What Is The Best Restaurant Inventory Management Software For You?

What will YOU work best with?

The best way to answer this question is with another question. What are your personal preferences and your business needs?

I've been in the restaurant business for four decades. I've gone from writing a food order on my palm with a Bic pen - to training operators on working with some of the best restaurant inventory management software a Fortune 500 company could buy.

You can get stuff that will need more or less input from you in the way of food count and manual ordering, inventory management, recipe selection or stuff that'll order the food from selected vendors, while automatically running an ideal food for you.

How about your employees? Most of them are probably younger than you. What's that going to look like? Make a list of what you would like to do and how you want to involve your employees.

Employees are likely going to embrace the tech more than you will. Poll them or get their suggestions on what they've used at other places they've worked. And as always, do what makes the most sense.

You can spend a ton of money for a Porsche but if you don't know how to drive it like a Porsche needs to be driven then it's a waste of money. Likewise, you can spend a bunch of money on a system that is very underutilized. Make sure you're getting what you pay for. No more, no less. Make sure the company you're considering has a live setup, and training for management and staff included in the quote.

I can say you should order a certain brand. Anyone can recommend software X or Z. Until you answer these basic questions for you and your needs those recommendations don't mean a thing. Do these basic things first and you will know the right questions to ask that will whittle down the list of vendors to a final few.

What are your needs?

Most importantly, insist upon references of places in your market that are using the same system and take the time to talk with them to see what works, what doesn't (pro tip...something always doesn't work they way you thought) and what they would have done differently. Many vendors will promise much like a customized platform just for you...beware.

In short, the best restaurant inventory system is going to be one you know, and can operate easily.