
- Essentials: $165 per month
- Custom: Custom pricing
- New restaurant basics: $110 per month. It features the lite version of scheduling and team management.
There are tons of add-ons to customize your plan to your specific business needs, and it can be overwhelming and a bit tricky if you do not have a full understanding of how these configurations work. Besides complementary add-ons, you can as well customize features within each basic plan. Each plan, for example, comes with Toast hardware, and you have the option to choose which hardware you want installed as part of your plan. This is why we recommend you get a demo and reach out to their sales team before you commit to the software.
Buying Toast’s HR and POS systems together can save many restaurants quite a bit of money. Their pricing starts off with a free version and increases depending on what modules you want. There are also several add-ons you can include to make your package more comprehensive. You will have to speak to their sales representative to get a quote for these additional features.
Besides their free plan, they have two other paid plans, a custom plan, and a special offer for new restaurants. They are priced at:
- Point of sale: $69 per month
- Essentials: $165 per month
- Custom: Custom pricing
- New restaurant basics: $110 per month. It features the lite version of scheduling and team management.
There are tons of add-ons to customize your plan to your specific business needs, and it can be overwhelming and a bit tricky if you do not have a full understanding of how these configurations work. Besides complementary add-ons, you can as well customize features within each basic plan. Each plan, for example, comes with Toast hardware, and you have the option to choose which hardware you want installed as part of your plan. This is why we recommend you get a demo and reach out to their sales team before you commit to the software.
Best For
Toast is a great option for restaurants of all types, especially those offering delivery services — you stand to benefit from their delivery management module and third-party delivery service integration.
Why we love it
:
7Shifts combines an array of functionalities such as their innovative AI-powered auto-scheduler, in-app messaging, applicant tracking, and time tracking all in one restaurant tech platform. This is not the case with the majority of systems in this category.
- This software has a lot of integration options, making it easier to streamline aspects of your business like sales. You can, for example, connect to point of sale systems like Square and Toast so you can easily accept credit card and NFC payments as well as inventory and financing.
- A fully-featured software that helps you manage team schedules, timesheets, tasks, communications, and much more, within a mobile-friendly platform.
- Their free plan features basic scheduling and ATS functionalities to get your restaurant up and running, and it can accommodate as many as 30 users per location.
- This software has a lot of integration options, making it easier to streamline aspects of your business like sales. You can, for example, connect to point of sale systems like Square and Toast so you can easily accept credit card and NFC payments as well as inventory and financing.
- A fully-featured software that helps you manage team schedules, timesheets, tasks, communications, and much more, within a mobile-friendly platform.
- Their free plan features basic scheduling and ATS functionalities to get your restaurant up and running, and it can accommodate as many as 30 users per location.
- The platform’s scheduling can be a drag for teams with global remote workers because the shifts are only scheduled in CST timezone.
- The system, sometimes, does not synchronize employee’s mobile shift data with admin data. So shifts could be created and published on the manager’s end and the employees might not receive it.
- Doesn’t allow you to edit schedules before publishing. If a mistake is made, the schedule will have to be deleted and created again.
- The platform’s scheduling can be a drag for teams with global remote workers because the shifts are only scheduled in CST timezone.
- The system, sometimes, does not synchronize employee’s mobile shift data with admin data. So shifts could be created and published on the manager’s end and the employees might not receive it.
- Doesn’t allow you to edit schedules before publishing. If a mistake is made, the schedule will have to be deleted and created again.
7shifts
Review:
7Shifts was built specifically to be a human resources software for the restaurant industry, offering a wide range of functionality including employee scheduling, time clocking, labor compliance, and team communication.
Although this software has a lot of moving parts, they all synchronize to streamline restaurant operations. Additionally, the software offers innovative tools like an AI-powered auto-scheduler and templates, to help managers keep up with the fast-paced nature of restaurant HR management.
7shifts
Customers:
Sambo’s, The Chopped Leaf, Andy’s Frozen Custard, National Coney Island.
Sambo’s, The Chopped Leaf, Andy’s Frozen Custard, National Coney Island.
7shifts
Pricing:
7Shifts offers three plans with fixed pricing and one with custom pricing. You can also purchase add-ons as needed. The plans are as follows:
- Comp: This is their free plan and it comes with basic scheduling and ATS features. The plan supports only 30 users per location.
- Entree: This plan costs $34.99 per location per month, but you can save about 10% if you pay annually. It is a little upgrade from the comp plan with reporting and budgeting added to the mix. It also supports only 30 employees per location.
