Technological advancements are increasing rapidly. It has reached several niches – including the food industry. For one, catering software is currently on the rise. These applications are used to aid catering services and make customer management easier.
Nowadays, operating a catering business requires good strategy and strong wit. You need to have all the necessary tools you need to handle client orders and schedule all of your appointments properly. Doing this manually is still viable, but not as practical as it once was. Nowadays, many catering businesses rely on catering management software applications to help them with their operations.
We want to help catering companies like yours thrive in this technologically-advanced era. That’s why we’re listing down our top five picks for the top catering software available in the market today.
If you use any of the software on this list, you can rest assured that everything you need to know about them are on this article. We’ve done the hard part for you so that all you need to do is make your choice. So, without further ado, here are the top five catering software for 2021 and beyond:
Flex Catering
Flex Catering is a professional catering billing software that helps catering companies manage their daily operations with ease. It’s an easy-to-use software containing all the tools and features that you need. From managing orders to monitoring production, looking at reports, and useful integrations, this software is packed with all the perks that you’ll ever need.
Since its web based, catering companies can manage their business easily and on the go. Once you’ve established an account for your business, you can start performing actions right away via the web browser of your choice.
It’s is the ideal choice for caterers that specialize in corporate catering. The software incorporates a streamlined approach when dealing with catering operations, something that’s lacking in other catering management applications. The software has options that help with the following areas:
- Ordering
- Billing
- Invoicing
- Menu
- Event management
- Customer management
The software also offers a wide range of reports and metrics such as Production, Ingredients, Dispatch, Sales, Run Sheet, and Dashboard. Despite all of these features, most users are quite surprised at how easy it is to use. The tools are pretty straightforward and you have a help option that will show you everything you need to know to use the software.
Flex Catering Features
- E-Commerce Module
- Flex Catering has a built-in e-commerce module, something that other catering software lacks. This module lets your customers view your menu, place orders online, and manage their profiles on the website. However, keep in mind that opting for the e-commerce module will require you to use a third-party website. The software application will also become your website and you can run it on your personal domain name. You can even optimize it for SEO purposes.
- Order Management
- The software allows you to input, track, and manage orders with just a simple click of a button. Once you do this, orders will automatically allocate to specific production locations and events. The software will also manage workflows for the event and order from client acceptance, quotation, production and delivery, and on towards invoicing.
- Customer Relationship Management
- To complement its other event management features, the software also has a built-in CRM module. With this feature, you can easily view and manage your customers’ information, dietary requirements, and notes that they placed along with their order. The CRM is fully integrated into products and orders, providing a wire-to-wire solution for caterers.
Total Party Planner
As the name suggests, the second catering billing software on our list is a ‘total party planner.’ This software is designed and created by people who have an actual background and experience with running a catering business. Total Party Planner helps users achieve accuracy and efficiency, allowing them to grow their businesses. Using this software, catering companies can streamline their operations for the following:
- Easy staffing
- Billing and Invoicing
- Recipe scaling
- Event planning
- Tracking communications
- Creating reports
Total Party Planner Features
- Comprehensive Platform
- Total Party Planner has a robust platform for managing a catering business. Users have access to an integrated calendar that features a variety of reports. It also has a built-in online catering management software that tracks everything. All of these features will give you confidence that each of your details will remain where you left them.
- Tasks & Notes Feature
- This interesting feature offers users a list of tasks that they’ll need to complete from the inquiry stage and on towards closing an event. Task and notes come in handy when the catering business owner is busy working on other areas of the business. From the handy dashboard to the quirky tools, the users have the advantage of taking a look at the most immediate tasks available and prioritize them.
- Tracking and Recording Communications
- The tracking communication feature enables users to keep track of their past and present client communications. Having this makes checking on past emails and calls easier. Users can store notes for every client conversation, eliminating the problem of forgetting important details.
Better Cater
Another easy-to-use, web-based catering accounting and billing software that we’ve come to appreciate and love is Better Cater. It’s an online catering app that lets you streamline and organize all of your business operations. It also has a 30-day free trial that lets you get a feel of the software before you fully commit to it. That way, you won’t waste money. But judging by the features of this amazing catering software, we doubt you’ll ever need to complete the free trial period to know that it’s the one for you.
This application is most suited for the following caterer businesses:
- Restaurants
- Franchise food chains
- Corporate catering services
- Function and even catering services
- Food trucks
Better Cater Features
- Seamless Reports Generation
- By using this software, you are able to generate a variety of reports that track overall sales, inventory management, and staffing. These features enable users to determine quick growth opportunities due to its organized nature and overall data presentation capabilities. In addition, the software also provides ordering and prep sheets that help streamline the user’s business.
- Integrated Calendar and Scheduling System
- The integrated calendar is also equipped with a scheduling system that keeps users updated and aware of any upcoming events. The calendar can also be synced with other third-party calendar applications like Apple, Outlook, and Google calendar. By using the integrated calendar, users can manage bookings, while making quick and easy reschedules.
- Comprehensive Event Management
- The software allows businesses to produce, schedule, and manage large events with ease. The tools that are available on the software helps keep track of your clients and their previous and upcoming events. In addition, there’s also a contact event management tool and organizer that helps users stay updated with all of their events.
Triple Seat
Triple Seat comes in fourth on our list of the top five best catering billing software in 2020 and beyond. Just like the other mentioned catering software applications on this list, this one also provides extreme convenience and ease of use for all of its users. Triple Threat is primarily developed to help restaurants and party venue organizers manage their schedules and events digitally.
