On this page
- What a restaurant phone system needs
- Restaurant phone systems compared
- Ooma Office plans for a restaurant
- Prices
- What 3 phones cost a month
- Year one with desk phones
- AI agents for orders and reservations
- Ooma for restaurants, in detail
- POS and online ordering
- General phone systems that also fit
- Texting customers
- Which features fit which restaurant
- Questions to ask a restaurant phone provider
- How to choose
- Frequently asked questions
What a restaurant phone system needs
Restaurant calls come in waves: a lunch rush, then dinner, with the same few questions every time. A good restaurant phone system answers the easy questions on its own, sends orders and reservations to the right people, and keeps callers on hold instead of giving them a busy signal.
Restaurant phone systems compared
| System | Routing | Busy times | Orders and reservations | POS or payments named |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ooma Office | Virtual receptionist, ring groups to reservations, takeout, kitchen and back office | Hold music on all plans; call queuing on Pro Plus | Call recording for take-out orders; overhead paging | Square |
| Nextiva | Not stated on its restaurant page | Not stated on its restaurant page | XBert AI books reservations, handles takeout orders and catering, routes VIP guests | Not stated |
| RingCentral | AI-based routing across channels | Call queues sold as a paid Booster | Not stated on its restaurant page | Not stated; lists Salesforce, Google Workspace and Zendesk |
| Ultatel | Queue and routing logic that lets high-value callers skip the line | Not stated | Voice AI agent handles reservations, takeout orders and catering inquiries | Not stated |
From each company's restaurant and pricing pages, read October 29, 2026. "Not stated" means the page we read does not mention it.
Ooma Office plans for a restaurant
| Feature | Essentials $19.95 | Pro $24.95 | Pro Plus $29.95 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual receptionist, ring groups, music on hold | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Calling | Unlimited to the US, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico | Same | Same |
| Free toll-free number | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Call recording | No | Yes | Yes |
| Texting | No | Up to 250 a month | Up to 1,000 a month |
| Call queuing | No | No | Yes |
| AI transcriptions and CRM integration | No | No | Yes |
Per user a month, no contract, from Ooma's plans page, read October 29, 2026.
Prices
| System | Price | Terms and add-ons |
|---|---|---|
| Ooma Office | Essentials $19.95, Pro $24.95, Pro Plus $29.95 a user a month | No contracts; 30-day money-back guarantee |
| Nextiva | From $15 a user a month | XBert AI: $1.50 per conversation (Nextiva pricing) |
| RingCentral | Core $20 a user paid annually, $30 monthly | Call Queues Booster $35 |
| Ultatel | Not published on its restaurant page | Free porting and setup |
Before taxes and fees. Ooma from its plans page; RingCentral from its plans and pricing page. More detail: Ooma pricing, Nextiva pricing, RingCentral pricing.
What 3 phones cost a month
| Plan | 3 users a month | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nextiva (from) | $45 | XBert AI extra at $1.50 per conversation |
| Ooma Office Essentials | $59.85 | Virtual receptionist, ring groups, hold music |
| RingCentral Core, paid annually | $60 | Call queues are a paid Booster |
| Ooma Office Pro | $74.85 | Adds call recording |
| Ooma Office Pro Plus | $89.85 | Adds call queuing |
Three users at each plan's published per-user price; taxes, fees and add-ons extra. Ultatel does not publish prices on its restaurant page.
Year one with desk phones
A restaurant with 3 phones on Ooma Office Pro, for call recording, pays $898.20 a year in service. With three Ooma IP desk phones at the lowest in-stock price on the comparison ($79.99 each, $239.97), year one is $1,138.17 before taxes. Ooma says its phones come preconfigured.
