How to choose cafe and restaurant software

The real question when choosing software for a cafe or restaurant isn’t how many screens it has — it’s whether the kitchen, the till, reservations and the customer record all sit on ONE database. This article walks through the questions worth asking in a demo, and how Rotenta answers each one.

One customer record, or a separate list per branch?

The most common problem in a two-branch business is the same guest ending up on two separate cards in two separate branches: the phone number matches, but the system never notices, so purchase history and loyalty balance end up split. The question to ask in a demo is simple: “When a guest visits a different branch of mine, does it merge into one card?” If the answer is no, the customer record and loyalty program are broken from day one.

The counter has a tablet, not a desktop

Most cafes and restaurants don’t have room for a desktop at the till or the reservation stand; staff spend most of the day on a phone or tablet. The panel needs to run the same functions on a phone and tablet browser — an interface designed for a desktop and squeezed onto a small screen slows everything down during a rush. In Rotenta, reservations, the till and the customer screens work the same way on a phone or tablet browser.

Licensing: per table, or per module?

Some software charges per table, per user or per transaction; in a growing business that model makes the bill grow with every new branch or every seasonal hire. The question to ask: “When I open a new branch or hire seasonal staff, how does the bill change?” Rotenta prices by which modules are turned on, with no per-transaction commission; plan scope is compared on the pricing page.

How does your existing data move over?

Your customer list is probably sitting in a spreadsheet, and your loyalty cards are a stack of paper. Re-typing that data by hand during a switch wastes time and introduces errors. The question to ask: “How do I bring in my existing customer and account list, and what happens to rows with errors?” A proper wizard maps columns row by row and lists the failed rows in a separate report.

Modules that get added as you grow

A single café’s needs and a three-branch chain’s needs aren’t the same; as branch count grows, the software you pick needs to add modules like staff scheduling, quoting and profitability reporting onto the same core. The question to ask: “When I add a new module, do I have to rebuild my existing customer and account data?” If the answer is yes, every stage of growth turns into its own migration project. In Rotenta, a new module opens inside the same panel, inheriting the existing customer, accounting and permission structure.

What to look for

Criterion	Question to ask	In Rotenta
One customer record	Do branches merge into one card?	Yes, every branch shares one record
Tablet screens	Do the till and reservations work on a tablet?	Yes, phone and tablet browsers are supported
Licensing	Does the bill grow with tables or staff?	No, pricing is per module
Data migration	Is the old list re-typed by hand?	No, it comes in through a wizard

Example

Picture a two-branch coffee chain: the flagship branch takes 220 orders a day, the second branch 140, and the customer list sits in two separate spreadsheets totalling 3,400 rows. During migration, both files load together and the system merges 260 rows sharing the same phone number into one customer card; the rest come in cleanly, and 40 rows with a missing phone number land in an error report to be fixed and re-uploaded.

How it works in Rotenta

1. Your existing customer and account lists come in through the Data Import wizard; columns are mapped and rows with errors show up in an error report.
2. In Customers, every record sits on one card regardless of which branch it came from; two branches can’t open separate cards for the same phone number.
3. Reservations runs on a table and floor plan; the same screens work on a phone or tablet browser.
4. Accounting closes the till at day’s end by cash, card and delivery channel.
5. Repeated lookups and record searches can be run from the AI assistant panel; it only works with your own data and asks for confirmation before it writes anything.

For a closer look at table booking, see our table reservations and floor plan article; before setting up loyalty, read loyalty programs and stored balance. Our cafe and restaurant software hub has a broader overview of the sector.

Frequently asked questions

Can I migrate without losing my spreadsheet data?

Yes. Your customer and account lists come in through the data import wizard, which flags rows with errors or gaps in a report so you can fix and re-upload them.

If I run several branches, am I managing them from one account?

Yes. All branches share the same customer record; reporting and permissions can still be scoped per branch.

We only have tablets at the till, no desktop — does that work?

Yes. The panel runs on a phone and tablet browser; reservations, the till and customer screens offer the same functions there.

Does pricing scale with the number of tables or staff?

No. Pricing is based on which modules are turned on, with no per-transaction commission; see the pricing page for details.

How long does setup take?

It depends on your data volume and branch count; reach out with your current data and branch count and we can put together a concrete timeline.