- The Works: This plan costs $76.99 per location per month ($69.99 when billed annually). It offers all 7Shifts features to give you an all-in-one restaurant team management platform.
- Gourmet: The Gourmet plan is their custom plan. What separates this plan for the previous ones is that it comes with a dedicated account manager.
7Shifts also provides some add ons including:
- Task management: Costs $12.99 per location per month
- Tip pooling: Costs $24.99 per location per month
- Operations overview: Costs $6.99 per location per month
- Manager logbook: Costs $14.99 per location per month
7Shifts offers three plans with fixed pricing and one with custom pricing. You can also purchase add-ons as needed. The plans are as follows:
- Comp: This is their free plan and it comes with basic scheduling and ATS features. The plan supports only 30 users per location.
- Entree: This plan costs $34.99 per location per month, but you can save about 10% if you pay annually. It is a little upgrade from the comp plan with reporting and budgeting added to the mix. It also supports only 30 employees per location.
- The Works: This plan costs $76.99 per location per month ($69.99 when billed annually). It offers all 7Shifts features to give you an all-in-one restaurant team management platform.
- Gourmet: The Gourmet plan is their custom plan. What separates this plan for the previous ones is that it comes with a dedicated account manager.
7Shifts also provides some add ons including:
- Task management: Costs $12.99 per location per month
- Tip pooling: Costs $24.99 per location per month
- Operations overview: Costs $6.99 per location per month
- Manager logbook: Costs $14.99 per location per month
Best For
7Shifts is a great choice for restaurants that want a little bit of human resource management together with the scheduling.
Why we love it
:
Fountain uses advanced data tracking and analytics to launch targeted hiring campaigns. Their geolocation radius feature also restricts job postings to a specified area.
- A platform that combines advanced analytics with recruitment, assessment, and onboarding.
- Fountain assigns you a dedicated account manager that takes you through the implementation process.
- The system provides a customizable hiring workflow you can quickly edit at scale.
- A platform that combines advanced analytics with recruitment, assessment, and onboarding.
- Fountain assigns you a dedicated account manager that takes you through the implementation process.
- The system provides a customizable hiring workflow you can quickly edit at scale.
- The UI could be better - for example, the process of moving applicants from stage to stage refreshes the entire page which, sometimes, causes you to lose progress.
- Though the software integrates with a fair amount of tools, there are some issues with connection once in a while.
- The UI could be better - for example, the process of moving applicants from stage to stage refreshes the entire page which, sometimes, causes you to lose progress.
- Though the software integrates with a fair amount of tools, there are some issues with connection once in a while.
Fountain
Review:
Fountain is a data-driven, high-volume hiring platform that provides tools for restaurant sourcing, screening, hiring, and onboarding. It is a great software to scale your recruiting because most of its features are automated, requiring little effort from hiring managers, and providing you with the option to manage your applicant pool in bulk.
This software also allows you to incorporate your recruiting process with your HR management with the numerous HRIS integrations it offers. And, unlike most restaurant HR tech tools, their services are available outside the US (78 countries presently).
Fountain
Customers:
Gopuff, Chipotle, Deliveroo, DE Gorillas, Stitch Fix, Taurus Group
Gopuff, Chipotle, Deliveroo, DE Gorillas, Stitch Fix, Taurus Group
Fountain
Pricing:
Fountain’s pricing is not provided on their website. You will have to schedule a demo to know what works for you.
Fountain’s pricing is not provided on their website. You will have to schedule a demo to know what works for you.
Best For
Fountain is best for businesses that want to rapidly scale up and are looking to make high-volume recruiting.
Why we love it
:
Unlike most recruitment platforms in this category, TalentReef provides performance-based evaluation tools to foster employee development within their roles. The software also uses a conversational AI chatbot that automates replies.
- The user-friendly software provides a central location to store all candidate information for quick reference.
- TalentReef provides a designated account manager during and after the implementation process.
- Electronic onboarding eliminates the need to handle extensive paperwork.
- The user-friendly software provides a central location to store all candidate information for quick reference.
- TalentReef provides a designated account manager during and after the implementation process.
- Electronic onboarding eliminates the need to handle extensive paperwork.
- Some users complain about the long wait lines they have to endure before they reach a customer support representative.
- Others voice their concerns about the frequent crashes they experience while using the software, especially when there are a lot of applicants on the site.
- Some users complain about the long wait lines they have to endure before they reach a customer support representative.
- Others voice their concerns about the frequent crashes they experience while using the software, especially when there are a lot of applicants on the site.
