Restaurant management software that keeps food cost, staffing, and inspections off your plate
Arkathos is restaurant management software for independent restaurants and cafés. It tracks food cost from your supplier invoices, builds staff schedules against your labor budget, keeps your health permit, food manager certificate, and liquor license dates, and asks happy guests for reviews, with your books in QuickBooks or Zoho Books.
- Supplier prices creep up and you find out at month-endFood cost you can seeSnap a supplier invoice and item costs update, so a jump in the price of chicken or fryer oil shows up the day it lands.
- A schedule that's never right on FridaySchedules built on your labor budgetBuild the week's shifts against your sales and labor target, and see overtime coming before it hits payroll.
- The inspector walks in and the paperwork is missingInspection-ready every dayYour health permit, food manager certificate, hood cleaning, and liquor license dates live in one place, with reminders before each is due.
Also: reservations & catering inquiries · supplier reorders · tips & sales tax · review requests · books synced to QuickBooks or Zoho Books · plans from $39/mo
Sound familiar?
You opened a restaurant to cook and host. The paperwork eats the rest of the day.
Margins disappear one invoice at a time
A few cents more per pound on produce and protein adds up to a lost month, and the menu prices never moved.
Scheduling by group text
Swaps, call-outs, and overtime nobody saw coming until the payroll report.
Reviews you never have time to answer
One bad night sits on Google unanswered while happy regulars never leave a word.
Your restaurant's back office
These are the parts of Arkathos restaurants use most. Every plan includes all 16.
- Inventory
Armory
Scans supplier invoices, tracks item costs and par levels, logs waste, and drafts the next order.
- Team & HR
Marshall
Staff records, shift schedules, timesheets, and labor cost against sales, with payroll totals read from your payroll provider.
- POS & sales tax
Mint Warden
Sales tax on every sale and a nightly close that records sales, tips, and the drawer count.
- Scheduling
Quartermaster
Reservations, private events, and catering inquiries in one calendar.
- Finance
Treasury
Supplier bills, catering deposits, and invoices, synced to QuickBooks or Zoho Books.
- Reviews
Bulletin Board
Asks happy guests for a Google review and drafts replies to the rest.
- Marketing
Herald
Posts specials and menu updates to your Google Business Profile and social pages.
- Compliance
Watchtower
Health permit, food manager and food handler certificates, liquor license, and hood cleaning dates.
A Friday with Arkathos
A full book, a dinner rush, and nothing slipping.
- Invoice in. The produce invoice is snapped; avocados are up 18%, flagged on the two dishes that use them.
- Order drafted. Dry goods below par go on Monday's supplier order, ready to send.
- Shift covered. A server calls out; the schedule shows who's under 40 hours, and the swap is approved.
- Party booked. A 20-person birthday inquiry from the website gets a reply and a deposit invoice.
- Night closed. Sales, tips, and sales tax are recorded, and the drawer count matches.
Permits and renewals Watchtower tracks
Restaurants answer to the health department, the fire marshal, the town, and the state. Watchtower holds each deadline and nudges you weeks before it hits.
| What | Who issues it | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Retail food establishment license | Local health department | Yearly |
| Certified food protection manager | ServSafe or another accredited exam | Usually every 5 years |
| Food handler training for staff | State or local rules | Varies; often every 3 years |
| Liquor license, if you serve alcohol | Your town and the state ABC | Yearly |
| Hood and fire suppression service | Licensed contractor; checked by the fire marshal | Usually every 6 months |
| Certificate of occupancy and fire inspection | Local building and fire officials | At opening; fire inspections usually yearly |
| Grease trap service and discharge permit | Local sewer authority | Service on a set schedule; permit terms vary |
| Sales tax registration | State revenue department | Ongoing filings |
Requirements vary by state and town. This list covers common ones and isn't legal advice; confirm with your local office.
Works with the tools you already use
Your accountant keeps working in the same books. Supplier bills, catering deposits, and nightly sales post there for you.
QuickBooks Online
At launchYour books stay in QuickBooks; invoices and expenses sync both ways.
Zoho Books
At launchBooks, invoices, and contacts, plus payroll totals from Zoho Payroll.
Avalara
Coming soonAddress-level sales tax on the invoices Arkathos creates.
Gusto
Coming soonPayroll and contractor history for labor costs and 1099 tracking.
QuickBooks is a trademark of Intuit Inc.; Zoho Books and Zoho Payroll of Zoho Corporation; Gusto of Gusto, Inc.; Avalara of Avalara, Inc. Arkathos is not affiliated with or endorsed by these companies.
Full service, counter, or truck
Tell us your concept at signup and the menu setup, supplier list, and permit checklist come ready for it.
Plans from $39/mo. Every agent included, and kitchen and floor staff log in free. Add-ons: Business Phone for texting and an AI receptionist, and Books & Payroll with Zoho.
Compare plansRestaurant questions
What is the best restaurant management software for a small restaurant?
Look for food cost tracking from supplier invoices, staff scheduling against a labor budget, inventory and ordering, permit and certification reminders, and review management. Arkathos covers that back office and keeps your books in QuickBooks or Zoho Books.
How do I lower my restaurant's food cost?
Track what you pay for each ingredient as invoices arrive, cost every menu item from those prices, set par levels so you order only what you use, and log waste. Many restaurants aim for food cost of roughly 28–35% of sales, depending on the concept.
What licenses does a restaurant need?
Usually a retail food establishment license from the local health department, a certified food protection manager, a certificate of occupancy and fire inspection, sales tax registration, and a liquor license if you serve alcohol. Check with your town and state.
How often does a restaurant hood need cleaning?
Under the NFPA 96 fire code, a typical restaurant kitchen has its hood and exhaust inspected and cleaned about every six months. High-volume kitchens, like 24-hour or charbroil operations, go quarterly, and solid-fuel cooking monthly.
How much does Arkathos cost?
Plans run from $39/mo to $499/mo by the number of office seats, and kitchen and floor staff log in free. Texting and the AI receptionist are a Business Phone add-on. You can start with a 14-day free trial on Launch.
Run the restaurant, not the paperwork.
Add your menu items, suppliers, and staff in minutes, or let us set them up with you.
Start free Ask about setup