Restaurant software built here, for Nova Scotia's independents.

Helm Shift is scheduling, inventory, and labour cost in one login — built in the Halifax Regional Municipality for the independent restaurants of Atlantic Canada. Billed in Canadian dollars, runs alongside whatever POS you already have, and when you email support, the founder down the road answers the same day.

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The local gap

The big platforms weren't priced for a Halifax kitchen.

Most restaurant software is built for chains and priced in US dollars. For an independent on Quinpool, Portland Street, or a main street anywhere in the Maritimes, that means a stack of subscriptions that costs more than it saves — billed in a currency that swings your statement every month.

Helm Shift was built inside that gap, on purpose, from here. One tool that covers the schedule, the stock, and the labour number — at a price an owner-operator running a real 4% margin can justify. The platforms that solve all this aren't priced for independent restaurants. This one is.

Why local matters

What "built in Nova Scotia" gets you.

CAD billing, not USD

Every plan is priced and billed in Canadian dollars — Starter $99, Professional $199, Enterprise $349, all CAD per month. No exchange-rate surprise on your card, and HST stays simple.

The founder shows up

For HRM restaurants, setup is done in person — at your restaurant, on your schedule, 30 minutes. Support is the founder's own inbox with a same-day reply, not a ticket queue in another time zone.

Runs on Atlantic time

Week boundaries, schedules, and reminders work correctly in Atlantic time — built and tested here, not patched in as an afterthought for a market someone forgot.

What it does

The whole back office in one login.

AI-drafted weekly schedules — one tap builds the week around your team's availability; you review, adjust, and publish to their phones.

Sick-call coverage — the AI suggests the right available replacement; you approve with one tap instead of texting the whole roster at 6 AM.

Inventory counted by phone — staff flag low stock, you snap a photo of the shelf and the AI reads quantities, and low items land on your dashboard before you run out.

Labour cost before you publish — see the week's cost and hours as you build the schedule, not after payroll runs.

Works alongside any POS — Toast, Square, Clover, Lightspeed, or none. Nothing to rip out, nothing to integrate.

Want the full picture? The screen-by-screen guide walks through every part of the tool.

Who it's for

Halifax, Dartmouth, and every main street in Atlantic Canada.

Helm Shift is built for the independent operator — the diner, the pasta counter, the donut shop, the family restaurant with one location or four. If you're in the Halifax Regional Municipality, you get white-glove, in-person setup. If you're anywhere else in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, or Newfoundland, setup is a 30-minute call and the product works exactly the same — in your time zone, in your currency.

FAQ

Nova Scotia restaurant software, answered.

Is Helm Shift actually based in Nova Scotia?

Yes. Helm Shift is built in the Halifax Regional Municipality by founder Tyler MacDougall, operating as Helm Software. It's designed first for Atlantic Canadian independent restaurants.

Is pricing in Canadian dollars?

Yes. All plans are billed in CAD — Starter $99 CAD/month, Professional $199 CAD/month, Enterprise $349 CAD/month. No USD conversion surprises, and HST stays simple.

Do you do in-person setup in Halifax and Dartmouth?

Yes. For restaurants in the HRM, the founder comes to your restaurant and does the 30-minute setup with you in person, on your schedule. Outside the HRM, setup happens over a call.

Does it work with the POS I already have?

Helm Shift works alongside any POS — Toast, Square, Clover, Lightspeed, or none. There's nothing to switch and no integration to maintain.

Do you serve restaurants outside Nova Scotia?

Yes — Helm Shift works anywhere in Canada, with Atlantic Canada as the home market. The product runs in Atlantic time, like you do.

Talk to the person who built it.

Start free tonight, book a walkthrough, or just email [email protected] — Tyler's local, and he answers the same day.

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