Running a restaurant is hard work. Not only do you have to worry about the quality of your food and service, but you also have to deal with restaurant technology and the administrative side.
One of the most important aspects of running a restaurant is having a good point of sale (POS) system. A POS system allows you to take orders, track inventory, manage employees, and process payments.
In the past, POS systems were expensive and difficult to use. However, Shopify has now released its modern cloud-based POS systems with Shopify for Restaurants.
In this article, we’ll look at Shopify for restaurants and explore the pros and cons of using this platform for your business. We also evaluate whether Shopify for restaurants is a good choice for restaurant owners.
What is Shopify For Restaurants?
Shopify is a cloud-based e-commerce platform that allows businesses of all sizes to create an online store. Shopify started in 2004 and has its headquarters in Ottawa, Canada. The company went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2015.
Shopify for restaurants is a point-of-sale system that allows restaurants to take orders, track inventory, manage employees, and process payments. The system focuses on restaurants of all sizes, from small cafes to large chain restaurants.
The system is cloud-based, accessible from any internet-connected device. The system is also very user-friendly and is usable by employees with little to no training.
Shopify has three pricing plans: Basic Shopify, Shopify, and Advanced Shopify.
- The Basic Shopify plan starts at $29 per month and includes two staff accounts, unlimited products, 24/7 support, and fraud analysis.
- The Shopify plan starts at $79 per month and includes five staff accounts, unlimited products, 24/7 support, and an advanced report builder.
- The Advanced Shopify plan starts at $299 per month and includes 15 staff accounts, unlimited products, 24/7 support, and Advanced Shopify Plus.
How Does Shopify For Restaurants Work?
Getting started with Shopify for restaurants is easy. All you need is an internet-connected device and a Shopify account.
The following are the major steps taken when using the Shopify for restaurants system:
Sign Up
The first step is to sign up for a Shopify account. You can sign up for a free 14-day trial or choose one of the paid plans.
All you need to sign up is an email address, password, and store name. You will then need to enter your restaurant’s name, address, and contact information.
During the signup process, you will also need to select a temporary domain name through which potential customers will find your restaurant.
It is normally in the following format: nameofresaturant.myshopify.com.
If you already have a domain name for your restaurant, this can be directly pointed to your domain.
Setting Up the Menu
After completing the sign-up process, you will proceed to your Shopify admin.
The first thing you need to do is set up your menu.
To do this, go to the “Products” tab and click on “Add product.” Enter the name of your dish, a description, and a photo. You can also enter the price, SKU (stock-keeping unit), and weight of the dish.
You can also create product variants, such as size (small, medium, large) or color (red, green, blue). To do this, click on the “variant” tab and enter the variant options.
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Building the Online Store
Once the menu is up, the next step is to build the online store.
To do this, go to the “Online Store” tab and click on “Themes.”
Shopify has a wide range of themes to choose from, both free and paid. Once you have found a theme you like, click on the “Install theme” button.
After installing the theme, you can add your restaurant’s logo, photos, and other branding elements.
You can also start adding pages like an “About” or “Contact” page.
It is also important to add your restaurant’s opening hours, delivery information, and terms and conditions. This is under the “Settings” tab.
Finally, you need to add your payment methods.
Shopify Payments supports various payment methods, including credit cards, PayPal, and Apple Pay.
To add a payment method, go to the “Settings” tab and click on “Payment providers.”
Shopify Themes and App Store
Shopify has a wide range of themes to choose from, both free and paid. Once you have found a theme you like, click on the “Install theme” button. After installing the theme, customize the store to fit your brand.
Shopify also has an app store, which offers a wide range of apps to help you run your business more efficiently. Themes and apps in Shopify help extend the functionality of your Shopify website.
Shopify for restaurants enables restaurant owners to start as quickly as possible.
It has positioned itself as a go-to platform for restaurant owners seeking to take their business online.
Riding on the success of the eCommerce platform, Shopify for restaurants has become one of the most popular platforms for online food businesses. However, as we will see below, it is not without its limitations.
Features
Shopify for restaurants includes several features that are specifically designed for restaurants, such as:
Menu Management
Through Shopify for restaurants, you can easily manage your restaurant’s menu. You can add, edit, and delete items from your menu and set up price discounts and promotions.
It also lets you add photos of your dishes, so customers can see what they’re ordering.
Inventory Management
Shopify for restaurants enables you to track your inventory in real-time. You can see what items are running low and need reordering. This feature is useful for restaurants for reordering.
Employee Management
Shopify for restaurants enables you to add and manage your employees. You can give employees different permissions, such as taking orders or accessing the POS system.
This feature helps track who is doing what and ensures that only authorized personnel can access certain features.
