Best accounting software for restaurants in 2024

It doesn’t matter how delicious the food is, it will be almost impossible to run a successful restaurant if you don’t have an efficient system to handle the finances. Fortunately, there’s a wide range of accounting tools just for restaurants to handle the financial end. 

Restaurants have industry-specific needs, so choosing the most effective accounting software is essential to help ensure your cash flow is accurate, you’re meeting deadlines, inventory is on track, and nothing is falling through the cracks.

Since you’re busy running your restaurant, we’ve reviewed restaurant accounting software to help save you time on the research. We’ll cover each bookkeeping solution in more detail later. In the meantime, here’s a quick summary.

Best accounting software for restaurants in 2022:

1. Restaurant365: Best all-in-one accounting software for restaurants. This software handles the bookkeeping and restaurant management tools for ordering food and ingredients, as well as staff scheduling. It’s a comprehensive platform for restaurants of all sizes with robust features, a user-friendly interface, and abundant integration capabilities. 
2. TouchBistro: Best accounting software for point of sale. Due to the high volume of cash and credit card payments passing through daily, restaurants need software with a sound POS system. This feature is beneficial, especially if dealing with multiple locations.
3. QuickBooks Online: Best accounting software for integrating with restaurant apps. QuickBooks Online integrates with three essential restaurant apps: Square for payments, Deputy for scheduling, and RestaurantOps for employee management and communication.
4. KitchenSync: Best accounting software for restaurant payroll. KitchenSync is a combination of bookkeeping, payroll, and human resources. It’s also an excellent tool for monitoring daily and weekly performance.
5. Plate IQ: Best accounting software for restaurant accounts payable. Plate IQ automates accounts payable for restaurants and even takes it a step further with Vendor Connections.
6. Davo: Best accounting software for restaurant sales tax. Davo automates sales tax. Collects, files, and pays sales tax on time and in full.
7. FreshBooks: Best accounting restaurant software for ease of use. FreshBooks offers expense tracking, payroll management, and inventory tracking, all with a user-friendly interface.
8. ZipBooks: Best free accounting software for restaurants. With ZipBooks, you can customize invoices and emails, track time, and take advantage of advanced financial reports—all for free.

Criteria:

When considering our list of the best bookkeeping software, we looked for software based on specific criteria. You can read more on the methodology a little later. 

• Functionality. Functionality refers to how well the software meets the needs of the restaurant business. We’ve broken the features down into the point of sale, payroll, accounts payable, and sales tax.
• Integrations. To create a comprehensive system, we looked at the ease, number, and popularity of software subsystems integrating with the restaurant accounting software.
• Ease of Use. Automation and streamlining make repetitive and tedious tasks quicker, easier, and less frustrating to accomplish. We’ve reviewed software based on how intuitive and easy it is to set up and navigate.
• Value. Not all software is priced reasonably. We’ve reviewed prices based on what the software offers. Sometimes you get what you pay for, and sometimes you get more than you pay for.

Best accounting software for restaurants

1. Restaurant365

Best overall accounting software for restaurants.

There isn’t any restaurant that Restaurant365 won’t work well with. They specialize in servicing independent restaurants, multi-concept restaurant groups, and franchisee groups.

Functionality:

Restaurant365 is a cloud-based software designed specifically with restaurant owners in mind. It features a comprehensive platform that includes:

• Restaurant accounting. This platform fully integrates with payroll providers, POS systems, banks, and food and beverage vendors. The accounts payable streamlines in a single platform, and you can automate franchisee billing and payment collection.
• Inventory. You can manage inventory with digital counts, connected invoices, and smart ordering.
• Labor and scheduling. Not only can you create employee schedules, but you can also engage with them. This feature also tracks employee tasks, and you can view daily sales data.
• Payroll & HR. This feature includes payroll and an applicant tracking system. It filters out the serious candidates and hires the best employees with its tracking and onboarding system. Few systems have built-in payroll, so this is a big plus for this software.
• Reporting. Reports include financial reports, operational reporting for real-time decision making, actual vs. theoretical food costs, and restaurant analytics and dashboards.

Integrations:

Restaurant365 can connect to just about any platform designed for operating a restaurant. Some integrations include:

• POS Integration. This system pulls detailed sales, payments, and labor data and automatically creates daily sales and labor accrual journal entries for your general ledger.
• Vendor integration. The software will integrate with your food and beverage vendors so that you can automate the invoice process. It also automatically updates food costs and inventory.
• Bank integration. Restaurant365 features automated bank reconciliations and automated daily deposit tracking.
• API connect. The APIs allow you to extract data for most aspects of the business.

