Best Phone Systems for Restaurants

VoIP provides a modern solution to these problems, facilitating communication between restaurants and customers, suppliers, and internal teams. On top of this, cloud phone systems are generally more cost-efficient and easier to implement than traditional phones lines.

Aside from its straightforwardness and fair pricing, VoIP is best known for offering plenty of enterprise-grade features. While they all have their benefits, a few are particularly important for restaurateurs, such as:

• Auto-attendant
• Call monitoring
• Extensions and ring groups
• Smartphone apps
• Conferencing

In the restaurant industry, it’s impossible to answer every incoming call, especially during peak hours. With auto-attendant, callers are dealt with in a courteous manner, thanks to the availability of professional greetings that can be played at certain times or dates. Plus, they can be automatically directed to the right person via an interactive voice response menu.

Call monitoring is an optimal way for restaurant owners to monitor employees and use past calls for staff training on how to handle guests on the phone and to provide the best service.

Most VoIP providers allow as many extensions as desired without any limits per system. This is a key feature for restaurant chains that, after assigning individual extensions to each establishment, can connect all restaurants to the same phone system and therefore save significantly on the monthly costs.

More comprehensive VoIP solutions even allow users to create ring groups. This ensures that no matter how many extensions belong to a single establishment, the call will always be answered in the right place by the right staff.

All VoIP services come with their own designated apps with which a smartphone can be added as an extension to the phone system. This way, employees can move about freely inside the restaurant as if they all have their own handsets.

However, unlike handsets, these mobile apps allow users to enjoy all the benefits of the cloud phone system outside the limits of the establishment – a feature that can be particularly useful if you provide a food delivery service as well.

If a restaurateur owns multiple restaurants, then it’s important to have a channel through which the staff of each establishment can be connected at once. VoIP services usually let you create a conference bridge dedicated to handling calls between multiple people.

It’s important to note that both audio and audiovisual conferencing are usually paid add-ons and the number of participants is often limited.

VoIP providers offer multiple pricing models to ensure everyone finds the right fit for their business.

• Billing structure: Most Voice over IP companies offer monthly and annual billing options. While the annual model is usually discounted, the monthly plan provides more flexibility in terms of the number of users and features without a long-term commitment.
• Pricing per user: Providers tend to base their pricing on a pay-per-user or pay-per-line model. Per-user pricing may be best suited to a single restaurant, while per-line can be the best option for a restaurant chain. In either case, a higher number of users and lines results in a higher cost.
• Number porting: Cloud phone systems allow for porting existing phone numbers. However, based on the numbers imported, this will come at an additional one-time cost.
• Add-ons: In addition to the aforementioned expenses, VoIP also comes with its own hidden costs. Add-ons such as additional extensions and features require a plan upgrade or an extra fee.
• One-time costs: Acquiring and installing hardware will also present a one-time fee, as will any training related to the equipment and software. Any international calls established usually also incur fees based on the country contacted.

It’s possible to connect a VoIP system to existing phone hardware using a VoIP adapter (also known as Analog Terminal Adapter). However, it might be easier to ditch the analog phones and acquire IP phones instead, as these may prove easier to configure.

Having switches and routers also promotes the right coverage to ensure a stable connection. Considering this, having at least two routers can prove essential if there are multiple phones within an establishment. Read below the most common advantages and advantages that come with each piece of equipment.

VoIP adapters 🔌

VoIP adapters (ATA) convert VoIP signals into analog tones so that analog devices can support VoIP connections.

IP phones 📞

IP phones are specifically designed to work smoothly with VoIP systems. The supported protocol is usually SIP.

Cloud telephoning presents many advantages for restaurants, but some adjustments may be necessary. To ensure a smooth transition, it’s important to look for a VoIP service that provides the necessary features while considering any equipment upgrades.

Different providers offer different features, pricing structures, and equipment requirements. Some businesses will prefer to reuse existing hardware instead of acquiring specific VoIP phones and routers, while others will prefer to commit to an annual plan to save costs instead of opting for the flexibility of a monthly plan.

We recommend assessing your restaurant’s major phone needs and benchmarking against the various brands, advantages, and disadvantages presented in this guide.