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Whether you are considering opening a restaurant and looking for that specific type of restaurant that could bring your concept to life, or you are just interested in learning more about the hospitality industry, I am sure you have arrived at the right place. Below, you will find a list of the 12 most popular types of restaurants that I created to help you differentiate between them. Each type of restaurant will get a short description focused on some keywords: atmosphere, menu, price, and type of service.

The 12 Most Popular Types of Restaurants

1. Fine-Dining Restaurant

Most people know one thing about fine dining restaurants: They are the most expensive restaurants. Fine dining is about excellence, elegance, exclusive dishes, and upscale service. From the menial tasks servers perform, such as crumbing the table, to the most important ones, fine dining is the most that restaurants have to offer.

Its elegant and sophisticated decor, combined with the strict etiquette rules servers must respect and the special attire that is mandatory for both servers and diners, create the best place to go for special occasions such as weddings or anniversaries. Fine-dining restaurants offer full-table service, and the menu consists of pricey, exclusive items. A meal usually comprises several courses (appetizers, main course, salad, etc.).

2. Contemporary Casual Restaurant

As the name suggests, a contemporary casual restaurant is a modern type of restaurant that is appealing, especially to younger generations such as Millennials and Gen Z. The atmosphere is more relaxed than in a fine-dining restaurant. The food is more affordable, but diners still get an upscale experience regarding the menu. The decor is specially designed for photo lovers.

Two words perfectly describe the focus of contemporary casual restaurants: atmosphere and experience. That is why the decor is designed specially to make an impression and to catch the eyes of photo lovers. Focused more on younger generations, contemporary casual restaurants offer global or fusion cuisine that revolves around ideas such as eco-friendly, veganism, gluten-free, and farm-to-table. The service is full table service, but it can be combined in some restaurants with QR table ordering or QR menus.

3. Casual Restaurant and Family Style Restaurant

There is only one difference between a casual restaurant per se and a family-style restaurant. In a casual restaurant, servers bring food to each diner who is sitting at the table, while in a family-style restaurant, servers bring large portions of food to the table, and the diners serve themselves. Both of these types of restaurants are very attractive to families and groups of friends who want to enjoy some comfort food or classic dishes at a very affordable price and spend time together in a not-so-formal setting.

4. Fast-Casual Restaurant

A fast-casual restaurant is a combination of a fast-food restaurant and a casual restaurant. What this type of restaurant has to offer is a casual interior, the rapidity of a fast-food restaurant. This limited menu includes sandwiches, subs, burritos, salads, wraps, and, unlike the types of restaurants mentioned above, a counter service or limited table service. 

Although the menu options are similar to those in a fast-food restaurant, a fast-casual restaurant does not use pre-cooked or frozen ingredients, so it is much healthier. As expected, the price of the menu items ranges between fast-food restaurant and casual restaurant prices.

5. Fast-Food Restaurant

Almost everyone has eaten at least once in a fast-food restaurant, so it is probably the most known type of restaurant. Another name fast-food restaurants are known by is quick-service restaurants, and that is because of their rapidity in preparing the food. This rapidity is because all the items on the menu, such as burgers, sandwiches, and fries, are generally cooked with pre-cooked, processed, and frozen ingredients.

In a fast-food restaurant, people can order at the counter, in a drive-thru, or even from certain electronic devices such as kiosks. The food comes packaged in food wraps or boxes and is usually picked up at the counter, but some fast-food restaurants bring the order to the table for those who eat inside the restaurant. Regarding the price, fast-food restaurants offer the cheapest food when compared to the restaurants above.

6. Bistro

Well, it is a little more complicated to define a bistro. This type of restaurant originated in France as a comfortable place where diners could go to get a hearty meal at a cheap price in a nonformal setting. However, bistros are known today as how they evolved in the USA. The decor became more refined, the food more expensive, finer, and not so hearty, and the interior, even though small and intimate, became more spacious due to the reduction of tables. A bistro menu usually includes soups, different types of pasta, salads, burgers, and other dishes inspired by local cuisine or French cuisine, all of which are ordered and brought by a waiter.

7. Diner

A diner is a type of restaurant specific to the USA. How to recognize one? It has a specific visual layout. On the one side, there are tables and chairs placed one after the other as a wagon, and on the other side, there is a long bar with stools from where customers can get their food straight from the kitchen. The most common people who eat in a diner are workers or those whose office is nearby.

The food options are affordable but quite limited to fried food (bacon, eggs), burgers, sandwiches, American pancakes, and similar food. A diner provides full table service. Waiters take orders and bring the food to the table.

