Creating and managing events at your F&B concept can offer an opportunity to boost your revenues, while catering to a larger group of guests. Specifically, guests who crave unique and memorable dining experiences.

Restaurant events can vary from seasonal events like Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day menus, or corporate events. When people try your restaurant through business events and enjoy their experience, they’re likely to come back as diners.

But before you can create an event at your F&B concept, you may need to consider using restaurant event management software.

This type of software can help you manage various aspects of the F&B event, ensuring a memorable experience for your guests, and streamlined operations and maximum profits for your restaurant.

Read on to learn more about event management software for restaurants and how you can use it to create your next event.

What are the different types of software used in a restaurant?

To manage a successful restaurant, you need to have efficient software and processes in place. Here are a few examples:

  • POS system: A restaurant point-of-sale (POS) system helps you process and collect customer payments.
  • Restaurant marketing software: This can include marketing tools for restaurants like social media management, design software, as well as email and SMS marketing software.
  • Shift management: Software to help you manage shifts based on peak seasons and times.
  • Payroll: HR software that helps you manage your staff, their leaves, absences, and salaries.
  • Restaurant CRM: A customer relationship management (CRM) system for your guest book.
  • Reservation management software: Software used to help restaurants collect online and offline bookings from guests.
  • Event management software: A type of restaurant software for managing special events such as private parties, large groups, or corporate events.

What is restaurant event management software?

This is software that helps restaurant owners and reservation managers plan and manage events in a restaurant. This type of software may also be referred to as venue management software or restaurant event planning software.

Restaurant event management software helps staff collect reservations for a specific event, while taking into consideration:

  • Timing
  • Number of people (per booking)
  • Which event guests have booked
  • Dishes ordered (if it’s a prix-fixe menu)
  • Guest preferences (dietary information, allergies,…etc.)
  • Seating preferences (outdoor, indoor, smoking or non-smoking areas)

Who can use restaurant event planning software?

Any food and beverage concept can benefit from this type of software. The top types of venues include:

  • Single and multi-location restaurants
  • Bars
  • Wineries
  • Beaches with limited seating and beach clubs
  • F&B chains and groups
  • Cruise ships offering dining experience
  • Prix-fixe F&B concepts
  • Hotel restaurants
  • Pool-side restaurants
  • Other entertainment F&B locations

What does restaurant event management software do?

Managing events and reservations

As its name suggests, restaurant event management software helps you manage events at your F&B concept.

To manage and get bookings for an event, restaurants use reservation management software, like Servme.

Table and seating management

Besides managing reservations, a venue management system also helps you manage tables and seating. This is specifically helpful for merging or combining tables to seat large groups.

If you’re using Servme, you can add the number of guests you want to seat. Our software will show you the best tables or which tables to combine without hurting the flow in your restaurant.

Waitlist management

Many reservation and table management systems, like Servme, come with waitlist management features.

Sell tickets using the reservation widget

If you manage F&B events, you can use Servme’s reservation widget to collect online bookings and in-advance payments.

Payments can be reservation fees that you deduct when guests are paying their bill. Or they can be full prepayments for the whole meal.

Marketing automation

Some restaurant event management systems, like Servme, come with built-in marketing automation features. In Servme, you can create and manage email and SMS campaigns, or use WhatsApp Business for Restaurants.

Further reading: 10+ Restaurant Email Marketing Campaign Ideas for Better Sales & Retention

Automated guest surveys

One of the top features to look for in a restaurant event management system is automated guest surveys. They are part of guest experience management.

Restaurant CRM

Your restaurant CRM isn’t just your guest book, although that’s a big part of it. You can create detailed guest profiles and update this information as guests make more bookings.

Further reading: Discover How to Create Hyper-Personalization in Your Restaurant with Servme’s Auto-Tagging Feature

Restaurant integrations

It’s important to find venue management software that easily integrates with your F&B POS system and other integrations.

Servme integrates with dozens of POS systems, Oracle’s property management system (PMS), and reservation or booking channels, such as Tripadvisor and Zomato.

F&B concepts using Servme can get online bookings from Facebook and Instagram, Reserve with Google, among others.

Reporting features

Top customer analytics for restaurants include revenue per available seat hour (RevPASH), average check per table, ratio of reservations, among others.

Do more with Servme’s restaurant reservation & event management software

Multiple restaurant management

Servme lets you manage multiple restaurants and events from your dashboard.

Create event-specific digital menus

Digital menus offer an opportunity to quickly create new menus and cut costs on constantly printing and updating print menus.

Block tables for specific events

Using Servme, you can block tables for specific guests, like VIP or top-spenders.

Automated seating management for large groups

If you’re using Servme, you can add the number of guests you want to seat. Our software will show you the best tables for this group.

Collect deposits, pre-payments

Prepayments are full in-advance payments usually for prix-fixe, or fixed-price menus.

Reduce no-shows

One of the top benefits of using Servme’s reservation and event management software is to reduce no-show guests. You can do so with automated email or SMS reminders, collecting reservation, cancellation, and no-show fees, among others.

Wrapping it up

Creating dining events can be a great way to promote your restaurant.

Using restaurant event planning software can help you increase footfall, reservations, and your revenues.

Software like Servme is also easy-to-use. Don’t take our word for it, it’s what our customers think!

Want to see how Servme can improve your restaurant operations and help you manage events? Try it today!