Choosing the Right Tech Stack for Your Venue
POS systems.
Reservation platforms.
Staff scheduling.
Inventory management.
QR code ordering.
Email marketing.
CRMs.
Should we stop there?
Look, we know it's a bit crazy trying to wrap your head around all these tools, especially when you've got some eager sales rep popping by every Thursday for a ‘beer’, promising you the moon. Each platform swears it'll streamline everything, but honestly? Without the right approach, you just end up with a hot mess of systems that refuse to talk to each other, and with extra fluff and add-ons you don't need!
We see this all the time at venues that desperately need things to be simple and actually make sense. Your tech stack should work like another member on your team - each with a role, and they all support each other to make your life easier, not harder.
Integration Is Everything
When your POS can't chat with your inventory system, guess who's stuck manually updating stock levels? You. When reservations don't sync with your floor management, you're double-booking tables and dealing with angry customers. When scheduling lives in its own little world, you're either paying for staff you don't need or running around like a headless chicken during the rush.
Choose platforms that actually talk to each other, ones that sync and update automatically with a click of a button. Because honestly, who has time to enter the same information three different ways when you're trying to run service? If this is you, it can get better!
Your Team Actually Needs to Get It
The fanciest system in the world is useless if your team can’t figure it out. We've all been there - a slammed Friday night, 10 deep at the bar, and the systems that are meant to help on a busy shift are the things causing you chaos. Your top selling beer is showing as out of stock, but you’ve just had a delivery of 20 kegs.. Sorry did we trigger you?
Complex interfaces kill your service speed and stress out staff who are already juggling a thousand things. Your servers don't need another thing to worry about when they're trying to keep customers happy.
Test everything during actual service. Can your team quickly tweak orders while managing multiple tables? Can managers sort out last-minute schedule changes without clicking through endless menus? Is someone coming in to train you and your team? Is there a commitment of support when things go wrong? If not, walk away.
Right-Size for Your Reality
A 50-seat bistro doesn’t need the same tech stack as a 700-capacity venue. Start with where you are and what's genuinely driving you up the wall.
Smaller spots often do well with all-in-one platforms - simple, cost-effective, low drama. Bigger operations might need specialised tools that are brilliant at specific things like data and analytics. And if you’re planning to grow - more sites, a franchise, a group - it’s smarter to invest in best-in-class systems from day one.
Know your size, your team, and your ambitions. The right setup depends on all three.
Fix Your Actual Problems
Focus on what's actually making your life difficult, not flashy features that look impressive in demos. Are you bleeding money because tables sit empty while people queue? Constantly running out of your best-sellers mid-service? Wrestling with scheduling nightmares every week? Getting absolutely hammered at the bar because orders are backing up?
Work out what's really costing you time, money, or your sanity. Then find tools that actually solve those specific problems. A simple system that fixes your main headaches beats some overcomplicated platform that misses the point entirely.
When everything clicks together properly, your operations flow naturally and your team can focus on what really matters: looking after your guests.
Still feeling overwhelmed? Not sure where to start? Need someone to help you figure out what's actually holding you back and what might genuinely help?
Book a tech advisory call, and we'll have a proper chat about solutions that actually make sense for your situation. We are here to support you in sorting your shift out.