10 Best CRMs for restaurants

Introduction

The food and dining industry is a unique space that requires a unique Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to fit its specialized needs. Comparative to other industries, dining establishments are generally expected to offer a more robust customer experience (CX), manage reservations, mitigate seasonal fluctuations, and more. 

Today, we’ll dive into what role CRM plays in the modern food and dining landscape and which features to look for in a competent vendor.

What is a restaurant CRM?

CRM software is a solution designed to help organizations manage their interactions with current and potential customers. At its core, CRM serves as a centralized hub for organizing customer-related information such as contact details, communication history, and purchase records.

In a restaurant setting, CRM systems can help build a detailed customer database through information such as dining preferences, order history, and contact details. This enables more personalized service that allows establishments to tailor promotions and menu recommendations to unique preferences.

Benefits of CRM in restaurant customer service

There’s no shortage of useful applications for CRM software in a restaurant environment. Benefits include customer data centralization, inventory management, seasonal analysis, and more.

Customer Data Centralization 

CRM systems allow establishments to consolidate customer information such as contact details and order history in one centralized database. This facilitates a comprehensive understanding that enables personalized interactions and services.

Inventory Management

When integrated with inventory management, the best restaurant CRM can assist in optimizing supply chain processes. Restaurants can track ingredient preferences, manage stock levels, and evaluate supplier performance to ensure an uninterrupted flow of high-quality ingredients.

Menu Optimization

CRM software can be utilized to analyze order history and identify popular dishes. This data can then be used to refine menu selections by highlighting customer favorites or creating special promotions around them.

Seasonal Analysis

Many establishments’ traffic varies significantly in areas with seasonal popularity. CRM software aids in tracking these seasonal trends to efficiently stock ingredients and restaurant employees accordingly. In tourist-reliant areas, this capability is critical, as a restaurant CRM can analyze past data to ensure restaurant owners are readily prepared.

Challenges of CRM in restaurant customer service

Sustaining a healthy CRM system in a dining establishment does require some industry-specific maintenance tailored to the trade’s unique demands.

Some factors to consider include:

High Staff Turnover

Restaurants often experience high staff turnover rates. This means you’ll have to routinely update employee data and train new employees on how to utilize your software. These frequent changes may result in errors with data entry, which can impact your system’s ability to provide accurate insights and personalization.

Mobile Ordering and Delivery

The rise of mobile ordering and food delivery services introduces additional data points and customer touchpoints. CRM systems need to integrate with these platforms to provide a comprehensive view of customer interactions across various channels.

Seasonal Fluctuations

Restaurants located in extreme-weather or tourist-heavy locales may experience seasonal variations in business. You’ll need to optimize your software to provide insights that help manage customer relationships during peak and off-peak seasons.

What to look for in a restaurant CRM software

Compatibility and integrations

In the food-and-dining industry, integration with Point of Sale (POS) systems is crucial to capturing real-time transactional data, which provides a comprehensive overview of consumer interactions. This ensures that customer profiles are well-rounded and accurate, allowing restaurants to tailor promotions and personalized recommendations effectively.

Ownership over guest data

With ownership of guest data, establishments can control access to sensitive customer information, ensuring that only authorized personnel can utilize the data. Ownership not only safeguards customer privacy, but also positions restaurants to derive maximum value from their assets to make more-informed decisions in the future.

Managing repeat customers

CRM systems can help enhance relationships with frequent visitors by gathering customer data such as dining history and preferences. With this information, establishments can personalize communication, offering targeted promotions or personalized recommendations to increase a sense of customer loyalty.

Key features for restaurants

A crucial component of restaurant CRM is table reservation and seating management. This helps facilitate efficient coordination between front-of-house staff and kitchen operations to promote a smoother dining experience and provide valuable insights into guest information and their dining habits.

Top 10 restaurant CRM software tools

1. Freshsales

Freshsales is a full-feature, user-friendly restaurant CRM solution that provides a 360-degree view of customer profiles so that your business can provide the best possible CX. Features such as sales sequencing and AI-based insights allow your team to automate and personalize communication while maximizing the benefits of your analytics and feedback.

Moreover, its robust omnichannel communication options enable your establishment to meet customers on whichever platform they’re using, helping in improving outreach capabilities. With extensive mobile and offline features to boot, you can manage business operations no matter your physical location.

