Most restaurant owners in Kathmandu pick software by asking a friend what they use. That works until the second outlet, or the first time the internet drops during dinner service. This page is the set of questions worth asking before you sign anything.
What does restaurant management software actually do?
Four jobs, and most products do three of them well. It takes the order, sends it to the kitchen, prints or shows the bill, and records what sold. Everything else, inventory, staff rosters, loyalty, is built on top of those four. Decide which of the four is costing you money today and judge the product on that one.
What should it cost in Nepal?
Most local products sit between NPR 1,000 and NPR 5,000 per month per outlet. Before you compare two prices, check whether each one is per outlet or per device, whether support is included, and what happens to your data if you stop paying.
Do I need to buy new hardware?
Usually not. Anything that runs in a phone browser will run on the phones your staff already carry. The one purchase most kitchens still make is a thermal printer for kitchen tickets, and a printer bought for one system generally works with another.
Does it work with eSewa and Khalti?
Ask for this in writing before you commit. Digital wallet support is the most common gap between an international product and a local one, and it is the gap your customers will notice first.
What happens when the internet goes down?
Ask to see it. A product that stops taking orders during an outage is not usable in Nepal. The answer you want is that orders queue on the device and sync when the connection returns.
How long does setup take?
Menu entry is the real work, not the software. A hundred-item menu takes a person most of a day. Ask whether the vendor does it for you, and whether that is included.
Which one should I choose?
Shortlist two, run each for a week on one shift, and count the mistakes. Nobody regrets a trial. Everyone regrets a two-year contract signed off a demo.
