How to use this checklist: Full-service FOH has requirements that quick-service software often skips: coursing, seat numbers, split checks, tableside payment, reservations, and a floor team that changes every season. Bring this checklist to every demo and tick only what the vendor shows you working. Items marked (must-have) are deal-breakers for full service.
Disclosure: Sideworks makes software in this category (floor execution, scheduling, and guest feedback, not POS or reservations). The checklist is vendor-neutral. The coverage table shows where each tool fits.
Why full-service FOH needs its own checklist
- 58% of full-service operators say on-premises ordering and payment is the part of their business most affected by technology (NRA 2026 State of the Industry).
- Only 41% of consumers say restaurant technology improves hospitality, and 38% say it detracts (same report). In full service, tech that's visible to the guest has to earn its place.
- The accommodation and food services quits rate was 5.0% in September 2026, against 2.3% for all private industries (BLS JOLTS). Your FOH tools will be learned by new hires constantly.
- 45% of restaurant employees cited poor leadership as a reason for leaving (7shifts 2025 Workforce Report). Clear expectations (schedules, side work, handoffs) are leadership tools.
Section 1: POS and ordering
- (must-have) Coursing, with fire control per course from the server
- (must-have) Seat-level ordering and split checks by seat, item, or even split
- (must-have) Floor plan and table status view that matches your actual room
- Modifiers and allergy flags that print or display clearly to the kitchen
- Handhelds for tableside ordering (test the battery for a full double)
- Offline mode that keeps taking orders and cards when the internet drops
- Menu changes and 86s that sync to every terminal instantly
- Bar tabs, pre-authorization, and transfers from bar to table
- Reporting by server, daypart, and menu item
Section 2: Payments and contract terms
This is where full-service operators lose the most money. Software fees are small; processing on $1M+ in card sales is not.
- (must-have) Written effective processing rate at your volume (total fees ÷ card volume)
- (must-have) Contract length in writing, with early-termination fees spelled out
- Is processing mandatory with this POS? (Toast and SpotOn bundle their own payments.)
- Hardware: owned, leased, or "free" in exchange for a term or higher rate?
- Processing minimums or monthly minimum fees
- Pay-at-table and tip adjustment workflow
- Next-day or instant deposit options and their fees
Worked example: SpotOn publishes two plans: All-In at 2.79% + 20¢ with a 2-year term, and Essentials at 2.45% + 15¢ month-to-month for $55 per station (SpotOn pricing). For a restaurant doing $1.5M in card sales at a $60 average check, the rate difference is about $6,350 a year, which more than covers several stations of software fees. Do this math for every POS you evaluate.
Section 3: Reservations, waitlist, and guest CRM
- (must-have) Reservation book synced with the POS table status
- (must-have) Fee model in writing: per-cover fees by booking source vs. a flat monthly fee
- Waitlist with text-when-ready
- Guest profiles: visit history, preferences, allergies, special occasions
- Deposits, card holds, and no-show fees for large parties and holidays
- Prepaid or ticketed experiences (tasting menus, wine dinners)
- Booking widget for your own website and Google
- Who owns the guest data if you leave?
Fee models differ a lot. Resy publishes flat plans at $289 and $459/month with no per-cover fees. OpenTable charges per-cover fees on network bookings. Estimate annual covers × fee per booking source before you choose.
Section 4: Scheduling and labor
- (must-have) Mobile schedule with shift swaps and availability
- (must-have) Labor cost visible while you build the schedule
- Time clock with break and overtime alerts
- Role-based scheduling (server, bartender, host, busser, expo)
- Team messaging
- Tip pooling and tip reporting support. Compare your method with our tip pool calculator.
- Payroll export or integrated payroll
- Local labor law support (predictive scheduling, minor rules). See our labor law basics.
7shifts found that 27% of restaurants still schedule manually. If that's you, this section is your fastest win. Check your current numbers with the labor cost calculator.
Section 5: Floor execution (side work, pre-shift, handoffs)
This is the section most FOH software skips, and it's where the guest experience is actually won or lost: polished glassware, stocked stations, a host who knows the 7:30 six-top has a nut allergy.