Key features:

• Freddy AI can provide optimized insights, automate sales sequences, and auto-enrich customer profiles for reduced manual workload and improved personalization

• Implementation and onboarding assistance from your dedicated Freshworks account manager to customize the software to meet your business requirements

• Sales forecasting allows for prediction of sales performance and revenue based on past data, making it ideal for establishments with seasonal traffic variations

• Seamless connection with Slack enables improved collaboration and discussion among your staff

• Freshsales Suite consolidates sales and marketing campaigns into a unified dashboard for an enhanced overview of customer lifecycles

• Track page visits and specific actions on your site to gauge the success of campaigns and gain a better understanding of user interests

Pros

• Starter package is FREE

• Table, list or Kanban views improve visualization and workflow

• Rich APIs and 100+ third-party application integrations

• Omni-channel capabilities via email, live chat, phone, messenger, and more

• Wide-ranging mobile capacity + offline mode available

• Activity timeline promotes an enhanced awareness of unique customers’ engagement with your business

• 24x5 dedicated email, phone, and chat support

Why customers love Freshsales:

Our clients rave about Freshsales’ unmatched scalability and flexibility to be used in any industry. Features such as Freddy AI, sales forecasting, and onboarding assistance optimize internal operations, while customers will appreciate the ability to reach your business on any platform, personalized communication, and improved CX.

But don’t just take it from us – our client, Kai K., says, “What I like most about Freshsales is its ease of use and intuitive interface. We can easily update our customer information with just a few clicks, saving us time on manual data entry. The ability to quickly organise reports gives me more insight into each deal and better visibility of overall sales performance from one system was also an important factor in choosing Freshsales over other CRM options for my business.”

2. Zoho CRM

Zoho CRM is a cloud-based CRM tool that caters to the needs of mid-scale businesses to large-scale enterprises. Key features include contact management, workflow automation, and inventory management that help improve internal operations and customer satisfaction.

Key features:

• Custom components, such as modules, fields, and buttons, allow for the personalization of information you want to see within your CRM

• Google Ads integration empowers your business to compare campaigns against sales to monitor expenses and success

• Customer segmentation enables you to distribute unique communication to distinct groups of customers based on their past purchases and behaviors

Pros:

• Journey orchestration tools such as Path Finder and Journey Builder promote improved awareness of how customers are finding your business

• Macro suggestions help optimize automation for routine tasks

• Customizable layouts and filters help mold the software to fit your establishment

Cons:

• Many desirable features only available with high-priced packages

• Struggles to gather and update records when handling large amounts of information

• Analytics and reporting functionalities can be limited and complex

Price:

Starts at $14 per month per user, up to $52 per month per user

3. Hubspot CRM

HubSpot’s CRM is a powerful sales system that includes sales engagement tools and sales analytics for growing teams. HubSpot’s suite of software includes sales, marketing, operations, and customer service solutions.

Key features:

• Customer feedback surveys allow for the simple creation and distribution of forms to gather feedback and improve operations

• Custom Report Builder provides unambiguous visualizations of all CRM information, allowing businesses to employ data-driven strategy adjustments

• Automated customer service eliminates repetitive support processes so your team can handle more nuanced issues

Pros:

• Knowledge base empowers staff and allows customers to help themselves

• Contact management provides an overview of customer lifecycles

• Facebook and Instagram lead ads automatically capture contact information and sync with your HubSpot account

Cons:

• Limited customization which may not be ideal for organizations with unique needs

• Pricing structure can be prohibitive for smaller businesses

• A steep learning curve that may require assistance from a technical expert

Price:

Starts at $0 per month, up to $1,200 per month

4. SevenRooms

SevenRooms is a hospitality-focused software that offers features such as virtual waitlists, table management, guest profiles, and more. It provides the ability for direct reservations with an all-in-one system that allows establishments to manage guest journeys and create exceptional experiences that drive revenue.

Key features:

• Waitlist software enables guests to digitally nab a spot in line and view estimated wait times before arriving at a physical location, improving guest experience

• Customizable guest tags allow staff to easily gauge customer information such as dietary restrictions, preferences, and past behaviors

• Online reservation system makes it easier to offer direct reservations across platforms while integrating with booking sites such as Google and TripAdvisor

Pros:

• Real-time CRM-POS system integration

• Review aggregation compiles feedback from various platforms for easier tracking

• Mobile and online ordering keep orders flowing and cut out middlemen

Cons:

• No free plan available

• Convoluted interface can prove complicated for non-tech-savvy staff

• Limited collaboration – no option to @ team members 

Price:

You’ll need to contact SevenRooms directly for a customized quote for your specific establishment

5. Salesforce CRM

Salesforce CRM is a comprehensive platform for sellers, sales leaders, and operations professionals to boost revenue and increase productivity. It’s fully customizable and unifies all customer information in an integrated platform that incorporates marketing, sales, customer service, and more.

Key features:

• Self-Service Experience empowers customers to find resolutions to routine issues independently

• AI-powered chatbots can instantaneously reply to customer inquiries with personalized communication

• Data Cloud provides a unified, dynamic overview of customer profiles by consolidating all data in real-time

Pros:

• Wide-ranging customization features are ideal for fast-growing establishments

• Automated proactive messaging can provide reservation reminders and status updates

• Trails feature can guide users through different modules for expedited onboarding

Cons:

• No free package and higher-tiered plans can be expensive

• Reports are challenging to create and manage, as well as slow to load

• Most third-party integrations come at a fee, so you’ll need to add subscription costs to expenses

Price:

Begins at $25 per user per month, up to $165 per user per month

6. Agile CRM

Agile CRM is a CRM system with a focus on small- to medium-sized businesses offering features such as contact management, marketing automation, and web analytics. It aims to provide a comprehensive solution that integrates various business processes and enhances collaboration across teams.

