DEV Community

Cover image for Building a Lightweight, Multi-Store Restaurant Management System for a QSR Brand
ZedIoT
ZedIoT

Posted on

Building a Lightweight, Multi-Store Restaurant Management System for a QSR Brand

This case breaks down how we designed and implemented a cross-platform restaurant management system that works reliably across multiple branches — even with inconsistent network conditions and mixed hardware environments.


Core requirements

  • Real-time sales and inventory sync
  • Offline-first operation for unstable WiFi
  • Role-based access control
  • Multi-store data aggregation
  • Cross-platform UI (desktop + tablet)
  • Fast response time under peak load

System architecture

We used a modular, API-driven design:

[Frontends]
- Tablet Dashboard (Vue)
- Desktop Admin Panel (Web)

[APIs]
- RESTful service layer
- WebSocket for real-time sync

[Core Services]
- Stock management
- Sales records
- Employee roles & permissions
- Multi-store aggregation

[Data Layer]
- Cloud DB (Primary)
- Local SQLite fallback (Offline mode)

Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

The offline-first approach ensures all store operations keep running even when the network drops.
Once reconnected, local records auto-sync to the cloud.


Device compatibility

Branch hardware varied widely:
old Windows PCs, Android tablets, and low-spec terminals.

To handle this:

  • The UI was optimized for low-memory devices
  • API responses were lightweight
  • Sync operations were incremental, not full-dataset

Performance results

After deployment, the system improved:

  • Stock update accuracy
  • Data sync stability
  • Operational efficiency during peak hours
  • Manager visibility across all stores

Reusable components

This architecture is well-suited for:

  • Multi-store retail management
  • POS extensions
  • Kitchen automation dashboards
  • IoT-connected restaurant systems (smart freezers, energy sensors, etc.)

✅ Read the full engineering write-up

👉 https://zediot.com/case/restaurant-management-software-qsr/

✅ Need custom restaurant or retail software?

We build production-grade systems for QSR, retail, kitchen automation, and AI/IoT-enabled operations.
👉 https://zediot.com/contact/

Top comments (0)