8. Buffet Restaurant

Another name for buffet restaurants is all-you-can-eat restaurants. Why so? Because you have to pay a moderate price to enter, but then you are allowed to eat as much as you can. A buffet restaurant is very spacious. It has to fit the tables, chairs, and the food that is brought in large trays by waiters. People usually go to serve themselves from these trays as many times as they want, and waiters have the job of refilling these trays when they are almost empty. A buffet restaurant offers comfort food options such as baked potatoes, soups, pasta, mac’n cheese, garnishes, and steaks.

9. Food Trucks

A food truck is a compact kitchen on wheels that can move from place to place, an ideal way for those who want to test their concept or food with a few people before investing in a building and opening a full restaurant. This type is mostly seen in parks, neighborhoods, and business areas. Customers can order and get the food delivered at the window, but some food truck owners set a few tables and chairs near the truck, and when the food is prepared, it is brought to the customers. Also, customers can order with QR codes or mobile ordering to speed up the process.

The menu is accessible to almost anyone and consists of a few items that revolve around a specific theme. For example, there are food trucks with barbeques, so the prepared food can be prepared at a barbeque.

10. Pop-up Restaurant

Like a food truck restaurant, a pop-up restaurant is a “moving” one, even more than a food truck. As the name suggests, those restaurants appear (pop-up), and after a few days, a season, or some months, they disappear. Indeed, some of them do not cease to exist but reappear cyclically or turn into stable restaurants. However, their purpose is the same as that of a food truck: to test if people like the food or the concept presented.

A pop-up restaurant has a small menu, but it includes very special dishes and some comfort food as well. The price of these dishes is moderate. Because of its temporary character, a pop-up restaurant offers seating and decor that can be removed easily.

11. Ghost Restaurant

Ghost Restaurants are those types of restaurants that depend entirely on an online ordering system, which means people, in order to get their food, have to place an order through a mobile application or a website. Physically, a ghost restaurant consists only of a kitchen where the food is prepared and from where the food is delivered. This kitchen could be in a special building designed to be a ghost restaurant, in a place shared by many other ghost restaurants, or even in someone’s house.

The type of food served by this type of restaurant is quite varied. Because a ghost restaurant is more of a way of doing business than a restaurant per se, it includes all kinds of food. But obviously, this food must be deliverable. As regards the price, it also depends on the food that is cooked, but a ghost restaurant generally has moderate prices.

12. Cafe and Coffee Shop

A cafe or a coffee shop (or coffee house) are quite similar, but some people would differentiate them based on what kind of drinks they focus on. While a cafe mainly serves specialty coffee, a coffee shop serves different types of hot beverages, such as hot chocolate and different mixed beverages. However, there is no strict delineation between the two.

Of course, this type is not a restaurant in the truest sense. Still, because there are some cafes and coffee shops that include, for example, some breakfast options, some pastry, and all the other elements of a restaurant, we are not in the wrong by including them in a list of restaurants. Usually, these two, especially coffee shops, offer counter service and a relaxed place where people can sit for hours to work, have a conversation with a friend, or enjoy their favorite drink.

A Visual Summary

We have reached the end of the article. But before leaving, I would like to give you a visual summary of what has been said in the article. So here is a table with all 12 types of restaurants and the four characteristics mentioned at the beginning: atmosphere, type of service, menu, and price.

Type of Restaurant	Atmosphere	Type of Service	Menu	Price
Fine-Dining	Formal, etiquette rules, special attire	Full table service	Extravagant dishes	$$$-$$$$
Contemporary Casual	Contemporary, relaxed, picture-worthy decor	Full table service, QR table ordering, QR menu	Upscale food, steaks, vegan options, farm-to-food, global cuisine	$$-$$$
Casual	Relaxed, spacious, neutral	Full table service	Comfort food	$$
Fast Casual	Contemporary, spacious	Counter service	Healthier fast-food	$-$$
Fast-Food	Small interior, few seating options,	Counter service, Drive-thru, Kiosk	Fast-food	$
Bistro	Intimate, small locals, few tables	Full table service	Special dishes, finer food	$$-$$$
Diner	Long bar with stools, tables, and seats placed as a wagon, relaxed atmosphere	Full table service	Fried food, breakfast options, comfort food	$$
Buffet	Very spacious interior for tables, chairs, food trays,	Self-service	Comfort food	$$
Food Truck	A compact kitchen on wheels, it sometimes has outdoor seating, relaxed	Window service, QR ordering	Small menu that revolves around a theme (For example, BBQ)	$-$$
Pop-up	Temporary seating options, small, friendly	Counter service, food stand, table service	Select food options, comfort food	$$-$$$
Ghost	Delivery only	Full online ordering	Deliverable food	$$
Cafe/Coffee Shop	Contemporary decor, spacious, relaxed, friendly, good for remote working	Counter service	Beverages, breakfast options, pastry	$-$$

