Best CRM for Restaurants (2025): What to Consider When Choosing

Based on testing and research of 13 market-leading customer relationship management (CRM) systems across 84 investigation queries, we have determined the top CRM systems for US businesses, including those relevant to restaurants in the food and beverage sector.

We assessed features, usability, scalability, price and support for US restaurants, and found that Toast, Eat App and Lightspeed are the three options that best help you keep tabs on returning customer preferences and habits, and link that knowledge with other systems, such as point of sale (POS) devices.

Working in the food and beverage industry? Don’t miss Expert Market’s exclusive industry report exploring today’s challenges and future predictions.

Top Restaurant CRM Platforms To Consider

Below are three of the top contenders when you’re looking for the best restaurant CRM systems. We’ve compared them at a glance in the table below, but continue reading for full reviews of each provider.

Note: “Native” = built into the platform. Some capabilities on Lightspeed/Eat App depend on connected apps

1. Toast

Toast is a popular choice for restaurants of all sizes. It’s a comprehensive restaurant management system with a powerful CRM module. It offers features like customer profiles, order history and targeted marketing campaigns, all inside its POS system (it doesn’t sell a CRM individually).

What CRM features does Toast offer for restaurants?

Toast’s CRM lives across Guest Profiles, Toast Marketing (email and SMS), Toast Loyalty, and Toast Tables (reservations and waitlist). Because it’s all first-party, guest data (with details of visits, items and spend) feeds your segments and automations without duct-taping different tools together.

You can build segments (e.g. high-value guests, lapsed diners), send automated birthday/anniversary flows and track campaign impact. Loyalty is POS-native (earn/redeem at the register, online or kiosk), and Toast Tables adds an integrated reservations/waitlist, with host-stand views and guest notes that sync to marketing and loyalty.

Compared with Lightspeed (which relies more on partner add-ons for loyalty/marketing), Toast’s marketing and loyalty features are tightly integrated out of the box. Similarly, compared with Eat App, Toast’s advantage is having POS, reservations and CRM under one roof.

What restaurants might miss with Toast?

If your strategy depends on the diner-discovery networks of OpenTable/Resy, note that Toast Tables is a built-in system (flat monthly pricing, no per-cover fees), not a marketplace. Lightspeed’s native integrations with OpenTable/Resy can be a better fit if traffic via those marketplaces is critical.

Also, super-advanced lifecycle marketing teams may prefer external customer data platforms (CDPs) and email service providers (ESPs). Toast integrates with tools like Klaviyo if you outgrow the native suite, however.

Who Toast is for (and who to choose instead)

We’d suggest picking Toast if you want a single vendor tying POS, reservations, loyalty tools and email/SMS together with minimal setup. Multi-unit casual/fast-casual brands benefit from first-party data loops and POS-native enrollment at checkout.

If you crave OpenTable/Resy network reach for customers, choose Lightspeed. If you already love a third-party reservations CRM workflow, Eat App can sit alongside your POS with deeper guest-experience tooling.

2. Eat App

Eat is cloud-based CRM software for the restaurant industry, with broad restaurant management tools. It’s known for its user-friendly interface, reservation management tools and powerful reporting capabilities.

What CRM features does Eat App offer for restaurants?

Eat App is a reservations, table management and hospitality CRM built specifically for guest experience.

It centralizes profiles across booking channels, tags/preferences, notes, surveys, spend pulled from your POS and automated messaging via email/SMS/WhatsApp.

You get automation rules (triggered actions across guests, reservations, payments), post-meal automated guest surveys/reviews and strong POS integrations (including Toast/Lightspeed) to attach items and spend to profiles.

Versus Toast, Eat App is guest-experience-first with deep tagging, segmentation and comms. Unlike Lightspeed, it provides native reservations rather than relying on multiple add-ons.

What restaurants might miss with Eat App?

Eat App doesn’t offer POS tools, so payments/kitchen/ordering still live elsewhere. That’s fine if you’re happy integrating, but Toast’s potential all-in-one stack reduces vendor sprawl.

If you depend on marketplace diner acquisition, OpenTable/Resy integrations (common with Lightspeed) may yield more demand generation than a pure first-party reservations flow.

Who is Eat for (and who to choose instead)

Choose Eat App if your priority is hospitality CRM depth (VIP tagging, granular profiles, multi-channel guest comms) and rules-based automation wrapped around reservations and floor management. It’s great for full-service concepts focused on personalization.