Ease of use:

Restaurant365 features a user-friendly, modern interface with graphs and dashboards. It offers plenty of educational opportunities and a large selection of resources, such as e-books and guides.

Cost:

Pick a package, and then just pay as you grow. Their four plans include Core Operations or Core Accounting at $249 (GBP £180.71) per location/month, Essential at $369 (GBP £267.80) per location/month, and Professional at $459 (GBP £333.13) per location/month. The price isn’t bad for everything the software offers. They offer a free demo, so you can try it out before purchasing. 

BEST ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE FOR RESTAURANTS: Restaurant365 is our #1 pick. Restaurant365 is an excellent option for any type or size of restaurant. It’s a comprehensive platform with restaurant-specific features. The integration capabilities are flawless, the navigational process is intuitive, and the software is easy to set up and navigate. 

2. TouchBistro

Best accounting software for point of sale.

Best for:

TouchBistro is best for a restaurant with multiple locations, a separate cafe or bar, and high-volume restaurants seeking a full-featured POS system. That means it works well for fast-food chains, cafes, food trucks, bars, breweries, fine dining, coffee shops, catering, and bakeries.

Functionality:

TouchBistro is a software application specializing in POS and acts as a central hub for keeping track of all incoming and outgoing cash. The software creates daily summaries, runs around 50 accounting reports and financial statements, and calculates which items produce the highest profit margin. The POS software offers features that streamline the operations of the restaurant business. These features include:

• Floor plan & table management. Customize floor plan based on the distance between tables, time seated, and the average amount spent per table.
• Menu management. Manages orders on and off-premises and create and update menus from anywhere.
• Reporting & analytics. Creates over 50 reports that analyze sales trends and staff performance.
• Inventory management. Reports on food costs, how to reduce waste, and when inventory is running low.
• Table-side ordering. Mobile so you can place orders Table-side that go automatically to the kitchen.
• Staff management. Manages your employees, keeps track of shift schedules, streamlines payroll, and optimizes labor costs.

Integrations:

The software integrates with a host of other systems. The bookkeeping and financial integrations include MarginEdge, Xero, Sage, QuickBooks, and Shogo. Inventory management integrations include Wisk, Optimum Control, Freepour, Craftable, MarketMan, and Bevchek. Online ordering includes Deliverect and Ordermark. Payment processing integrations include EVO, Barclaycard, Square, Moneris, Worldpay, TSYS, and Chase. Scheduling and payroll integrations include Push Operations and 7Shifts. It also integrates with Avero, which is a business insight and analytics software.

Ease of use:

This software application is easy to set up and easy to navigate. It’s very intuitive and takes very little training to learn. The touch screen makes operating the software a breeze. It’s easy for staff to use, go in and change orders, and revise menu items. 

The website has educational blogs, a customer hub, and articles that are very helpful with guidance on how to use the program. 

Cost:

TouchBistro’s pricing starts at $69 (GBP £50.08) a month with additional fees for adding customer engagement tools.

3. QuickBooks Online

Best accounting software for integrating with restaurant apps. 

Best for:

Restaurants, caterers, and those who own food trucks will benefit from using QuickBooks since it’s effective software for running smaller businesses.

Functionality:

QuickBooks excels in its cost management and reporting features. The cost-management tools help you stay on budget, and the reporting features provide insight into the performance of the business. Some of these features include:

• Control costs and organize expenses. The software manages overhead, labor, and food costs. It also automatically categorizes and tracks your expenses.
• Manage labor costs. Features time-tracking and payroll, and creates reports that reflect the kitchen labor and dining area labor.
• Sync with your bank. Syncs with business bank accounts so that all transactions are automatically recorded, categorized, and updated.
• Scans receipts. You can take a photo to add receipts on the go, and QuickBooks matches it up with an existing expense, or creates a new one.
• Generate financial statements. Financial statements—such as the income statement, cash flow statement, and balance sheet—run in real-time.
• Sales statements. Customize and view sales daily, at two weeks, or monthly.
• Automate reports. Share reports with colleagues, partners, or your accountant by emailing reports with the click of a button.
• Manage cash flow. The dashboard provides transactions in real-time at a glance, so you can make informed business decisions quickly.

