Quick Answer
Franchise restaurant software lets the brand own the menu, prices and standards while each franchise outlet bills under its own GSTIN and keeps its own money. In Restrofi the brand's owner account syncs the menu to every outlet and is the only account that can change prices; franchisee staff get roles scoped to their outlet; payments settle to each outlet's own gateway. Restrofi has no royalty-billing module.
What does a franchise brand need from restaurant software?
A franchise is two businesses sharing one name. The brand needs every outlet to look, price and cook the same, and needs to see how each outlet trades. The franchisee needs to run their own floor, file their own GST and keep their own money. Software for franchising has to hold both truths at once. Most single-outlet POS systems treat every outlet as fully independent, which means the brand loses control; some enterprise systems treat every outlet as a branch, which means the franchisee loses theirs.
Who controls what: franchisor or franchisee?
| Area | Brand (franchisor) | Franchise outlet (franchisee) | How Restrofi handles it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Menu and items | Owns the master menu | Serves it | Owner account edits at the primary outlet and syncs to outlets |
| Prices | Sets them | Cannot change them | Menu and price edits are owner-only |
| Sold-out during service | Does not need to approve | Marks items in or out of stock | Staff with the stock permission, at their own outlet only |
| GST billing | Not on the franchisee's bills | Bills under own GSTIN and FSSAI number | GSTIN, FSSAI and invoice series per outlet |
| Money | Receives royalty outside the POS | Receives sales | Payment gateway set per outlet |
| Staff | Sets role standards | Hires and schedules | Roles per outlet; custom roles; till PINs |
| Customer data | Decides who sees phone numbers | Serves the guest | Customer contact info is a separate permission |
| Reports | Sees every outlet | Sees own outlet if granted | Analytics and revenue are separate permissions |
| Loyalty | Runs one programme | Honours it | Points earned at one outlet redeem at any other |
The pattern underneath: the brand holds the owner account for every outlet, and each franchise partner works inside their own outlet as a staff member with the permissions the brand grants. That keeps the menu and prices locked while giving the franchisee real day-to-day control. More on multi-outlet management.
How do menu and price control work for franchise outlets?
Menu sync copies the full menu from your primary outlet to one outlet or to all of them in one click. It is started by the owner, and it replaces the receiving outlet's menu.
- Categories and their order
- Items, descriptions and photos
- Prices, variants and add-ons
- GST rate per item
- Kitchen or bar station per item
- Availability as set at the primary outlet
A franchise outlet cannot edit its menu or prices; it can mark an item sold out when it runs out. If one territory genuinely needs a different price, the owner sets it at that outlet, and remembers that the next sync replaces it. Most brands keep one national price list and handle territory pricing with a separate outlet menu that is simply not synced.
How does per-outlet GST billing work for franchisees?
Each franchise outlet is set up with its own GSTIN, FSSAI licence number and invoice series. Every bill the outlet prints or shares carries the franchisee's registration, numbered in the franchisee's own sequence, with the CGST and SGST split. The brand never appears as the seller on a franchisee's invoice, which is what GST law expects when the franchisee is the supplier.
Online payments follow the same line. The payment gateway is configured per outlet, so a franchise outlet can connect its own Razorpay account and receive its own settlements. Restrofi takes no commission on any order.
What access should each franchise owner and their staff get?
Each staff member is scoped to one outlet, to every outlet in the group, or to a chosen set of outlets, and their permissions apply only at the outlets they were added to. Restrofi has 7 built-in roles and custom roles built from up to 27 permissions. A practical franchise set-up:
- Franchise partner: admin or manager role at their outlet, with analytics and revenue switched on so they see their own numbers
- Franchise outlet manager: manager role without revenue view; approves expenses; marks items sold out
- Cashier, waiter and kitchen staff: built-in roles, each with a personal till PIN
- Brand area manager: scoped to the chosen outlets in their territory, with analytics
- Brand head office: the owner account, with every outlet
A partner who owns two franchise outlets can be given exactly those two. Nobody at a franchise outlet can change the payment gateway, billing or business settings; those stay with the owner account.
How does chain-wide loyalty work across franchise outlets?
Restrofi's loyalty programme runs at group level. A guest earns points at the franchise outlet near their office and redeems them at the one near their home, and the brand sees one customer across outlets. The brand sets the earn rate and rewards once for the group. Because points are a brand promise honoured at every outlet, agree in the franchise contract how redemptions are settled between outlets; Restrofi records them but does not move money between franchisees. See loyalty and referrals.
What can the brand see across franchise outlets?
The owner account sees revenue, orders, average order value and top sellers for every outlet side by side and for the group, with CSV export. That is enough to compute a royalty on gross sales outside the POS, to spot an outlet whose average order value has dropped, and to check which outlets run the brand's new dish. RestroAI sends the owner a daily WhatsApp summary across outlets.
Which franchise agreement terms should the software support?