If you prefer one vendor for everything (POS, loyalty tools, marketing and reservations), go for Toast. Should your restaurant’s plans for growth rely on OpenTable/Resy marketplace traffic, go with Lightspeed.

3. Lightspeed

Lightspeed is an all-in-one restaurant management platform that includes a feature-rich restaurant CRM. It offers customer data management, marketing automation and seamless integration with various POS systems, making it a versatile option. Like Toast, Lightspeed doesn’t offer a standalone CRM, but instead it sits inside its POS software.

What CRM features does Lightspeed offer for restaurants?

Lightspeed is a modern restaurant POS that supports customer profiles (attached to checks, tracked contact details and purchases) and pairs with Lightspeed Loyalty/Marketing (email, SMS, rewards).

Crucially, Lightspeed offers deep, official integrations with OpenTable, Resy, SevenRooms, TheFork, Aleno and more. So, reservations create checks automatically, and hosts see real-time order status and historical spend inside the reservations UI.

Compared with Toast, Lightspeed’s strength is choice and reach in reservations networks. It’s POS-centric with robust integrations instead of a native reservations module, as with Eat App, while having loyalty/marketing available, too.

What restaurants might miss with Lightspeed?

There’s no first-party reservations module, so you’ll use partners like OpenTable/Resy, as discussed. For teams wanting a single, all-in-one vendor, Toast may feel simpler.

It’s also worth noting that loyalty/marketing can be add-ons (and the tooling differs between plans, so it’s worth reading the fine print). And therefore, you’ll have to scope the cost of all the tools you end up with.

Compared with Eat App’s hospitality-CRM focus, Lightspeed’s native CRM features are solid but less specialized for deep tagging/automations, unless extended by partners.

Who it’s for (and who to choose instead)

Pick Lightspeed if you want best-of-breed reservations networks (OpenTable/Resy/SevenRooms) tightly synced to your POS, and are comfortable assembling your marketing stack.

If you prefer an all-in-one POS, loyalty, marketing and reservations setup, pick Toast. If you want native hospitality CRM with built-in comms and automation around bookings, pick Eat App.

Finding the Best CRM for Your Restaurant

Choosing the right restaurant CRM starts with understanding what a CRM system is and what it can do for you. Then, you’ll need to consider your business needs and what you want to achieve.

What is a restaurant CRM?

A restaurant CRM system is a tool that helps restaurants manage and understand their customers. It’s like a database that keeps track of all aspects of the customer journey, from initial contact to post-dining feedback. The goal is to build stronger customer relationships, keep diners returning and boost sales.

Among other things, a restaurant CRM lets you:

• Track customer contact information and communication history
• Record dining preferences, allergies and dietary restrictions
• Monitor visit frequency and spending patterns
• Manage reservations and table assignments
• Record special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries
• Analyze customer feedback and satisfaction levels
• Segment customers for targeted marketing campaigns
• Track loyalty program points and rewards

Why use a CRM in your restaurant?

A restaurant CRM can change how you do business and the way your customers feel. CRMs offer several distinct advantages for restaurants:

Make your customers feel special

A restaurant CRM lets you get to know your customers better. By gathering information about their favorite dishes, dietary needs and past orders, you can create a more personalized experience for them. This means sending them special offers they’ll love, tailoring your menu to their preferences and ensuring their dining experience is exactly what they want.

Keep customers coming back

Loyal customers are the heart of any successful restaurant. A restaurant CRM helps you create great customer loyalty programs that reward your regulars and encourage them to visit repeatedly.

You can track what they buy and what they like and offer personalized rewards, exclusive deals and special promotions that resonate with them. This helps you build stronger relationships and makes them more likely to tell their friends about your restaurant.

Access customer information easily

A restaurant CRM can streamline your restaurant’s operations, from taking reservations to managing orders. With a central database, your staff can easily find and update customer information, which helps to reduce mistakes and the need for manual data entry.

Plus, it can help with automating tasks like sending reservation reminders and asking for feedback after a meal, saving time and ensuring a smooth customer experience.

Make smart decisions with data

The information you collect with a restaurant CRM can help you make better decisions for your business. You can analyze customer behavior and feedback to determine what’s working well and what could be improved. This might mean tweaking your menu, training your staff differently or adjusting your marketing strategies.

Data-driven decisions help you stay ahead of the curve in the restaurant industry and adapt to what your customers want.

What should you look for in a restaurant CRM system?