Integrations:

QuickBooks integrates with over 50 restaurants’ specific POS and inventory apps, such as Square, that automatically import sales, tips, taxes, and discounts. Deputy’s app takes care of all your scheduling needs, and Restaurant Ops provides employee management and communication. This gives restaurant owners the flexibility to build their own custom technology setup for their specific needs.

Ease of use:

There is a learning curve, but it’s relatively easy and intuitive for restaurant owners with little to no accounting or bookkeeping experience to use. The setup, however, can be a little bumpy.

Cost:

QuickBooks offers a Plus Plan and an Advanced Plan starting at $80 (GBP £58.01) a month, although they often offer discounts. They offer a 30- day free trial so that you can take it for a test run.

4. KitchenSync

Best accounting software for restaurant payroll.

Great solution for independent restaurants, franchises, and hospitality groups are looking for online bookkeeping and payroll services.

Functionality:

KitchenSync covers all of your payroll needs, which is hard to find in restaurant software. Along with payroll, the software provides bookkeeping, reporting, budgeting, and cash-flow features. Some of these features include:

• Bookkeeping and financials. Creates all essential reports and updates them daily.
• Accounts payable. Vendor invoices, statements, and credit memos are digitized, coded, and synced.
• Operational analytics. The software application creates daily and weekly performance data
• Human resources. The software offers mobile self onboarding and support, live conflict resolution, benefits setup, hiring packet, exit interviews, and employee handbook.
• Payroll and scheduling. Automation from clock-in to payout.
• Budgeting and goal setting. Features on-demand corporate finance support, benchmarking, variance analysis, forecasting, and budgeting.

Integrations:

KitchenSync integrates with an array of point-of-sale, payroll processing, and recruiting technology partners. These include Toast, Square, Revel, Micros, Aloha POS, Breadcrumb, ADP, Paychex, Paylocity, Harri, and Workpop. Connect your bank and POS, and then you’re off and running.

Ease of use:

KitchenSync offers a straightforward interface that allows you to scan invoices, automatically updates reports daily, so you don’t have to, and sends you notices of any changes in ingredient prices. Easy to set up, easy to navigate, and keeps you up to date.

Cost:

There are around ten subscription plans to choose from, ranging from $3/month (GBP £2.17/month) per employee for payroll administration to $950/month (GBP £688.40) per location for complete bookkeeping.

5. Plate IQ

Best accounting software for restaurant accounts payable

Plate IQ is best for small or large restaurants looking for a beefed-up account payable software application.

Functionality:

• Invoice management. Automated invoicing is intuitive with workflow, displays invoices in line-item detail, routes invoices directly to approvers, reconciles invoices, manages invoices from anywhere with the mobile app, and allocates spending.
• VendorPay. Pay over 180,000 vendors from one source and earn cashback on invoices. This feature is an extremely generous incentive to offer in accounts payable software.
• Mobile. You can process, approve, and pay your bills from anywhere.
• Expense management. You can control spending by issuing Plate IQ cards to controllers and employees. These corporate cards link and sync so you can monitor spending in real-time.
• Insights. Invoices offer savings opportunity suggestions.
• Duplicate invoices. The program automatically detects and flags duplicate invoices.

Integrations:

You can customize your integrations with Plate IQ. The software integrates with hundreds of industry-specific software applications. Some of these include QuickBooks, Restaurant365, Sage Intacct, COGS-Well, Microsoft Dynamics, Compeat, Oracle NetSuite, M3, SAP Business One, Xero, and Crunchtime.

Ease of use:

Plate IQ is straightforward in setting up and navigating. You can upload a document without manually adding extra information, so the system processes data from invoices efficiently and cuts down on manual entries. The program is intuitive, straightforward, and easily automates the whole account payable process.

Cost:

Pricing is not available on the website. You will need to contact the company for a custom pricing plan.

6. Davo

Best accounting software for restaurant sales tax.

Best for:

Small brick-and-mortar restaurants using a POS system.

Functionality:

Davo automates every step of the sales tax process and guarantees that taxes are paid on time and in full. Here are some of the features it includes:

• Collects and sets aside sales tax. The software uses data from your POS system to set aside sales tax collected daily and then transfers it to a holding account.
• Files sales tax. Automatically files your taxes with the state based on the amount in the holding account.
• Pays sales tax. Automatically pays your sales tax based on the amount collected daily.
• Calculates sales tax discounts. State sales tax discount is calculated, collected, and refunded.