TalentReef
Review:
TalentReef is an applicant tracking system and human resources software built for hourly worker recruitment. They provide innovative solutions like artificial intelligence and text-to-apply recruitment to make it much faster to fill positions on the fly.
TalentReef’s onboarding and compliance features work together to ensure seamless digital onboarding for your employees; further improving their candidate hiring experience. They also provide tools for performance based evaluations that facilitates developmental accountability and better manager-employee relationships.
TalentReef
Customers:
Burger King, Auntie Anne’s, Marco’s Pizza, Taco Bell, McAlister’s Deli
Burger King, Auntie Anne’s, Marco’s Pizza, Taco Bell, McAlister’s Deli
TalentReef
Pricing:
TalentReef does not disclose their pricing publicly. You will have to request a quote from their Sales team. One thing you should note is that you will be required to pick a list of features beforehand and they will work with you to curate the solution that best addresses your business concerns. This model ensures you pay for exactly what you need.
TalentReef does not disclose their pricing publicly. You will have to request a quote from their Sales team. One thing you should note is that you will be required to pick a list of features beforehand and they will work with you to curate the solution that best addresses your business concerns. This model ensures you pay for exactly what you need.
Best For
TalentReef is best for businesses looking to hire hourly workforce.
Why we love it
:
Unlike other tools in this category, CareerPlug uses job description templates to help build postings. Other aspects of their hiring process are also template-based.
- Small learning curve for hiring managers. The software has a template-based approach, which means you simply plug in parameters and watch it work for you.
- The platform consolidates all candidate information in a central location for easy reference and follow-up.
- Though the system is largely template-based, it gives you the opportunity to customize your hiring process.
- Small learning curve for hiring managers. The software has a template-based approach, which means you simply plug in parameters and watch it work for you.
- The platform consolidates all candidate information in a central location for easy reference and follow-up.
- Though the system is largely template-based, it gives you the opportunity to customize your hiring process.
- Although the software automatically sends job postings to job boards, it does not automatically update when changes have been made to the posting e.g when the job expires.
- Some users voice their concerns about the system’s lag. Sometimes it freezes up and slows down, other times it just crashes.
- Although the software automatically sends job postings to job boards, it does not automatically update when changes have been made to the posting e.g when the job expires.
- Some users voice their concerns about the system’s lag. Sometimes it freezes up and slows down, other times it just crashes.
CareerPlug
Review:
CareerPlug is an applicant tracking system built for non-HR personnel in blue-collar industries like hospitality, home health care, franchises, and retail. As a result, most features such as branded careers page, job post builder, candidate screening, etc., are plug-and-play or template-based.
In addition to their ATS capacities, they also help verify candidate eligibility via their background check integrations. To improve the outcomes of your interviews, they have provided structures to measure candidate performance.
CareerPlug
Customers:
Sprint, Planet Fitness, Rent-A-Car, Golden Corral, Molly Maid, The Little Gym
Sprint, Planet Fitness, Rent-A-Car, Golden Corral, Molly Maid, The Little Gym
CareerPlug
Pricing:
CareerPlug does not reveal their prices on their website. You will have to book a demo to see what works for you and get a quote.
CareerPlug does not reveal their prices on their website. You will have to book a demo to see what works for you and get a quote.
Best For
CareerPlug is best suited for blue collar hiring.
Why we love it
:
Workstream’s text-based system makes it easier and faster for managers to recruit qualified candidates. You can also extend its capabilities as it connects to over 25,000 job boards.
- Great support team. Workstream provides a dedicated onboarding specialist to get you started and settled with the software
- Integrations with over 25,000 job boards
- Prospective candidates can apply for jobs and schedule interviews via sms.
- Great support team. Workstream provides a dedicated onboarding specialist to get you started and settled with the software
- Integrations with over 25,000 job boards
- Prospective candidates can apply for jobs and schedule interviews via sms.
- Integration with HRIS and payroll come as an add-on you have to pay for.
- A few users reported experiencing performance issues when functions like search and scheduling.
- Integration with HRIS and payroll come as an add-on you have to pay for.
- A few users reported experiencing performance issues when functions like search and scheduling.
Workstream
Review:
Workstream is a hiring software that comes, out of the box, with features you would typically see in a restaurant-tech recruiting software. Features like text to apply, QR code generation, branded career pages, and so on, all make an appearance in this hiring tool.