- (must-have) Opening, running, and closing side work checklists by role and section (new to formal side work? Start with what side work is and how to assign it)
- (must-have) Completion visible to the manager in real time, with names and timestamps
- Photo proof for closing duties (stations, bar, restrooms)
- Pre-shift notes: specials, 86s, VIPs, large parties. See our pre-shift meeting guide
- Shift handoff log from AM to PM manager. See our shift handoff best practices
- Works on staff phones without individual logins or app installs
- Recurring tasks by day of week (Monday deep clean, Friday bar inventory)
Section 6: Guest feedback and reputation
- (must-have) Private feedback channel (QR code on check presenter or receipt) to catch problems before they become public reviews
- Alerts to a manager when a low score comes in during service
- Feedback tied to date, daypart, and server where possible
- Review request flow for happy guests
- Trends over time, not just individual comments
According to BrightLocal's 2025 consumer survey, only 4% of consumers never read online reviews, and for food and drink businesses 48% expect to be asked for a review by the next day. A private feedback loop gives you the chance to fix the problem first. More in our guide to getting more Google reviews.
Section 7: Vendor fit
- (must-have) Total monthly cost at your location count: software + processing + hardware + add-ons
- (must-have) Data export if you leave (menu, sales history, guest data)
- 24/7 support. Your Friday-night outage won't wait until Monday.
- Training time for a new server, measured in minutes
- Integrations between your POS, reservations, and scheduling tools, natively
- Free trial or free plan you can test during real service
FOH coverage by vendor
This table shows which checklist sections each FOH tool covers natively, based on each vendor's published features (November 2026). "Partial" means limited, tier-gated, or available through an add-on or integration. "No" means it isn't listed as a feature on the vendor's site.
| Section | Toast | SpotOn | Square | OpenTable | Resy | Homebase | Sideworks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. POS and ordering | Yes | Yes | Yes (coursing on Premium) | No | No | No | No |
| 2. Payments | Yes (required) | Yes (required) | Yes | Deposits only | Deposits only | No | No |
| 3. Reservations and guest CRM | Partial | Partial | Partial | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 4. Scheduling and labor | Partial (add-on) | Yes | Partial | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| 5. Floor execution (side work, handoffs) | No | No | No | No | No | Partial (task add-on) | Yes |
| 6. Guest feedback | Partial | Partial | Partial | Partial (reviews) | Partial | No | Yes |
| 7. Published pricing | Partial | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free plan | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes (≤10 staff) | Yes |
A typical full-service FOH stack has one POS (sections 1–2), one reservation platform (section 3), and one operations tool for scheduling, side work, and feedback (sections 4–6). For pricing and pros and cons on each, see our Top 7 FOH software guide.
How to run a fair FOH software trial
- Test during a real service, not a demo environment on a slow Tuesday afternoon.
- Hand the handheld to your newest server. Time how long it takes them to ring in a four-top with two modifications and a split check.
- Pull the plug. Disconnect the internet mid-service in the demo and see what keeps working.
- Get the effective processing rate on your last 3 months of real card statements.
- Run side work through the checklist tool for two weeks. Track completion before and after.
- Price everything at 3 years: software, processing, hardware refresh, and add-ons.
FAQ
What FOH software does a full-service restaurant need?
A POS with coursing, seat-level ordering, and split checks; a reservation and waitlist system; staff scheduling; and a way to run side work, pre-shift, and shift handoffs. Guest feedback tools are a strong fifth.
What's the biggest hidden cost in FOH software?
Card processing. On $1.5M in card sales, a difference of a third of a percentage point is roughly $5,000 or more a year. Multi-year contracts and "free" hardware tied to higher rates are the next biggest.
Should my POS and reservations be from the same vendor?
Not necessarily. Integration matters more than a single vendor. Toast, SpotOn, and Square all integrate with major reservation platforms. Pick each on its own merits, then confirm the two sync table status.
How do I get servers to actually complete side work?
Make it visible and specific. Assign side work by section and role, require completion before clock-out, and show the manager what's done in real time. Photo proof for closing duties removes the "I did it" debate.
Is FOH software worth it for a small restaurant?
Yes, but start small. A POS is non-negotiable. Scheduling and checklist tools have free tiers (Homebase and Sideworks both offer one) that let you prove value before paying.
How do I choose between FOH and BOH software first?
Fix the problem costing you the most. If guests are waiting and checks are wrong, start FOH. If food cost and inspections are the problem, start with our BOH software checklist.
Start without spending anything
Print our free FOH opening and closing checklists, run them for two weeks, and see which sections of this checklist matter most for your floor. When you're ready to go digital, Sideworks is free for one location and covers side work, shift handoffs, scheduling, and guest feedback in one app.