AI agents for orders and reservations
| Agent | What it handles | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Nextiva XBert AI | Books reservations, takes takeout orders, manages catering, routes VIP guests | $1.50 per conversation on NEXT plans (200 conversations would be $300, computed; packages start at 100 a month), or the XBert AI Employee at $99 a month |
| Ultatel Voice AI agent | Reservations, takeout orders and catering inquiries, 24/7 | Not published |
| Ooma | Virtual receptionist answers location, directions and hours | Included on every plan |
Ooma for restaurants, in detail
Ooma is the only provider here with a dedicated restaurant feature list. It says its phones come preconfigured and setup takes about 15 minutes, you can keep your number or choose a new one, and overhead paging is popular with fast food and casual dining restaurants. Ring groups send calls to reservations, takeout, the kitchen or the back office, and call recording can run automatically or on demand to document orders and reservations (Ooma).
POS and online ordering
Of the restaurant pages we read, only Ooma names a point-of-sale or payments integration: Square, which it says brings communications and payment processing into one platform. Nextiva, RingCentral and Ultatel do not name a POS or online ordering integration on theirs. If you run Toast, Clover or an ordering app, ask the provider for the integration in writing before you sign.
General phone systems that also fit
A restaurant does not need an industry product. Ooma Office includes a virtual receptionist and ring groups on every plan from $19.95 a user, and Aircall includes IVR and queues on every plan from $30 a license (3-license minimum). See call center phone systems for queue features.
Texting customers
Many diners would rather text than call. Before a business number can text US numbers it must be registered with the carriers: if you send SMS or MMS to US numbers from a regular 10-digit number, you need A2P 10DLC registration (Twilio). Ooma's texting starts on Pro (250 a month), and RingCentral Core includes 25 texts per user a month. Registration steps are in how to get a business phone number.
Which features fit which restaurant
| Restaurant type | Features to prioritise |
|---|---|
| Fast food and counter service | Overhead paging, ring group at the counter, recorded greeting with hours |
| Casual dining with takeout | Menu option for takeout, call recording for orders, hold music |
| Reservation-heavy dining | Separate reservations option, queue for peak hours, or an AI agent that books tables |
| Catering | A direct line or menu option to the catering manager; Nextiva and Ultatel say their AI agents handle catering inquiries |
Questions to ask a restaurant phone provider
- Does it integrate with my POS or ordering system? Get it in writing; only Ooma names one (Square) on the pages we read.
- Can callers wait in a queue with hold music, and on which plan?
- Is call recording automatic, on demand, or not offered on this plan?
- What does the AI agent cost per call or conversation, and what happens when it cannot answer?
- Can I keep my number, and is porting free?
- Is there a contract or a money-back period?
How to choose
- One location, small staff: a virtual receptionist and ring groups cover most of it. Ooma includes both on Essentials.
- Heavy phone orders: call recording settles disputes over orders; on Ooma it starts on Pro.
- Busy nights: look for a call queue with hold music (Ooma Pro Plus, or RingCentral's Booster), or an AI agent for reservations and takeout (Nextiva XBert, Ultatel).
- Loud kitchens: overhead paging reaches staff away from a phone.
- Keep your number: port it; Ultatel lists free porting. See auto attendant phone systems for menus on every plan.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best phone system for restaurants?
One that answers common questions automatically, routes takeout and reservation calls to the right phones, and queues callers at peak times. Ooma Office covers routing and hold music from $19.95 a user with no contract, with call recording from Pro at $24.95 and call queuing on Pro Plus at $29.95; Nextiva and Ultatel add AI agents for orders and bookings.
Do restaurant phone systems integrate with POS systems?
Among the restaurant pages we read, only Ooma names one: Square. Ask any other provider to confirm your POS in writing.
What are the best phone systems for hospitality?
For restaurants, routing and queues matter most. For hotels, property management integration and direct 911 dialing; see hotel phone systems.
Do businesses still use PBX systems?
Yes, often hosted in the cloud. A hosted PBX gives the same menus, ring groups and queues without a box on site; see hosted PBX.
Can a phone system take restaurant orders automatically?
Yes, with an AI agent. Nextiva's XBert AI handles takeout orders and reservations at $1.50 per conversation, and Ultatel's Voice AI agent handles reservations, takeout and catering inquiries.