Running a modern restaurant means managing a complex web of technology — POS, online ordering, reservations, inventory, staff scheduling, accounting, and more. The difference between a smooth operation and tech chaos often comes down to how well these systems work together.

Here's your complete guide to building a restaurant tech stack that actually works.

What is a Restaurant Tech Stack?

Your tech stack is the collection of technology systems that power your restaurant

A tech stack is the collection of software and hardware that runs your restaurant operations. A well-designed stack:

• Integrates seamlessly — Systems share data automatically
• Reduces manual work — No double-entry or data transfer
• Provides insights — Unified reporting across functions
• Scales with you — Grows as your restaurant grows

A poorly designed stack creates:

• Data silos
• Manual workarounds
• Integration headaches
• Staff frustration

Core Tech Stack Components

1. Point of Sale (POS) — The Hub

Your POS is the center of your tech stack. Everything else connects to it.

What it does:

• Order entry and checkout
• Payment processing
• Menu management
• Basic reporting
• Often integrates with other systems

Top Options:

Our recommendation: Choose your POS first, then build around it. Most other systems will need to integrate with your POS.

See our Toast vs Square comparison

2. Online Ordering — Direct Revenue

Online ordering is essential for capturing off-premise revenue

Online ordering captures off-premise revenue without third-party commissions.

Options:

• POS-integrated: Square Online, Toast Online Ordering, Lightspeed eCom
• Standalone: GloriaFood (free), ChowNow, Olo
• QR-based: Fuudey, Square Self-Serve

Key considerations:

• Does it integrate with your POS?
• Commission-free vs. marketplace
• Pickup, delivery, or both?
• Payment processing included?

See our commission-free ordering guide

3. Kitchen Display System (KDS)

Replaces paper tickets with digital screens.

Benefits:

• Faster ticket times
• Fewer errors
• Better FOH/BOH communication
• Data on preparation times

Options:

• Toast KDS, Square KDS (POS-native)
• Fresh KDS (standalone)
• Lightspeed KDS

Our recommendation: Use your POS's native KDS for seamless integration.

See our KDS buying guide

4. Reservations and Waitlist

Manage table bookings and walk-in queues.

Options:

Key considerations:

• Does your clientele expect reservations?
• Do you want to pay for discovery (OpenTable network)?
• Does it integrate with your POS?

5. Inventory Management

Inventory systems track costs and prevent waste

Track ingredients, monitor costs, reduce waste.

Approaches:

• POS-built-in: Lightspeed (ingredient-level), Toast, Square (basic)
• Dedicated systems: MarketMan, BlueCart, Parsley

Key features:

• Recipe costing
• Vendor ordering
• Waste tracking
• Inventory alerts
• Purchase ordering

Our recommendation: If your POS has good inventory (Lightspeed), use it. Otherwise, integrate a dedicated system.

6. Staff Scheduling and Management

Schedule shifts, track labor costs, manage time.

Top options:

Key features:

• Shift scheduling
• Clock in/out
• Labor cost tracking
• Shift swapping
• Compliance (breaks, overtime)

7. Accounting and Payroll

Keep the books and pay your people.

Accounting:

• QuickBooks (most common)
• Xero
• FreshBooks

Payroll:

• Gusto
• Square Payroll
• ADP

Integration matters: Ensure your accounting software connects to your POS for automatic sales data import.

8. Marketing and Loyalty

Bring customers back and keep them engaged.

Loyalty options:

• POS-native: Square Loyalty, Toast Loyalty
• Dedicated: FiveStars, Thanx, Fivestars
• Email: Mailchimp, Constant Contact

Key features:

• Points or punch card programs
• Email/SMS marketing
• Customer segmentation
• Campaign automation

Building Your Tech Stack

Small Restaurant Stack (Under 50 Seats)

Small restaurants can start with essential systems and add as needed

Essentials only — minimize complexity:

Total: ~$90/month + processing

Full-Service Restaurant Stack

More features, tighter integration:

Total: $500-1,200/month + processing

Quick-Service/Fast Casual Stack

Speed and efficiency focus:

Total: $150-300/month + processing

Multi-Location Stack

Multi-location operations need centralized management capabilities

Centralized control with location flexibility:

Total: $600-2,000/month + processing

Integration Best Practices

1. Start with POS as Hub

Your POS should connect to everything else. Check integrations before choosing:

• Does your reservation system sync tables?
• Does scheduling pull labor data from POS?
• Does accounting import sales automatically?

2. Minimize Manual Data Entry

If you're manually transferring data between systems, something is wrong. Look for:

• API connections
• Direct integrations
• Zapier connections (backup option)

3. Consolidate Where Possible

Every additional vendor adds:

• Another login
• Another bill
• Another support contact
• Another integration to maintain

If your POS offers acceptable scheduling, use it. If it doesn't, integrate a dedicated system.

4. Plan for Growth

Choose systems that scale:

• Can you add locations?
• Can you add features later?
• Are there usage limits that will bite you?

Common Tech Stack Mistakes

1. Over-Engineering

Don't buy features you don't need. A simple café doesn't need enterprise inventory management.

2. Ignoring Integration

Systems that don't talk to each other create data silos and manual work. Always check integration before buying.

3. Chasing Free

"Free" systems often cost more in time, limitations, and eventual upgrades. Pay for tools that save you money.

4. Fragmented Vendors

Five vendors for five functions means five relationships, five bills, and five potential failure points. Consolidate where reasonable.

5. No Backup Plan

What happens when your POS goes down? Have contingencies for critical systems.

Future Trends

AI and Automation

• Automated scheduling based on sales forecasts
• Dynamic pricing optimization
• Predictive inventory ordering

QR and Mobile-First

• QR ordering becoming standard
• Mobile-first customer experiences
• See our QR menu guide

Unified Platforms

• All-in-one solutions expanding
• Fewer integrations needed
• Toast, Square, Lightspeed growing features

Voice and Ordering Tech

• Voice ordering in drive-thru
• AI order-taking
• Conversational interfaces

Frequently Asked Questions

How much should I spend on restaurant technology?

Technology should typically be 1-3% of revenue for most restaurants. A $1M/year restaurant might spend $10,000-30,000 annually on tech.

Should I use all-in-one systems or best-of-breed?

For most restaurants, lean toward all-in-one. The integration benefits outweigh marginal feature differences. Only go best-of-breed for specific needs your primary system can't meet.

How do I migrate from one system to another?

Plan carefully: export data, train staff, run parallel for a week, then cut over. Budget 2-4 weeks for a major system change.

Do I need all these systems?

No. Start with POS, add online ordering, then expand based on actual needs. Don't overbuild.

What's the most important system?

Your POS. It's the hub that everything else connects to. Get this right first.

Conclusion

A well-designed tech stack powers efficient restaurant operations

Building your restaurant tech stack is about choosing systems that work together, not just individual best-in-class tools. Integration, simplicity, and scalability matter more than features you'll never use.

Start here:

1. Choose your POS — Compare options
2. Add online ordering — Commission-free options
3. Consider QR menus — Free options available
4. Build from there based on actual needs

Don't overbuild. Start simple, integrate well, and add complexity only when needed.