Order Management
Shopify for restaurants enables you to manage orders from start to finish. You can view all your restaurant’s orders in one place and see paid, outstanding, and shipped orders.
This feature helps you keep track of your orders and ensure they’re fulfilled correctly.
Marketing Automation
Restaurant owners can use Shopify’s marketing automation features to send promotional emails to customers automatically.
Marketing automation is important for restaurants because it helps you stay in touch with your customers and promote your restaurant. It also has a marketing campaign feature that can send over 10,000 emails monthly.
The campaign option is also used for setting up targeted ads across major social media platforms. Furthermore, you can send SMS messages directly from your dashboard.
Reporting
Shopify for restaurants lets you generate reports on your sales, inventory, employees, and customers. This helps track your progress and identify areas that need improvement.
Shopify POS
The Shopify POS system is easy to use and can be set up in minutes. It includes many features specifically designed for restaurants, such as menu management, table management, inventory management, employee management, order management, and reporting.
Website Builder
Shopify for restaurants includes a website builder that enables you to create a professional-looking website for your restaurant.
The website builder gives you access to themes and templates, so you can create a website that reflects your restaurant’s brand.
The website builder focuses primarily on commerce websites and has thousands of Shopify apps for restaurants in the app store to extend its functionality.
Mobile App
Shopify for restaurants includes a mobile app that allows you to manage your restaurant on the go. This feature allows you to stay connected to your business even when you’re not in the restaurant.
The mobile app gives you access to all the features of Shopify for restaurants, so you can manage your menu, inventory, employees, orders, and customers from anywhere.
FAQs
There are a few frequently asked questions about Shopify for restaurants that we will answer here:
Can I use Shopify for restaurants if I don’t have a website?
Yes, you can use Shopify for restaurants without a website. However, we recommend you create a website for your restaurant, so you can take advantage of all the features that Shopify for restaurants has to offer.
Does Shopify work for a restaurant?
Yes. Shopify for restaurants is a specific product offered by Shopify designed for restaurants. It includes a number of features that are specifically designed for restaurants, such as menu management, inventory management, employee management, order management, marketing automation, reporting, and the Shopify POS system.
How much does Shopify for restaurants cost?
Shopify for restaurants has 3 plans:
- Basic: $29/month
- Shopify: $79/month
- Advanced: $299/month
The Basic plan includes the basics to start with Shopify for restaurants. The Shopify plan includes all the basic features and additional features you need to grow your business. The Advanced plan includes all the features of Shopify for restaurants, plus additional features.
How do I create a food menu on Shopify?
You can create the food menu from your Shopify dashboard. To do this, go to the “Menus” tab and click “Add Menu.” You can add, edit, and delete items from your menu. You can also set up price discounts and promotions.
Can you use Shopify for a cafe?
Yes. Using Shopify for restaurants, you can set up an online store for your cafe, making it possible to order your food online. With Shopify POS, Shopify for restaurants can also act as the in-store POS for your cafe.
Pros and Cons of Using Shopify For Restaurants
While Shopify for restaurants is a great POS system, it’s not perfect. Here are some pros and cons of using Shopify for restaurants.
Pros:
- Easy to use: Shopify for restaurants is easy to use, even for those who are not tech-savvy
- Numerous integrations, including payment gateways – Shopify for restaurants offers numerous integrations, including payment gateways, which make it easy to accept payments from customers
- Modern UI – Shopify for restaurants has a modern UI that is easy to navigate
- Flexible pricing – Shopify for restaurants offers flexible pricing, which means you can choose a plan that fits your budget
Cons
- Lack of offline mode – Shopify for restaurants does not have an offline mode, which means you will need an internet connection to use it
- No in-built loyalty program – Shopify for restaurants does not have an in-built loyalty program, which means you will need to use a third-party loyalty program or create your own
- Limited customization – While Shopify for restaurants offers many features, it is not as customizable as some other POS systems
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Key Takeaways on Shopify for Restaurants
Overall, Shopify for Restaurants is a great POS system with many features.
However, it is not perfect. There are some drawbacks, such as the lack of an offline mode and limited customization.
Furthermore, in some instances, Shopify for Restaurant does not integrate with existing POS and payment integrations.
This means restaurant owners have to invest in separate POS and payment integrations, which can be costly.
Shopify for restaurants also lacks key tools, such as variance reporting, which are essential in the restaurant industry. This is something to remember if you consider using Shopify for restaurants.
However, the positives, such as the easy-to-use interface, numerous integrations, and flexible pricing, outweigh these drawbacks.
Shopify for restaurants can be an effective solution for startup restaurants that also wants to sell products on their website with Shopify’s e-commerce solution.
However, more established restaurants may want to consider a different restaurant POS system. As a restaurant grows, it might need more features than Shopify for restaurants offers.