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It is a well-known fact that the world is moving online, and, as a consequence, many industries are trying to move, or at least expand, most of their activities online to reach more people. In the early days of restaurants, people could only place orders verbally or by writing down the dishes they wanted to consume and, at the end of the 19th century, by making a call. Nowadays, the process of ordering has been revolutionized through the help of the internet, which has made the emergence of online ordering platforms possible. Thus, restaurants are among those who were given the possibility to go online.

Some restaurants have already seen the growth opportunity that such systems could bring and have seized it. Other restaurants still don’t use any online ordering software, and there are diverse reasons for that: maybe they are not convinced about the utility of this kind of system, or they do not know how to choose one from the variety that exists, or, perhaps, they do not know what an online ordering system is.

If you are interested in finding answers to these problems, we have got you covered. This article will help you find out:

• What are the best online ordering systems for restaurants?
• What is an online ordering system for restaurants?
• What are the benefits of such a system?
• What are the things to look for when choosing an online ordering system?

What are the best online ordering systems for restaurants?

To begin with, let’s take a look at this list of online ordering systems together to find out who they are suitable for and what they offer.

1. TapTasty – the best solution for restaurants to manage orders, clients, deliveries, and marketing campaigns.

2. Toast – the best for those restaurants looking for both a POS system and a basic online ordering system.

3. GloriaFood – the go-to online ordering system for those who already have a website and want to add a free online ordering system.

4. Restolabs – a good alternative for online ordering, especially for those who want to sell through their Facebook business page.

5. Bentobox – the best for restaurants that are looking for SEO-optimized branded websites.

6. Flipdish – great choice for restaurants that want to do qualitative marketing through the online ordering system.

7. Upmenu – the most affordable online ordering system for small restaurants.

8. iMenu360 – a good choice for those interested in a centralized way for online ordering, marketing, and social media images.

9. Cloud Waitress – a great alternative for small restaurants that want a free website that sells.

1. TapTasty

TapTasty is an all-in-one ordering system for restaurants that has two components: online ordering and marketing, both of which are manageable from a centralized dashboard. 

TapTasty’s focus regarding online ordering is on branded native mobile applications, but they also offer an online ordering module that can be integrated with websites or function on its own. Restaurants that choose TapTasty as their online ordering system can get and manage orders for pickup, delivery, and reservations. 

One noteworthy aspect of their ordering functionalities is the AI-assisted ordering system that allows customers to order their favorite food by talking to a virtual waiter. The marketing component consists of several tools and functionalities such as a customer database, automated emails and push notifications, loyalty cards, loyalty points, discount coupons, banners, and many others whose aim is to attract more customers and to make the existing ones more loyal.

As regards to the customer support service, TapTasty is one of the top companies in the field. If there is any question to be asked or a problem to be solved, they are always available in the chat module. They also give their customers the possibility of video calls and a help center that covers the settings that can be made in the system. 

TapTasty is a commission-free online ordering platform with five monthly subscription-based packages and no extra fees for developing a mobile application. Restaurants can choose to pay monthly or a year in advance to get a 20% discount.

2. Toast

Toast is known especially for its POS system, but its offer includes good commission-free online ordering options. Restaurants can be listed with many other restaurants on the Toast TakeOut mobile application, but because it is not a white-label application, branding options are limited. Other Toast options for online ordering are the integration with Order with Google and an online ordering module for websites. Alongside all of these, Toast comes with three marketing features: automated email marketing, loyalty points, and gift cards.

Toast also offers a top-notch customer support service that includes webinars, a help center, a community forum, and the possibility of connecting with real people by phone call. Given Toast’s focus on POS systems, all the features for online ordering and marketing are add-ons to their subscription-based packages, so additional fees may apply. Besides that, using the online ordering solution without their POS system is impossible.

3. GloriaFood

GloriaFood has a free plan that provides restaurants with a rudimentary online ordering system. This plan includes two widgets – one for food ordering, the other for table reservations – that can be added to an existing website, an integration with a Facebook business page, and the possibility to be listed with other restaurants on GloriaFood’s mobile application, namely FoodBooking. In addition to online ordering, this free plan comes with a few marketing functionalities: the possibility of creating different promotions, a flyer generator, and the option to invite customers to order online.