You might have noticed a trend in all of the software mentioned on this list. Ease of use is always one of the features, and Triple Seat is no different. The majority of the people behind the development of this innovative catering application all have knowledge and experience in the catering industry. These are people who, at some point, worked at some of the best restaurants and hotels in The United States and overseas. ‘ This level of knowledge and experience ensures that every feature that Triple Seat offers is catered specifically to the restaurant and events business.
Triple Seat Features
- SmartSuite
- Triple Seat features SmartSuite, a tool that enables users to manage their events in a different and diverse way. With SmartSuite enabled, users can produce professional-looking proposals and lightning-quick event planning. It’s an even manager’s ultimate dream software. SmartSuite makes organizing an entire even easier and better.
- Gorgeous Proposals and Event Orders
- Triple Seat also has the SmartDocs feature, which is a fully-customizable and easy-to-use feature that tracks event orders, contracts, proposals, and even invoice generation. In addition to that, catering businesses can also build brand documentations, edit colors, fonts, and other interesting customizations. Your professional-looking documents and templates will look attractive and well-optimized on every web browser or device.
- Cloud-managed Documents
- With Triple Seat, users can store and keep track of all their documents in one single, organized, and centralized cloud. With this online storage feature, caterers won’t have to waste time searching through endless files or long email threads just to find a specific contract. All documents are stored, shared, and viewed online by your staff and even your clients if you allow it.
CaterZen
The fifth and final catering billing software and management software on our list is CaterZen. And just because it’s the last one on the list doesn’t mean it’s a lesser version of the ones mentioned ahead of it. In fact, CaterZen can keep up with all of the four software applications mentioned before it. It also packs some great features focused mainly for catering businesses and restaurants.
CaterZen is designed to aid catering businesses by putting their sales and marketing operations in a single, comprehensive platform. That way, it will become easier and less of a burden for users to access all of their files and documents in an instant.
With CaterZen’s online catering application, catering businesses can manage their operations digitally anywhere and anytime they like. It also helps avoid tedious and taxing spreadsheets, databases, and grueling paperwork. Everything is digitized and readily available. All you need is an internet connection and your business strategy.
CaterZen Features
- Delivery Management
- CaterZen’s delivery manager allows users to pinpoint and guide their deliveries, as well as assign drivers. The feature also gives users the power to go beyond client expectations with their mobile app.
- Proposals & Quotes Generation
- With this feature, you can turn any prospect into a full-fledged customer. With all the customizable options and templates available, you can create your unique proposal and quote to any of your target audience. This feature will also attract prospective clients to book an appointment with you.
- Punctual Reminder System
- This built-in feature enables users to keep tabs on any potential sales leads for both the present and future. It also comes with a proposal and anniversary booking reminder system that updates you on any upcoming client events.
ReliaBills as Catering Billing Software
ReliaBills can also help you with your catering invoices. Especially if you just want to send invoices, manage profits and expenses. Just create your free account and you’re good to go.
Why Choose ReliaBills?
Are you having a hard time with your billing strategy? If so, then it might be time to switch to automated payments with recurring billing.
Every billing software comes with its recurring billing feature. One such software is ReliaBills. Our recurring billing comes with various benefits that can help you improve your cash flow and make recurring billing easier for business owners, including:
- Improve Cash Flow – Recurring billing helps increase the speed at which money is made available in your bank account by having recurring bills sent out regularly. This, as a result, can help improve your cash flow by making it easier for you to manage recurring billing.
- Retain Customers – One of the biggest benefits that recurring billing offers is its convenience and ease when it comes to managing customers’ accounts each month. This helps businesses retain their existing customers through a smooth recurring billing process that requires far much less effort on the company’s end.
- Easier Invoicing – With recurring billing, you can set up automatic invoices sent out to customers each month without requiring much work from your team. This allows for a more streamlined and convenient process when it comes to invoicing management and payment collection.
- Easy Payment Collection – With recurring billing, you can set up automatic regular payments as well. This allows for easy and convenient payment collection from customers each month without requiring any work on your end.
- More payment follow-ups – nothing is more awkward than calling your customers to ask for late payments. With recurring billing, you can avoid all of the uncomfortable back and forth with customers regarding payment collection.
- No more payment delays – with recurring billing, you’ll no longer have to wait for your customers to pay you. Once you enroll your customers to AutoPay, recurring billing will automatically withdraw the payment from their account at a recurring time each month.
- No more late fees – recurring billing can help you avoid all of those pesky late fee charges that could have been sent out with traditional invoices and payments methods. This is because recurring billing makes it easier for customers to pay on time, giving you more time to focus on your business.
- Save Time – recurring billing can save you a ton of time when it comes to billing and payment processes by automating everything for you so that work is done with just the click of a button.
As you can see, recurring billing has many benefits to offer businesses, both big and small. It’s a new way forward for payment management! If you are interested in learning more about how the ReliaBills recurring billing works, click here.
Wrapping Up
There you have it! The top five catering management and billing software for all of your needs. Each of these catering systems presents unique and interesting features that you won’t find anywhere else. We catered them specifically to target specific catering businesses. That way, you won’t have a hard time deciding which of which to go for. Hopefully, you can use this article as a guide to help you determine the best catering software for your business.