When you’re looking at different CRM software solutions, there are some key features to keep in mind:

Customer profiles

A great restaurant CRM lets you create detailed customer profiles that include contact information, dietary preferences, allergies and past orders. This helps you deliver a personalized service and tailor your offerings to each individual customer, making their dining experience even better.

Reservation management

An integrated reservation system is a must-have. It should let your customers easily book tables online, manage their reservations and receive automated reminders. This makes the reservation process smoother, reduces no-shows and helps you maximize your table turnover.

Order management

A restaurant CRM with strong order management capabilities simplifies taking and tracking orders, whether they’re placed in person, online or through delivery apps. A CRM ensures accurate order processing and fewer mistakes, streamlining your kitchen operations.

Marketing automation

Look for a restaurant CRM that has marketing automation tools. These tools help you create and send targeted marketing campaigns. You can segment your customers, send personalized emails and track how well your campaigns are working. By automating your marketing efforts, you save time and can effectively engage with your customers, encouraging them to return.

Loyalty program management

A built-in loyalty program management feature is great for building customer loyalty and rewarding repeat customers. Your restaurant CRM should let you create and manage custom loyalty programs, track points or rewards, and offer special perks to your most valuable customers.

Reporting and analytics

A powerful restaurant CRM will provide detailed reports and analytics, giving valuable insights into your business performance. Look for features that let you track important metrics like sales, customer behavior and how effective your marketing campaigns are. This data helps you choose how to improve your operations and grow your business.

Use your CRM’s data insights to refine your menu by analyzing popular dishes, identifying trends and adjusting offerings based on customer preferences. This helps to boost sales and reduce food waste.

Integration with POS and other systems

The restaurant CRM you choose should easily connect with your existing POS system, especially if it is designed for restaurants, as well as other business operations tools. The right integration ensures smooth workflow and real-time data synchronization, eliminating the need for any manual data entry.

Mobile accessibility

If you offer deliveries, choose cloud-based CRM software with mobile apps or responsive web interfaces. This lets your staff access customer information and manage tasks on the go, even during busy times. Such flexibility means your team can provide exceptional service, no matter where they are.

How to choose the perfect CRM for your restaurant

Picking the right restaurant CRM is like creating the perfect dish, in that you need the correct ingredients to make it work. Here’s how to choose your restaurant CRM:

1. Know what you want: First, think about what you hope to achieve with a restaurant CRM. Do you want to keep more customers coming back, make your operations run smoother or create more effective marketing campaigns? Knowing your goals will help you prioritize the features you need.
2. Take stock of what you have: Look at how you manage your customers now. What’s working well? What could be improved? Maybe your reservation system is a bit clunky or you’re not collecting enough information about your customers. This will help you understand what you need from a restaurant CRM and what to prioritize.
3. Set a budget: Figure out how much you can spend on a restaurant CRM. Consider the upfront costs, monthly fees and the potential return on your investment. Remember, CRMs can be a great investment for small and medium businesses, and help you make more money in the long run.
4. Make a wish list: Based on your goals and needs, create a list of essential features you want in your ideal restaurant CRM. Consider customer profiles, reservation management, order tracking, marketing automation, loyalty programs, reports and analytics, integration with other systems, and mobile accessibility.
5. Do your research: Explore different CRM software solutions available online. Read reviews, compare features, and check out CRM pricing and costs. Look for CRMs designed for small businesses or the restaurant industry; they often have features tailored to your needs and more affordable pricing plans.
6. Try before you buy: Once you’ve narrowed down your choices, contact the restaurant CRM providers and ask for a demo or free trial. This lets you experience the software firsthand, see how user-friendly it is and make sure it fits your business processes. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and get clarification on anything that’s unclear.
7. Get your team involved: Talk to your staff about the decision. They’ll be the ones using the customer relationship management system every day. Ask them what features they think are important and consider their feedback when making your final choice. Involving your team early on will ensure the transition is smoother.
8. Plan for success: After you’ve chosen a restaurant CRM, create a plan for implementing it. You need to think about transferring your existing customer data, integrating the system with your other tools and training your staff. Allotting time and resources for a smooth transition will minimize disruption to your daily operations.
9. Keep track and make adjustments: Once your restaurant CRM is up and running, keep an eye on how it’s performing. Track key metrics like customer retention, sales growth and operational efficiency. Ask your staff and customers for feedback to help you identify areas for improvement and adjust accordingly.

How We Ranked the Best CRM Software for Restaurants