However, suppose some restaurants need more than what is provided in the free plan. In that case, GloriaFood has more features to offer for a monthly fee: a sales-optimized website, a branded mobile application, online/credit card payment service, and advanced promo marketing that includes client segmentation and target profiling. It is important to know that in order to add the mobile application to the Apple Store, GloriaFood requests restaurants to have their developer account. Regarding customer support service, the only option to contact GloriaFood provided on the website is by email. Still, the fundamental settings are covered in a knowledge base and video tutorials.

4. Restolabs

The principal solution that Restolabs presents to the restaurants is a responsive online ordering module that integrates with the restaurant website and its business Facebook page. However, in addition to the online ordering module, Restolabs also builds white-label mobile applications for restaurants. The marketing offer consists of four main functionalities: loyalty points, coupons, push notifications through which different promotions are sent to the customers, and display marketing, a feature that helps restaurants display their promotions to the customers’ sight.

Restolabs does not have a knowledge base, but the chat module, the demo video call, and their email being available on the website alongside the phone number are all elements that make an excellent customer support service. As to pricing, three monthly subscription-based packages include the functionalities presented above, but the development of the mobile application is not included in these packages. If restaurants want a mobile application, they must pay a fixed fee of 799$ in addition to the package they chose.

5. Bentobox

Bentobox is focused on creating branded websites that include both online ordering and marketing. Bentobox, like many online ordering systems, offers restaurant customers the possibility to place orders for takeout and delivery, to place catering orders, and to make reservations. Still, there is one thing that stands out about them, and it is related to their websites. All of them include built-in SEO features and tools that help restaurants optimize their website as they grow, and besides that, Bentobox has a special team dedicated to helping restaurants do SEO. SEO-optimized websites simply mean increased website traffic. The marketing part consists of SMS marketing, email marketing, gift cards, and loyalty programs that keep customers engaged by showing them different milestones to achieve.

Bentobox pricing is quite complex because of the many options they have. Restaurants can customize their package or select one of the packages created by Bentobox. If choosing the first option, restaurants have to select all the modules they want to use and pay a monthly fee per module. In addition to these fees, there is an extra fee for initial setup and some other fees per order or online payment mentioned at the bottom of the Bentobox pricing page applicable to four of their modules: restaurant website, takeout & delivery, online catering, and events management. If choosing from the packages created by Bentobox, restaurants must pay an initial setup fixed fee that ranges from 350$ to 800$ depending on the package they chose and the monthly subscription for the package. The customer support service consists of the possibility of phone calls from 8 am until midnight, email, and a well-written help center that covers the system. 

6. Flipdish

Flipdish is a complete system for restaurants that includes a POS system, online ordering, in-location ordering, and marketing. Regarding online ordering, there are two options: Flipdish creates both websites and mobile applications. When looking at the marketing part, restaurants are provided with different excellent tools. From customer databases, loyalty programs, first-order campaigns, SMS campaigns, discounts, and vouchers to a special team dedicated to helping restaurants do marketing, Flipdish covers most of the needs of a restaurant.

Flipdish also believes in a commission-free online ordering platform, so their pricing consists only of three subscription-based packages that can be paid for monthly or yearly to get a discount. However, not all the features are included in those packages. So restaurants must be aware that extra fees may come into the discussion if they want, for example, a web design or managed marketing by the Flipdish team. Even though Flipdish provides its customers with a help center and the Flipdish Academy, where different lessons about the system may be found, they are hard to get in touch with customer support. A phone number and email address are provided only with products bought from them.

7. Upmenu

Another good option when looking for an online ordering system is Upmenu. In addition to the mobile applications they build and the websites you can create using different templates and themes, Upmenu is integrated with Google Food Ordering, allowing your restaurants to receive orders from Google. Upmenu also offers different marketing tools: loyalty cards, loyalty points, SMS and email marketing, push notifications, gift cards, and discounts.

Like many other systems, Upmenu is a commission-free platform with subscription-based packages. The advantage of these packages is that even the cheapest one includes a mobile application and a restaurant website. However, there is a downside to the cheapest packages. The number of orders restaurants can get through this online ordering system is limited. Upmenu is easy to get in touch with through the chat module they provide, and their help center provides good answers. 