Integrations:

This software needs to integrate with other programs for more accounting, bookkeeping, or management service options. These integrations include Clover, Square, Toast, Lightspeed, Vend, QuickBooks, Heartland, PAR Brink, OVVI, Upserve, Poynt, and Revel.

Ease of use:

Once Davo is set up, it automatically does everything from collecting, filing, and paying sales tax, so the system is straightforward and easy to use.

Cost:

Pricing starts at $39.99/month (GBP £28.98) per location. They also offer one month free.

7. Freshbooks

Best accounting restaurant software for ease of use.

Best for:

FreshBooks was designed with service-based businesses in mind. It works well for small, fast-paced restaurants.

Functionality:

It’s a cloud-based, all-in-one accounting system that manages all of your restaurant’s bookkeeping needs. It creates professional invoices, manages cash flow, and tracks time.

• On-the-go expense tracking for restaurant costs. By tying your business bank account and credit card to your account, you can track expenses by taking a photo of the receipt and uploading it to the mobile app.
• Restaurant staff payroll management. The FreshBooks Gusto app simplifies the payroll process. You can set up a recurring payment schedule and separate the kitchen schedule from the dining schedule. The payroll system will automatically deduct federal, state, and local taxes.
• Restaurant inventory tracking. FreshBooks integrates with the BarCloud app for an efficient restaurant inventory management system.

Integrations:

You can customize your setup with a wide range of integrations that makes running the restaurant business even more manageable. These integrations include Shopify, Squarespace, Zoom, Mazuma, GSuite, Stripe, Fundbox, Gusto, and Bench.

Ease of use:

The one thing that most people agree on regarding FreshBooks is how easy it is to use. The software is simple and easy to navigate. The modern user interface design is very appealing, dashboards are well presented, and it’s easy to set up new clients. 

Cost:

FreshBooks has four payment plans ranging from $15-$50 (GBP £10.87-£36.24) a month. Custom pricing is available for unlimited clients and specialized features. You can test out the software for free for 30 days.

8. ZipBooks

Best free accounting software for restaurants

Best for:

ZipBooks is a modern accounting system for invoicing and time tracking. It works well with small restaurants that are on a tight budget.

Functionality:

With free software, you rarely expect too much when it comes to features, but ZipBooks delivers. With ZipBooks, you can quickly monitor how much cash you have every month and where it originated. Here are some of the other features as well:

• Customization. Both invoices and emails can be customized.
• Time tracking. You can track time directly into ZipBooks.
• Advanced financial reports. The advanced financial statements can be organized by quarter to make tax time a lot less complicated.
• Access anywhere with the internet. You can have access to any of your restaurant financials anywhere you go as long as you have internet. You can also send invoices, mark payments, categorize expenses, and store restaurant receipts on the go.
• Deductible expenses. Just drag-and-drop expense receipts to document deductible expenses.
• Free template invoices. Send invoices created with the free templates for catering services. ZipBooks keeps track of the status of every single invoice. You can also set up recurring automatic billing.
• Team management. You can collaborate with employees or your accountant and manage team permissions on invoicing, time tracking, and reports.
• Smart tagging. Tag any transaction as a vendor, custom tag, or location and generate financial statements.

Integrations:

The benefit that is lost with this free accounting software is with the integrations.

Ease of use:

Non-finance people find the software easy to set up and navigate. It’s well organized and intuitive.

Cost:

ZipBooks offers four plans, with the starter plan being free, the Smarter Plan running $15/month (GBP £10.87/month), the Sophisticated Plan running $35/month (GNP £25.37), and the Accountant Plan is custom pricing.

Methodology: How we found the best bookkeeping software in 2022

Looking for just the right bookkeeping software can be overwhelming. After all, you’re in the food business, not the accounting business, right? There are lots of options out there, each with their own flavor of features. We often find that the best way to test software is to give it to the people who are going to use it. To get the most accurate results, we asked two restaurant owners and two professional accountants to use the software for 14 days. We then asked them to score each solution based on the following criteria:

• Functionality
• Integration
• Value
• Ease of use

We then use the average of these scores to decide on our final list for our readers. We also keep a database of features for each product and service and update our reviews on a regular basis in case anything changes.

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