Online food handler card training and exam, plus alcohol seller/server courses (including TABC). Courses in English and Spanish; corporate accounts for multi-location teams.
Paid link: how we make moneyPlain guides and honest software picks for hotels, restaurants & bars.
Just starting out? We explain the jargon and the tools you will meet on shift. Running a team? Compare 106 tools side by side, with prices from the vendor's own page. Free, no signup.
New to hospitality?
Start here
What the tools are, in plain words, plus free guides in the right order.
I run a teamCompare tools
32 head-to-heads and 13 tool types, from tills (POS) to hotel front desk software (PMS).
AI Guest Messaging & Voice13Scheduling & Staffing13Inventory & Costing12Property Management (PMS)11POS & Ordering9Reservations & Day Passes8
- Tools listed
- 106
- Categories
- 13
- Comparisons
- 32
- Guides
- 39
Start here
Free toolOpen the calculator
Coming soon · Waitlist openRestaurant labor cost calculator
Enter sales, hours and wages to see your labor cost percentage and how many hours fit your target. Runs in your browser; nothing is stored.
Net sales$20,000
Hourly staff300 h × $16
Taxes & benefits+12%
Salaried pay$1,500
Labor cost34.4%
Example with the default inputs 32 head-to-head comparisons
Free templatesCompare before you buy
Verdict first, then a feature table checked on each vendor's official site: POS (tills), staff scheduling, PMS (hotel front desk software), stock counting, reservations and more.
Browse comparisonsFree & paid templates
Free count sheet, schedule and buying checklist, plus 7 ready-to-use Excel & Google Sheets workbooks.
Free guideBuild a staff schedule
Guess how busy you will be, fill each role, watch overtime, post it early. Includes a free template.
For vendors
Have a tool, a product, or something to sell?
Software, napkins, linen, food, equipment — reach places still choosing suppliers. Weekly openings spreadsheet ($9 per state per month), or see how to list with Hospitality Stack.
Weekly openings spreadsheet See how to advertiseHospitality software pricing database
Plan prices, fees, free-plan limits and contract terms for every listed tool, checked on vendor pages. Founding price $29 one-time.
See the free sampleFree demos from our partners
How we earnWe may earn a referral fee from these partners. It never changes our rankings.
Toast
Restaurant POS with online ordering, handhelds, payroll and kitchen display. Get a free Toast demo (paid link).
Owner.com
Restaurant website, direct online ordering and marketing, so more orders come to you instead of the delivery apps. Book a free demo (paid link).
Mews
Cloud hotel front desk software (PMS) with payments and guest messages built in. Book a free demo (paid link).
VenueStack
Ticket sales and event management for nightclubs, lounges, beach clubs and event venues. Book a free demo (paid link).
New & free
All free plans & trialsFree plan
7shifts
Free plan with basic scheduling and team communication
Scheduling & Staffing · checked Oct 25, 2026Free planBackbar
Basic plan $0/month per location (inventory)
Inventory & Costing · checked Oct 25, 2026Free planBookboost
AI Agent draft mode free forever (requires paid Unified Inbox); first 150 autonomous conversations free
AI Guest Messaging & Voice · checked Oct 25, 2026Free planDishPenny
Free beta: full current workflow, no account or card needed
Inventory & Costing · checked Oct 25, 2026Free planFloGPT
Free plan $0/month: 100 messages/month, 1 workflow (call/SMS usage billed)
AI Guest Messaging & Voice · checked Oct 25, 2026Free planHomebase
Basic plan $0 for 1 location, up to 10 employees
Scheduling & Staffing · checked Oct 25, 2026Newest listings: ACE Food Handler.
Browse by category
All 106 toolsPOS & Ordering9 toolsPool & Beach Ordering5 toolsAI Guest Messaging & Voice13 toolsRevenue Management6 toolsScheduling & Staffing13 toolsInventory & Costing12 toolsReviews & Reputation7 toolsMenus & Websites7 toolsReservations & Day Passes8 toolsProperty Management (PMS)11 toolsFood Safety & HACCP6 toolsHospitality Hiring4 toolsHotel Ops & Housekeeping5 tools
New this week
We may earn a referral fee from these partners. It never changes our verdicts. How we make money.