Key features:

• Timeline provides chronological view of the customer journey to better understand how they reached you and reference previous interactions

• Multi-channel campaign abilities enable businesses to create landing pages and communicate with users through email, social media, SMS, and more

• Dedicated Social CRM platform that integrates with several of the most popular platforms for enhanced monitoring and automation across channels

Pros:

• Landing page builder features an easy drag-and-drop tool with plenty of free templates

• Customer profiles are extensive and easy to share with team members to increase customer retention

• Customized website welcome pop-ups for new customers and personalized messages for returning visitors

Cons:

• No separate modules – service, sales, and marketing are included in all packages

• Many of the more useful features are only included in top-tier plans

• Lack of integration capabilities with lower-priced packages

Price:

$0 for 10 or fewer users, up to $64.99 per user per month

7. ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign’s Sales CRM optimizes sales and collaboration to enhance organizational sales strategy. Its wide-ranging automation abilities take care of routine activities so that real-world teams can focus on more demanding responsibilities.

Key features:

• Robust contact management allows teams to view customer lifecycles at a glance and personalize communication accordingly

• Segmentation options enable the distribution of personalized communication to unique groups based on their interests

• Task assignment and tracking to ensure responsibilities are delegated to the most relevant employees and that they’re progressing as anticipated

Pros:

• Free and straightforward contact migration

• Ideal for branding + customizable domains

• Integrates with 900+ tools

Cons:

• No free plan available

• Advanced interface and significant maintenance required

• While marketing automation abilities are strong, standalone CRM capacity is not

Price:

From $19 per user per month, up to $99 per user per month

8. Podium

Podium is an all-in-one, AI-driven lead conversion and communication platform that’s easily integrated with existing organizational infrastructure. It emphasizes SMS interactions and extensive automation features that can expand and personalize communication to enhance your personalized experience.

Key features:

• Unified inbox that consolidates interactions from chat, text, phone, social media, and more into a single thread

• Boost your Google Reviews traffic with textable review invites and automated replies 

• Contact profiles update in real-time for always-current customer data that’s visible for all team member

Pros:

• Webchat feature can be more effective than live chat as it moves customer interactions to text

• Mobile app is well-developed for both Apple and Android

• Automation features for missed calls, referrals, and website retargeting

Cons:

• Expensive compared to competitor software with similar features

• User reviews mention poor customer support experiences

• Limited integration – doesn’t connect with many widely used review sites and social media platforms

Price:

Starts at $399 per month – you’ll have to contact Podium directly for a custom quote on its top-tier Signature plan

9. Pipedrive

Pipedrive is a sales-focused CRM tool that offers optimized scalability to fit business needs of any size. It’s focused on optimizing processes for sales teams specifically and may fall short in some traditional CRM capabilities.

Key features:

• Recurring revenue allows establishments to identify repeat customers to craft personalized communications and send specialized offers to maintain loyalty

• Lead generation chatbots engage with website visitors 24/7 to help drive conversion

• Contact timeline provides a visual representation of interactions with consumers over time, allowing for timely follow-up communication

Pros:

• Flexibility offers versatility for businesses of all sizes and industries

• Easily import data from other software within minutes

• User-friendly interface allows staff to quickly and easily locate customer data

Cons:

• No free plan offered

• Limited customization in fields, analytics, and task management

• Mobile app is error-prone and offers fewer features compared to desktop version

Price:

Begins at $14.90 per user per month, up to $99 per user per month

10. Creatio

Creatio provides a no-code platform to automate workflows and CRM platform with maximum customization. It offers independent modules focusing on sales, marketing, and service operations to enhance customer journey management from beginning to end. 

Key features:

• No-code development allows businesses or teams with low or no technical skills to still effectively build and navigate their platform

• Sales forecasting enables flexible predictions in different categories, allowing businesses to customize forecasting to fit their preferences

• Sales performance analysis provides key performance indicators (KPIs) as well as historical analysis to help identify areas for improvement and refine strategies

Pros:

• Academy provides robust training and tutorials to help maximize the software’s benefits for your business

• AI-powered reminders to follow up on dormant interactions

• Highly personalizable dashboard that empowers you to choose fields you’d like to see and hide the ones you don’t

Cons:

• Marketplace offers limited integration with useful third-party applications

• More ideal for companies offering physical goods than those in service industries

• If you’re interested in all three modules, it can get expensive

Price:

From $25 per user per month, up to $85 per user per month