We spoke to 3 Canadian restaurant owners about their secret weapon for business growth

If you’ve ever worked in the food and beverage industry — or even been a customer — you likely have an idea of how much work it takes for everything to run smoothly and efficiently.

But, if you’re a food and beverage business owner, you don’t only know it — you live it.

Every business has its own complex needs, dynamic team, and unique customers, which is why Square began; to give business owners an easier way to manage workflow and drive success.

You’ve probably already used Square as a customer at one of the 4 million businesses worldwide that are taking advantage of the top-tier technology, but if you haven’t, here’s the tea: Square is designed to help you feel confident and in control of your business, thanks to sweet features like cloud-based technology, real-time data, customer ordering tools, and more.

Here’s how three Canadian businesses are growing their companies with Square.

Oakberry Açaí

Okberry Açaí/Square

Açaí bowls are the fun and delicious snack that’s been trending across the nation, and when it comes to Western Canada, Oakberry Açaí aims to be at the forefront.

“We would like to establish Oakberry as the best-known superfood brand in Western Canada,” says Carter, CEO. “Our goal for the next five years is to have Oakberry everywhere, whether that be through our stores, pop-up carts, food trucks, or anything else.”

Managing multiple franchises and locations is a lofty task, but the Square Kitchen Display System (KDS) helps the Oakberry team keep organized.

Oakberry Açaí/Square

“It seamlessly integrates with the Square system and our third-party mobile ordering apps,” says Kyla, who is in charge of Oakberry Açaí operations.

“You just put the order through and it automatically populates the KDS. We try to make orders in two minutes or less, and we can actually track each order time on the KDS screen. It’s been great for keeping our orders correct for customers.”

“As a result of the simplicity and integration with our other third-party apps, we get the data we need on how we’re performing as a kitchen whenever we need it,” adds Carter. “Whenever I need information on how efficient we are, I can see it because of KDS.”

The DownLow Chicken Shack

The DownLow Chicken Shack/Square

Doug Steven, a partner in The DownLow Chicken Shack, switched to Square because he wanted an easier way to keep track of orders and was enticed by the idea of going paperless. “Our previous point-of-sale system did not allow for e-commerce, on top of just being a disaster in every other aspect,” he says.

Along with the convenient point-of-sale features, Doug has also made use of Square’s KDS and loyalty features to increase productivity and sales.

“We’re probably up 10% to 15% of our previous volumes, not including inflationary price raises. It took a bit of a learning curve, but it didn’t take a long time and allowed us to do more volumes, and it was strictly through the customizability of the online platform as well as the increased data that we were able to achieve through the online platform.”

The DownLow Chicken Shack/Square

As for the new guests, Doug credits the Square online ordering system, and some sage advice.

“We pride ourselves on hospitality, and someone finally said, ‘The internet exists. If you have the ability to take an order over the internet and are choosing not to, that’s inhospitable.’”

Lambo’s Deli

Lambo’s Deli/Square

As a quick-service restaurant, Lambo’s Deli owners Chris and Justin value an accessible and adaptable experience for managers, staff, and customers alike. They’ve been gradually adding more Square products to their business from KDS to the POS system and finally, Square Online.

“It became obvious to us to use Square Online, because it’s very seamless in terms of using what we already have for our front-of-house operations and translating that into our online sales platform,” says Justin. “Also, keeping track of all the sales as one payment processor, and the actual backend reporting is really awesome.”

“I don’t see much of the backend stuff,” adds Chris, “but in terms of the ease of use for it, for not only myself, but for the staff and the customer side, it’s very user-friendly.”

Lambo’s Deli/Square

“With POS systems that I’ve used in the past, there’s usually part of it that I find is really weak, so while it’s good at doing one thing, it won’t be good at doing another,” says Justin.

“But because Square focuses on being such an all-in-one solution, I’ve yet to encounter an area or hardware that I thought was a weak point. In terms of user interaction, backend interaction, and customer interaction, there’s no better system out there from what I’ve seen.”

Training new staff on Square has been “minimal” thanks to the intuitive interface, which allows the Lambo’s Deli team to feel confident in the product and their business.

Get Square today

Could Square be the future of your food and drink business? Signs point to yes. Plus with transparent pricing free of hidden fees or hefty contracts, you’ll know exactly what you’re signing up for at every step of the way.

Visit Square online to learn more about how its technology can meet the complex needs of your business.