8. iMenu360

iMenu360 offers two options for online ordering: an online ordering module that can be integrated with websites and a white-label mobile application. While customers place orders for pickup and delivery, iMenu360 creates a customer database where the marketing part begins. Based on this database, iMenu360 gives restaurants the possibility to create different rewards in order to make their customers more loyal and the possibility to offer discounts for their products. Other marketing features include a social media image creation service and a marketing support team ready to help customers grow.

Unfortunately, iMenu360 does not give information about their pricing. To get an offer, restaurants must contact the sales team through the email address or phone number provided on the website. Customer support is also done through phone calls and emails, and in addition to these, iMenu360 has a help center that provides basic information regarding the system.

9. Cloud Waitress

Cloud Waitress is an online ordering system specializing in ordering websites that allow customers to make reservations and place orders for pickup and delivery. Cloud Waitress also builds mobile applications, but they charge an extra fee for this and request restaurants to have their developer accounts so they can publish the application to the Apple Store and Google Play Store. As for marketing, this system allows restaurants to create promotional codes.

Cloud Waitress’ pricing is straightforward. Except for the additional fees that must be paid for extra services such as custom website design or, as mentioned before, the development of a mobile application, there are two monthly paid subscription-based packages and one free package. The free package is a good starting point for small businesses whose orders and reservations do not exceed 100, which is the maximum limit for this package. Cloud Waitress could be contacted via email and a chat module for customer support. It also has a well-written help center that is of help for those who are looking to understand the system.

What is an online ordering system for restaurants?

We have looked at the more practical part, but there are many more things to know about online ordering systems. It’s time to have a look at the theoretical part. To put it simply, an online ordering system for restaurants is a digital system that helps restaurants extend their activity online and allows their customers to order their favorite food through online ordering modules such as a mobile app or a website.

What are the benefits of such a system?

Now that you have a clear definition of an online restaurant ordering system, the wisest thing to do is ask yourself, “Why should I use this?” We want to help you answer this question, so here is a list of the most important benefits that this type of system offers.

• First and foremost, as it was mentioned, you reach more people because of your online presence.
• You no longer need to keep records of your sales or do all kinds of statistics, from the best-selling products to the most active customers. A good online ordering software will do that for you.
• Most of these systems give you the possibility to do online marketing without any additional cost. Loyalty points, discounts, emails, and push notifications marketing are just a few tools you can use to attract more customers.
• An online ordering system gives you a standardized and centralized way of ordering that helps you deliver exactly what was ordered. There is no longer a need for pen and paper, and there is no longer miscommunication.
• Using an online ordering system for restaurants, you will have a database of customers that will help you profile them and create personalized offers.
• Besides all of these, an online food ordering system gives you a more accessible and interactive way of presenting your menu. You can cross-sell, emphasize some products, and order and reorder your products whenever you want.

What are the things to look for when choosing an online ordering system?

If we were asked to mention only one element that should be considered to make the best possible choice, we would say, without hesitation, that your need would be that element. If you need a car that can fit a lot of luggage, would you buy one with a tiny trunk? The same principle applies when choosing an online ordering system. You must know what you need, and the system you choose must satisfy that need.

Another important aspect – it is not randomly placed right after the most important one – that helps you choose the best system is how well customer support is done. Each system has a level of complexity, and even though we are talking about the simplest one, there will always be a question you want to ask someone about. Besides that, these systems were made by humans who, obviously, can make mistakes. The main question is not whether a system is without any errors but whether there are people to whom you can communicate those errors and people who can fix them. So make sure you know about the customer support service of a system before you choose it.

Let’s say that you already have a POS system you use for your restaurant or that you want to buy one at once with the online ordering system. You want to make sure that those two systems work together. You want to make sure that any other system you use or want to use, from online payment services to product management systems, works with the online ordering system you want to choose. So, if you want to choose wisely, look at what systems it is integrated with or ask what systems they are willing to integrate with.

Price is another aspect you must consider. The pricing differs from system to system. For some of them, you have to pay a subscription fee for both the administration panel and the sales modules; for others, you have to pay a subscription fee just for the administration panel and a fixed fee for the sales modules. Some of them have multiple packages you can choose from, even customizable packages; others offer fewer options. You have to take your time and compare the pricing of these systems. An important rule to keep in mind when doing that can be formulated as a question: Which offers me the most suitable solution at the best price?

Last but not least, after you do your research, looking at what these systems say about themselves, you must consider how others view these systems. The more perspectives, the better. We have already given you our perspective at the beginning of this article, hoping it will help you navigate through the multitudes of online ordering systems that exist.

If you find the information in this article helpful and has given you more clarity regarding those systems, you are more than welcome to share it with your friends.