5-Out

5-Out is a restaurant forecasting and operations platform that connects sales predictions to prep, purchasing, labor and food-cost planning. It is best suited to restaurants that want those workflows coordinated across one or many locations, while retaining manager control over local adjustments. Its per-location pricing and tailored structure make the cost harder to budget without a conversation about the operation.

Overview

Founded in 2013, 5-Out uses machine learning to forecast demand from historical sales and guest patterns, day-part trends, menu mix, weather, local events and operational data. It produces hourly, daily and weekly forecasts, then puts those predictions to work in planning tasks. That joined-up approach is more useful than a forecast alone for operators trying to align staffing, ingredients and food costs with expected demand.

The platform connects with restaurant tools without manual setup or data entry, according to its maker. Managers can still adjust prep amounts, labor guidance and purchasing recommendations for local circumstances such as a promotion or event. That balance gives teams a starting point informed by multiple signals without treating a model's recommendation as a command.

Key features

• Demand forecasting: Hourly, daily and weekly predictions draw on sales, guest patterns, menu mix, weather, events and operational data. Multiple time horizons can support both near-term shift preparation and broader planning.
• Prep and purchasing: Automated prep lists, predictive Smart Pars and purchasing recommendations translate expected demand into work for the kitchen and buyers. Managers can adjust quantities when local conditions warrant it.
• Labor planning: Labor forecasts, schedules and budgets help connect staffing decisions to predicted activity. The labor guidance is adjustable rather than fixed.
• Food-cost and inventory tools: Food-cost visibility, food budgets, inventory and recipe management give operators ways to track the cost side alongside demand and labor.
• Operations and reporting: Smart Actions, purchase and prep lists, forecasts and custom reporting bring several planning outputs into the platform.
• Integrations: Its partner page names PAR Brink, Harri, MarketMan, Aloha, Square, Toast, 7shifts, SevenRooms, Craftable, MarginEdge, Micros, Restaurant365, Simphony, Tripleseat and xtraCHEF. The range spans restaurant systems and tools, though an operator should confirm that its own setup is supported.

For security, the privacy policy says customer data is protected with AES-256 encryption, segregated in the database behind a VPC firewall, and transmitted using TLS 1.3. It also says 5-Out may use aggregated data and trends from at least five restaurants across at least five distinct customers for marketing and other purposes.

Pricing

5-Out is paid, with a published plan, 5-Out, at $100 a month, billed at $100 per location, per month. The plan includes POS data connectors, labor analytics, food-cost analysis and multi-location reporting. Because the charge is per location, the listed monthly rate scales with the number of sites; it is not a flat total for an entire group.

Pricing is also tailored to the number of locations, modules used and operational complexity. That means the listed plan gives a useful per-location reference, but operators should ask how their chosen modules and setup affect the full quote. The site offers a request-a-demo form and lists [email protected] as a contact address.

Platforms

5-Out is available on the web. Its integration approach is intended to connect with restaurant tools without manual setup or data entry, but teams should confirm compatibility with their specific systems before committing.

Who it's for

5-Out supports quick-service, fast-casual, full-service, multi-unit, franchise and high-volume specialty restaurants, from one location to 500. It is a strong fit for operators who want forecasts to flow into prep, purchasing, labor and food-cost planning, particularly when they manage several locations. Manager adjustments make it more suitable for businesses where local promotions or events can alter normal demand.

It is less compelling for buyers who need a fixed total price before discussing their locations, modules and operating complexity. Onboarding also calls for POS permissions, staff and target information, and scheduling cost-of-goods-sold and labor onboarding, so teams should be prepared to coordinate those setup tasks.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Forecasts feed into prep, purchasing, labor and food-cost workflows, making the platform relevant to operational decisions rather than prediction alone.
• Pro: Managers can alter prep, labor and purchasing guidance for local events or promotions instead of relying on unadjustable recommendations.
• Pro: Multi-location reporting and support for operations from one to 500 locations make it applicable to both independent sites and larger groups.
• Con: Pricing is per location and can also depend on modules and operational complexity, which makes the final group cost less predictable.
• Con: Onboarding requires permissions and operational inputs, including staff and targets and COGS and labor onboarding, so implementation is not simply a matter of signing up.
• Con: The privacy policy permits use of qualifying aggregated trends for marketing and other purposes, a consideration for organizations with strict data-use preferences.

Alternatives

Avero is worth considering if a free plan is the priority: its Starter plan is free for any number of users and locations, with unlimited users and usage and free POS integration for most common POS systems. Its listed platforms are Android, iOS and web, unlike 5-Out's web platform.

Dishboard is another paid option, with Android, iOS and web apps.

Nory is a paid alternative available on Android, iOS and web; its pricing is not published, and buyers can book a chat for details.

PAR Ordering is a paid Android, iOS and web option; buyers can contact PAR for a demo and pricing details.

Rosnet Scheduling & Forecasting is a paid Android, iOS and web alternative; pricing requires a demo request.

AnyDiner is a paid web option with a subscription priced per store location; buyers need to contact the company for pricing.

Expo is a paid web and API option priced at $99 a month, billed at $99–$250 per location per month depending on location.

Insight360 is another paid, web-based alternative.

For broader comparisons, see Restaurant Analytics Software and Restaurant Demand Forecasting Software.

Verdict

Choose 5-Out if your restaurant needs demand forecasts tied directly to prep, purchasing, labor and food-cost planning, with managers able to adjust recommendations for local conditions. Its broad restaurant-format coverage and multi-location reporting are strong reasons to consider it. Look elsewhere if a fixed, fully predictable total price is essential before a conversation: the per-location rate and tailored pricing factors make that harder to establish upfront.