The restaurants software stack
Restaurants run on hourly staff, tips and thin margins. These guides compare payroll and web tools on how well they handle that reality.
4 of 4 guides published
Buying guides
- AccountingBest Restaurant Accounting Software (2026): Food Cost, Tips and Daily SalesWe compare QuickBooks Online, Restaurant365, MarginEdge and Xero for restaurants: daily sales entries, tips, food and prime cost, invoices and real monthly cost.Read the guide
- Email marketingBest Email Marketing for Restaurants (2026): Email, SMS and Guest ListsWe compare Square Marketing, Toast Email Marketing, Constant Contact and Brevo for restaurants: POS guest lists, texts, automations and real monthly cost.Read the guide
- PayrollBest Restaurant Payroll Software (2026): Tips, Tip Credits and POS SyncWe compare Toast Payroll, Square Payroll and Gusto for restaurants: tip tracking, tip makeup to minimum wage, multiple pay rates, POS sync and real cost.Read the guide
- Website builderBest Restaurant Website Builder (2026): Menus, Reservations and OrderingWe compare Squarespace, Wix and Square Online for restaurants: menus, table reservations, commission-free online ordering and real monthly cost.Read the guide
Know-how
Plain-English explainers on the tasks and rules behind the software.
- ExplainerHow to Calculate Food Cost and Prime Cost (2026)The formulas for food cost, food cost percentage, plate cost and prime cost, with worked examples, a step-by-step inventory count and 2024 industry medians.Read the explainer
- ExplainerRestaurant Profit Margin: How to Calculate and Improve It (2026)How to calculate a restaurant's gross, prime-cost and net profit margins, with a worked P&L, what drags margins down, and practical ways to improve them.Read the explainer