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Managed IT

You run the restaurants. We cover the IT.

Networks, servers, firewalls, backups and patching need somebody watching them every day, not just on the day something stops. CBS NorthStar covers all of it for one monthly fee, catches most of it before a manager ever notices, and picks up at 2am when one gets through.

Get a managed IT quote → Call (800) 551-7674

For operators who would rather not hire, train and retain an IT team.

FirewallSwitchServerBack officePOS networkBackupsLIVE MONITORINGPatch appliedBackup verifiedDisk 78%Firewall rules syncedSwitch uplink stable
Since 1994Serving hospitality and retail operators
10,000+Operators on the NorthStar platform
One monthly feeUnlimited access to IT services
24/7/363Live support behind the monitoring

Already a CBS NorthStar customer and need help right now? Skip the form.

Open a support ticket Support page Emergency: (800) 551-7674, option 1, then 9

What This Is

What restaurant IT managed services cover

Restaurant IT managed services means outsourcing the ownership of your IT infrastructure rather than hiring, training and retaining a team to run it. CBS NorthStar manages and monitors desktops, servers and networks, installs and manages firewalls and security software, handles backups, patching and updates, and can host email and VoIP, for one monthly fee.

The difference from a general IT provider is context. A firm that supports law offices will treat a kitchen display outage as a printer ticket. We have run restaurant infrastructure since 1994 and know that a network fault at 6pm on a Friday is a revenue event, not a helpdesk item.

The Honest Problem

IT is the department that only gets attention when it breaks.

It is critical to the business and routinely the most underserved function in it. The patching slips, the backup has not been tested in a year, the firewall rules are whatever the last person configured, and nobody has time to find out until something stops.

None of that is a skill problem. It is a coverage problem. Somebody has to be watching on the Tuesday nothing is wrong, so that the Friday something is wrong never arrives. That is the part this service covers.

What You Get

The whole stack, watched and maintained.

Managed

Someone owns it now

  • Desktops, servers and networks managed and monitored continuously
  • Firewalls installed, configured and kept current
  • Anti-malware and security software deployed, updated and monitored
  • Software updates and security patches applied on a schedule
  • Hosted email and VoIP phone systems where you want them
Protected

Backups you have actually tested

  • Servers and workstations backed up on a schedule
  • Restores verified rather than assumed to work
  • Security monitoring with alerting rather than quarterly review
  • Compliant remote access for support work
  • Documentation that survives a staff change
Answered

People who pick up

  • 24/7 help desk support, live 363 days a year
  • CBS-hired and trained staff, not an overflow queue
  • Escalation into Development, CX and Support leadership
  • One number whether it is IT, network or point of sale
  • One monthly fee with unlimited access to IT services

How It Works

Three steps to handing it over.

Step 01

We audit what you have

Every location, every server, every switch, and every thing nobody has documented. Most estates have at least one surprise, and it is better found now than at 6pm on a Friday.

Step 02

We stabilize and instrument

Patching, backups, firewall rules and anti-malware get brought current, then monitoring goes on so problems announce themselves instead of being reported by a manager.

Step 03

We run it, you operate

One monthly fee, unlimited access, and a team that answers 24 hours a day. Your capable person goes back to the job you actually hired them for.

Who It's For

For operators who would rather run restaurants than run IT.

Multi-unit groupsFranchise organizationsGrowing brandsNo in-house ITOne overloaded IT personRestaurantsGrocery retailersConvenience stores

Restaurant IT managed services fit any operator who would rather let a tested team manage the infrastructure than hire, train and retain the resources in-house, and any operator whose IT function is currently one person doing it alongside another role.

Managed services works alongside the rest of the program rather than replacing it. On-site field service covers hardware failure at the store, and monitoring here is what often catches the fault before the store reports it.

Coverage

What we manage

Store and above-store infrastructure, monitored and maintained.

ServersPatching, monitoring, capacity and backup
WorkstationsBack-office desktops and laptops
Store networksSwitches, access points and cabling
FirewallsInstalled, configured and kept current
Security softwareAnti-malware deployment, updates and alerting
BackupsScheduled, monitored and restore-tested
Patch managementOperating system and application updates
Email hostingHosted mail where you want us to run it
VoIP phone systemsHosted voice for store and office
DocumentationAsset and configuration records kept current

Point-of-sale hardware itself is covered separately by on-site field service and depot repair, so nothing falls between the two.

Already With Us

Need support right now?

Current customers, start here. You do not need the quote form below.

Support Portal

Create a ticket and track it

Open a new ticket, check status on an existing one, and review your history. Available any time.

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Support Page

Every way to reach us

Support request forms, CBS Assist, and the 24/7 options for contracted and non-contracted customers.

Go to support →
Emergency Line

(800) 551-7674, option 1, then 9

For anything stopping the business. Live 24 hours a day, 363 days a year.

Call now →

Questions, Answered

Managed IT, in plain terms.

What is included in managed services?
Managing and monitoring desktops, servers and networks; backing up servers and workstations; installing and managing firewalls; installing, managing and monitoring anti-malware and security software; installing and managing software updates and patches; hosting email or VoIP phone systems; and 24/7 IT support from the CBS support team.
How is it priced?
One monthly fee with unlimited access to IT services, priced against the size and complexity of your estate. The point of a fixed fee is that calling for help never feels like spending money, because the alternative is people not calling until it is expensive.
Do we still need our own IT person?
Many operators keep one and are glad they did. What changes is the job: instead of patching servers and chasing backups at night, they work on the things that need somebody inside the business. Operators with nobody in-house use this as the whole function.
Why use a restaurant specialist rather than a general IT firm?
Context and urgency. A generalist will handle a kitchen display outage as a routine ticket. We have run restaurant infrastructure since 1994 and treat a network fault during a dinner rush as the revenue event it is.
What equipment and systems do you manage?
Network security, servers, workstations, switches and the wider IT infrastructure at store and above-store level, keeping them current and monitored. Point-of-sale hardware itself is covered by on-site field service and depot repair.
How does monitoring actually help?
It changes who notices first. Instead of a manager calling to say something is slow, alerting flags a failing drive, a backup that did not complete or a switch dropping its uplink, while it is still a maintenance task rather than an outage.
Can you take over an estate that has been neglected?
Yes, and that is the usual starting point. The first phase is an audit, then bringing patching, backups, firewall rules and anti-malware current before monitoring goes on. Nobody is judged for what the audit finds.
What are your support hours?
Live support 24 hours a day, 363 days a year. Support is reduced to emergencies only on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Call (800) 551-7674, and for anything stopping the business choose option 1, then option 9.
How is this different from a break-fix IT contractor?
A break-fix contractor is paid when something is broken, so the incentive runs the wrong way. Managed services is a fixed monthly fee, which means the incentive is to stop things breaking. Patching, backups and monitoring get done because they reduce our work, not because you remembered to ask.
Do you manage the store network as well as the back office?
Yes. Switches, firewalls, access points and cabling at store level are covered alongside back-office servers and workstations. Store networks are where most restaurant IT problems actually originate, so leaving them out would defeat the point.
What happens to our systems and access if we stop using you?
You keep everything. Documentation, credentials and asset records are yours and are handed over. Any provider that makes leaving difficult is telling you something about how they expect to retain you.

Hand It Over

Tell us what you are running.

Locations, servers, and whoever is looking after it today. We will come back with what an audit would cover and what a monthly fee looks like for an estate your size.

  • What a first audit would likely find
  • What is covered under one monthly fee
  • Where you are exposed today, said plainly

Prefer to talk? Call (800) 551-7674. Already a customer with an issue? Use the support page instead.

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