For a company that started out just five years ago, they have managed to secure some big American brands as customers including McDonalds, Chick-fil-A, and Taco Bell. This rapid, wide-spread acceptance goes to show the effectiveness of the tool in sourcing, hiring, and onboarding workers in an industry that struggles with high turn-over rates.
Workstream
Customers:
McDonalds, IHOP, Taco Bell, Subway, Popeyes, 7 Eleven, Dunkin’, Chick-fil-A
McDonalds, IHOP, Taco Bell, Subway, Popeyes, 7 Eleven, Dunkin’, Chick-fil-A
Workstream
Pricing:
Workstream offers two flexible plans with the option to pay for additional features. The actual cost of the plans are not listed, you will have to contact their sales team to see what works for you. The two plans are:
- Workstream Basic: This plan includes basic recruiting features such as text to apply, QR code generator, branded careers page, and so on.
- Workstream Plus: This plan offers everything in the Basic plan plus additional onboarding features such as W-4, I-9 and Form 8850 collection, onboarding training and quizzes, eSignature, and new hire offer letter template.
Workstream offers two flexible plans with the option to pay for additional features. The actual cost of the plans are not listed, you will have to contact their sales team to see what works for you. The two plans are:
- Workstream Basic: This plan includes basic recruiting features such as text to apply, QR code generator, branded careers page, and so on.
- Workstream Plus: This plan offers everything in the Basic plan plus additional onboarding features such as W-4, I-9 and Form 8850 collection, onboarding training and quizzes, eSignature, and new hire offer letter template.
Best For
Workstream is best for businesses that have high volume recruiting needs for roles such in retail and restaurants.
Why we love it
:
Brandished by companies like Tim Hortons, Dunkin Donuts, and IHOP, HigherMe is a collection of recruitment tools for the restaurant and service industry. Their platform includes an ATS, a job board, and noteworthy features like text-to-apply and paperless onboarding.
- Managers can run both inbound and outbound recruiting campaigns using the tool’s text-to-apply or talent pool features. Thereby creating a diversity of talent and strategy.
- HigherMe can generate physical posters with QR codes on them, which can be printed and posted in strategic locations.
- Managers can run both inbound and outbound recruiting campaigns using the tool’s text-to-apply or talent pool features. Thereby creating a diversity of talent and strategy.
- HigherMe can generate physical posters with QR codes on them, which can be printed and posted in strategic locations.
- Though the system offers several candidate screening features, they are fairly basic and mostly question-based.
- Most of the tasks within the typical pre-screening process can’t be automated, so the platform does need a considerable amount of manual involvement from recruiters.
- Though the system offers several candidate screening features, they are fairly basic and mostly question-based.
- Most of the tasks within the typical pre-screening process can’t be automated, so the platform does need a considerable amount of manual involvement from recruiters.
HigherMe
Review:
Since HigherMe is used at some locations of the most widely-known restaurant brands in North America, it comes as no surprise that over 2,000,000 applicants use their platform. Their platform is both a job board and an ATS. You can search for candidates per proximity to a location, title, or previous job experience.
That being said, the way in which they help you find candidates doesn’t stop there. Their text-to-apply feature, for example, entails them putting up a poster at your desired locations. By scanning a code on the poster, potential candidates who happen to walk by can apply for a job by sending a text message, or by filling up a form that takes them to the platform.
HigherMe
Customers:
Burger King, Applebee’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, Wendy’s, Papa John’s, Chick-fil-A, Tim Hortons, IHOP
Burger King, Applebee’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, Wendy’s, Papa John’s, Chick-fil-A, Tim Hortons, IHOP
HigherMe
Pricing:
HigherMe’s product offerings are priced per location per month, billed on a quarterly term. Multi-location and term discounts are also available. For exact quotes, however, you’d have to reach out to their team.
HigherMe’s product offerings are priced per location per month, billed on a quarterly term. Multi-location and term discounts are also available. For exact quotes, however, you’d have to reach out to their team.
Best For
HigherMe is best for restaurant businesses with 20 to 500 employees, especially franchises that have more than one location.
Some final thoughts on picking HR software for your restaurant business
Obviously some of the solutions above are great for smaller organizations as they have an all in one suite, and some are more specialized with a focus on hiring and onboarding employees.
I recommend you make a list of your top 3-5 must-have features (why you started the research in the first place), and then a few nice to haves.
Get demos with 2-3 of the above vendors that seem the best fit for what you want, keep good notes, and then get back to running your business!
Buying software can be stressful, time consuming, and of course costly. Just remember, the benefits of having the right automation in your employee management will more than make up for these negatives. Good luck!
Top Restaurant Software
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