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Running a restaurant takes a lot of work, from managing employees to tracking stock levels and keeping customers happy.
Many restaurant owners struggle with time-consuming tasks like scheduling staff, handling reservations, and keeping up with food costs.
There are numerous mobile apps that help busy restaurant owners save time, reduce waste, and boost efficiency. However, there are so many options available, and only a few apps might be a good fit for your restaurant.
In this article, you will learn about the best apps for restaurant owners in 2025, their key features, pricing, and how they can improve restaurant operations.
Technology has changed how restaurants operate. In the past, restaurant operators had to rely on manual processes to handle bookings, food orders, and employee schedules.
This led to errors, wasted time, and lost revenue. Today, many restaurant apps help owners gain insights into their business while automating tasks that once took hours.
Some benefits of using a restaurant mobile app include:
Below are some of the best apps for restaurant owners in 2025, categorized by their functions.
Restaurants depend on separate platforms for online orders, reservations, and promotions. But why use multiple apps when you can have one custom-built solution?
Buildify gives you control over your digital presence by creating your own branded mobile app, making it easier to manage online orders, loyalty programs, and customer engagement.
The following are Buildify features specifically designed to help restaurants grow:
Unlike costly third-party platforms that take commissions on every sale, Buildify offers a fixed pricing of $399/month.
Managing a team in the restaurant industry can be challenging, with shift swaps, time-off requests, and last-minute scheduling changes often creating confusion.
To simplify these tasks, 7shifts offers a practical app tailored specifically for restaurant employee scheduling.
It enables restaurant owners and managers to create schedules, communicate clearly with their teams, and monitor labor costs from one handy app.
7shifts includes useful features such as easy employee scheduling, allowing managers to assign shifts, set employee availability, and make real-time updates.
The app also supports hassle-free shift swapping, so employees can easily trade shifts. There’s also a chat feature for direct and group messages.
Additionally, it integrates time tracking for accurate payroll and automatically syncs tips directly from the restaurant’s POS system.
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For restaurants that rely on reservations, OpenTable helps keep track of bookings, reduce no-shows, and improve the guest experience.
Customers can book online tables, receive reminders, and even provide feedback after meals.
OpenTable offers several useful features, including online booking capabilities that allow guests to make reservations directly through the app.
It also includes booking notes to store individual customer preferences, enabling restaurants to deliver personalized service.
The reminder system automatically sends confirmation messages and reminders so that guests can remember their reservations.
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Managing inventory manually can lead to wasted food and losing money on overstocked or expired ingredients.
Wisk is a highly effective inventory-tracking app designed specifically for restaurants. It provides real-time insights into stock levels and ingredient costs, ensuring optimal inventory management.
Key features of Wisk include real-time inventory tracking, which monitors stocks and food costs accurately.
The app sends automatic alerts whenever supplies begin to run low, preventing unexpected shortages. Wisk also facilitates automated ordering by generating purchase orders based on actual ingredient usage.
To simplify accounting processes, the app also organizes and processes invoices.
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Hootsuite helps restaurants establish and maintain a strong social media presence.
Content marketing specialists who use the app find it easier to plan and schedule posts across multiple platforms and promote daily specials, events, and seasonal menus.
The social analytics tool feature also provides insights into customer engagement and the effectiveness of posts, while campaign management consolidates marketing activities into a single dashboard.
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Running a restaurant requires keeping track of numerous details, such as supplier contacts, menus, staff notes, and daily operational tasks.
Restaurant owners use Evernote to store recipes, maintain customer records, and generate checklists for routine tasks.
Evernote also offers features like a document scanner that captures and saves invoices, menus, and supplier contracts. It also includes task management capabilities to build to-do lists and set timely reminders.
Cloud syncing ensures that all stored notes remain accessible from any device.
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With more people turning to online delivery, it is necessary to have a strong online ordering system like Uber Eats.
By joining the platform, restaurants can reach a larger audience and gain insights into customer preferences.
The app provides features like live tracking and marketplace integration, enabling restaurants to showcase their menu items through the platform.
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The fee ranges from 15% for pickup orders to 30% for deliveries, depending on the partnership plan chosen.
Compliance with health regulations and staying up-to-date with food safety standards are essential for restaurants.
FoodDocs provides restaurant operators with automated solutions to simplify quality management, oversee kitchen processes, and maintain precise documentation for regulatory inspections.
The app includes a HACCP system builder that enables restaurants to develop and maintain comprehensive hazard analysis plans. It also offers automated monitoring of food and industry trends to ensure consistent compliance.
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Restaurants use NextMe to enhance operational efficiency, especially during busy periods with long wait times.
It allows guests to check in virtually, reducing crowding and streamlining front-of-house operations.
Customers can remotely join the waitlist, track their place in line, and receive real-time text updates about their table status, further improving the restaurant’s operational efficiency.
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While using many restaurant apps can improve operations, Buildify Builds gives you an all-in-one solution.
With Buildify, your restaurant gets a fully branded website and a mobile app on Apple and Android devices. Customers can easily browse your menu, place orders, and track rewards.
It also gives you tools to create customer incentives like coupons, community deals, and personalized promotions.
Ready to keep regulars engaged and turn new visitors into repeat customers? Buildify can help you get started in just 5 days. Book a call today!
The best form of ownership for a restaurant depends on the size, risk tolerance, and financial goals of the owner. Sole proprietorships are simple but carry personal liability. Partnerships allow shared responsibility, while LLCs and corporations provide liability protection and tax benefits. Many restaurant owners choose an LLC for flexibility and protection.
The best restaurant management software depends on the restaurant’s needs. 7shifts is great for employee scheduling, Wisk helps with inventory management, and OpenTable is ideal for reservation management. For all-in-one solutions, some restaurants use custom mobile apps like Buildify to manage online delivery orders, customer loyalty, and menu items in one place.
You can find restaurant owners in industry forums, networking events, and social media groups. Websites like LinkedIn, Facebook Groups, and Reddit’s restaurant industry communities are great places to connect. Attending restaurant trade shows and conferences also helps build relationships with other restaurant operators.
To run a restaurant remotely, owners need cloud-based software for POS systems, inventory tracking, employee scheduling, and ordering systems.