How much does restaurant software cost?
The cost of restaurant software has three parts: the monthly subscription, the equipment in the venue, and setup services, if you ask for them. The exact figures depend on the quote you receive, and what each offer includes should be confirmed in writing before you sign.
Short answer
- Online restaurant software is paid through a subscription, and the exact figure is set in the quote you receive.
- The cost depends on what you actually use and on the equipment the floor and the kitchen need.
- For a medium restaurant, the safest approach is to compare two or three written quotes for the same list of modules.
- The fiscal cash register (which stays the restaurant’s own) and the equipment for the floor and the kitchen are a separate cost, to be settled on its own.
- The initial setup of the floor, the menu and the recipes is confirmed in the quote as a separate part of the cost, if you ask for it.
What you pay for (components)
The cost components of restaurant software
| Component | Online (e.g. 4restaurants.net) | Installed on site |
|---|---|---|
| Platform and hosting | A monthly subscription for the online application | A separate licence, plus the venue's own server and backup copies |
| Restaurant modules | Reservations, menu with recipe cards, kitchen orders and ingredient stock, in one application | Modules depend on the chosen supplier |
| Hardware | Floor terminals, kitchen equipment and the fiscal register, at their own cost | The same hardware, plus a dedicated computer |
| Initial setup | Setting up the floor, the menu and the recipe book, with the cost to confirm in the quote | On-site installation and setup, to confirm in the quote |
| Maintenance and backups | The vendor's responsibility, to confirm in the contract | On you or on an IT administrator |
What the law says
- An electronic fiscal cash register is mandatory for on-site payments, whatever software you use (OUG 28/1999).
- Connecting the register to the ANAF IT system is a start-up cost, to clarify with the register supplier, separate from the platform.
- The menu must show complete prices and allergen information for non-prepacked dishes (EU Reg. 1169/2011, OG 21/1992).
Practical example
Example: a 50-seat bistro with terminals for waiters and equipment in the kitchen. For a venue like this, the application covers reservations with a floor plan, the QR digital menu, orders sent to the kitchen, ingredient stock levels and reports, while the equipment is listed separately, in the start-up budget.
Work out the first-year cost: the subscription multiplied by the number of months, plus the equipment, paid once. Then compare that sum with your venue's turnover, to see whether the proportion suits you.
Common mistakes
- Comparing only the base subscription and ignoring the modules you actually need, such as stock or time-tracking.
- Forgetting the cost of the fiscal cash register, which is mandatory anyway (OUG 28/1999).
- Paying for an expensive implementation without checking whether your venue actually needs one.
- Picking the cheapest offer without checking which equipment and modules you actually need.
How 4restaurants.net helps
- A monthly subscription, with the costs itemised in the quote, for an online application.
- Reservations, a menu with recipe cards, kitchen orders, stock and time-tracking in a single account.
- You set up the menu and the recipe cards in the application as you prepare them.