Starter stacks
All stacksBooks
From our bookshelf
All books
Hospitality After 40
Stories, Myths and Why Experience Does Count
You're not done yet.
Fourteen age myths about hotel, restaurant and bar work, checked against real research, with what to do this week.
Make It Right Outside
The Pool, Beach & Terrace Service Playbook for Hotel F&B Teams
No. 01 of the Tideline Hospitality Field Guides
The pool, beach and terrace service playbook for hotel F&B teams: 29 ready-to-say scripts and 11 checklists, from swim-up bars to storm clears.
Same Crew, New Role
From Teammate to Supervisor
No. 04 of the Tideline Hospitality Field Guides
The first-90-days guide for new F&B supervisors and shift leads: how to manage former coworkers, set expectations, and get through your first 90 days without losing the team.
Can You Make It Virgin?
Piña Coladas, Mojitos & 80 Resort Pool Bar Drinks, No Rum Needed
Fresh, bright and zero proof.
Piña coladas, mojitos and 80 resort pool bar drinks built to taste great with no rum at all, for zero-proof guests, designated drivers, kids' menus and anyone building a better non-alcoholic list.
Can You Make It Strong?
An Honest (and Funny) Guide to Getting Treated Better at the Bar
Funny, honest and a little too true.
The honest (and funny) answer to "Can you make it strong?", written for guests: how bars really work, what gets you better service, and what doesn't. A good gift for the regular who still hasn't figured it out.
Hours That Work
Building, Forecasting and Running Fair F&B Schedules at Hotels and Resorts
No. 03 of the Tideline Hospitality Field Guides
A field guide for F&B managers and schedulers at hotels and resorts: the weekly build, forecasting covers from occupancy, weather calls for outdoor outlets, cuts, call-outs and fairness. Comes with a free Master Scheduler workbook for Excel and Google Sheets.
Behind the Pool Bar
A Resort Bartender's Field Guide to Speed, Specs and Staying Sane in the Heat
No. 02 of the Tideline Hospitality Field Guides
A resort bartender's field guide to speed, specs, batching and staying sane in the heat: the swim-up rush, the frozen machine, and ice that melts faster than you can scoop it.
Buying guides
All 39 guides- Best POS for Pizza Shops (2026): Toast vs Square vs SpotOn vs Slice, Prices CheckedPizzeria POS compared on half-and-half pies, size-based topping upcharges, phone orders, delivery and online ordering. Toast, Square, SpotOn and Slice, with prices read on each vendor's pages (checked Oct 2026).
- SpotOn POS Pricing (2026): All-In $0, Essentials $55/Station, Card Rates and HardwareSpotOn restaurant POS pricing from SpotOn's own page: All-In Plan $0/station with 2.79% + 20¢, POS Essentials $55/station with 2.45% + 15¢, Build Your Own, hardware prices and the Core bundle fee. Checked Oct 2026.
- 7shifts vs Toast Scheduling (2026): Features, Prices and the $50 Toast Integration FeeAlready on Toast? Compare Toast's built-in scheduling (Scheduling Basic, free with Toast POS, and Scheduling Pro) with 7shifts: features, plan prices, the $50/month Toast integration fee and when each makes sense. Checked Oct 2026.
- Square for Restaurants Pricing (2026): Free vs Plus vs Premium, Card Fees and Add-onsSquare for Restaurants pricing from Square's own page: Free $0, Plus $49, Premium $149 per location, card rates by plan, KDS and kiosk fees, and the sales volume where each upgrade pays for itself. Checked Oct 2026.
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Have a tool, a product, or something to sell?
If you sell to hotels, restaurants or bars — software, napkins, linen, food, equipment — get a weekly spreadsheet of places that just applied for a license ($9 per state per month), or list a hospitality tool free.