A franchise agreement is only as enforceable as the systems behind it. Before signing a POS for a franchise network, map each operating clause to something the software actually does:
| Agreement term | What the software must do | On Restrofi |
|---|---|---|
| Brand menu and pricing standards | Stop outlets editing items and prices | Owner-only menu and price edits; menu sync |
| Royalty on gross sales | Give the brand a trustworthy per-outlet sales figure | Per-outlet sales in group analytics, CSV export; royalty invoiced outside Restrofi |
| Franchisee is the seller of record | Bill under the franchisee's GSTIN | GSTIN, FSSAI and invoice series per outlet |
| Franchisee keeps sales receipts | Settle online payments to the franchisee | Payment gateway per outlet |
| Customer data stays with the brand | Control who sees phone numbers | Customer contact info is a permission |
| Brand loyalty honoured everywhere | One points balance across outlets | Group-wide loyalty |
| Brand audit rights | Let the brand see every outlet's records | Owner account sees every outlet |
Write the reporting obligation in terms the software can produce. "Franchisee shares monthly sales" invites disputes; "brand reads per-outlet net sales from the shared POS" does not.
How do you open a new franchise outlet on Restrofi?
- 1
Add the outlet under the brand account
Enter the franchisee's address, GSTIN, FSSAI number and invoice series.
- 2
Sync the brand menu
Sync from the primary outlet so the new outlet opens with the national menu and prices.
- 3
Connect the franchisee's payment gateway
Link the franchisee's own Razorpay account so online payments settle to them.
- 4
Invite the franchise team
Add the partner and their staff with roles scoped to this outlet, each with a till PIN.
- 5
Set up printing and QR codes
Pair printers and KOT routing, then print table and counter QR codes.
- 6
Check the first day together
Compare the outlet's first day in group analytics with the brand's opening checklist.
What does Restrofi not do for franchises?
Being clear here saves both sides a bad contract:
- Central kitchen management and stock transfers between outlets
- ERP, Tally or SAP integration
- Zomato and Swiggy order sync
- A franchise royalty or fee-billing module
In practice: royalty and marketing-fund invoices are raised outside Restrofi from its sales export; a franchise system that supplies outlets from a brand commissary needs a central-kitchen system for that part; and every outlet sits under the brand's owner account rather than the franchisee holding a separate one.
What does franchise restaurant software cost on Restrofi?
Restrofi Chain costs ₹9,999 a month for the first 5 outlets plus ₹1,499 a month for each outlet from 6 to 12; yearly it is ₹99,990 plus ₹14,990 per extra outlet. Prices exclude GST. Brands with 1 to 5 outlets use Premium at ₹699 per outlet per month.
| Outlets | Chain monthly | Chain yearly | Per outlet per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 outlets | ₹11,498 a month | ₹1,14,980 a year | about ₹64 (monthly) or ₹53 (yearly) |
| 8 outlets | ₹14,496 a month | ₹1,44,960 a year | about ₹60 (monthly) or ₹50 (yearly) |
| 12 outlets | ₹20,492 a month | ₹2,04,920 a year | about ₹57 (monthly) or ₹47 (yearly) |
Brands often pass the per-outlet cost to franchisees as part of the technology fee. See the Chain plan and the restaurant chain management software guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is franchise restaurant software?
Software that lets a franchise brand control menu, prices and standards across outlets while each franchisee runs their own floor, bills under their own GSTIN and keeps their own money, with reports for the brand across every outlet.
Can franchisees change menu prices in Restrofi?
No. Menu and price edits are restricted to the owner account. Franchise outlet staff can mark an item in or out of stock at their own outlet.
Does each franchise outlet bill under its own GSTIN?
Yes. GSTIN, FSSAI licence number and invoice series are set per outlet, so every bill carries the franchisee's registration.
Can a franchisee receive online payments in their own account?
Yes. The payment gateway is set per outlet, so each franchise outlet can connect its own Razorpay account and receive its own settlements.
Can the brand stop a franchisee seeing customer phone numbers?
Yes. Customer contact details are a separate permission. Without it, phone numbers and emails are masked for that staff member.
Does Restrofi calculate franchise royalties?
No. Restrofi has no royalty or fee-billing module. Brands compute royalties from the per-outlet sales report or CSV export and invoice them outside Restrofi.
Do loyalty points work across franchise outlets?
Yes. Loyalty runs at group level, so points earned at one outlet redeem at any other outlet of the brand.
Can a franchise partner own more than one outlet?
Yes. A partner can be given access to exactly the outlets they run, and nothing else, with the permissions the brand chooses.
Does the franchisee need their own Restrofi subscription?
No. Outlets sit under the brand's account and plan, and the brand can recover the cost through its technology fee. Each outlet still bills under the franchisee's own GSTIN.
How many franchise outlets can Restrofi run?
Premium runs 1 to 5 outlets and Chain runs 6 to 12. Brands with more than 12 outlets get a quoted Enterprise plan with a custom outlet limit.
Shashi Mishra
Founder, Restrofi
Shashi Mishra is the founder of Restrofi, a zero-commission QR ordering and restaurant POS platform used by 500+ outlets across India. He writes about restaurant technology, aggregator economics and GST-compliant operations.