For Quick Service Restaurants

Speed at the counter. Kiosks at the wall. Kitchen on rhythm.

Square for Restaurants in QSR mode + KDS + self-order kiosks + commission-free online ordering. Built for the noon rush, not the white-tablecloth dinner.

  • Self-order kiosks lift AOV ~15–20%
  • Commission-free direct ordering with Square Online
  • Cash discount keeps margin on $9 combos

What we hear from operators

The four problems we solve first

01

Third-party delivery is eating the brand

DoorDash and Uber Eats charge 15–30% per order and own the customer relationship. Square Online gives you a branded, commission-free direct-ordering site that integrates with your menu, KDS, and customer list.

02

Counter speed decides revenue

Square QSR mode uses fast-tap modifiers, favorites, and one-tap rebuy. Self-order kiosks at the wall let you handle the rush with the same headcount and tend to lift AOV 15–20%.

03

Kitchen routing on paper kills line speed

Square KDS routes by station (grill, fryer, expo), tracks ticket times, and bumps orders without a printer jam. The line stays on rhythm during a 12pm push.

04

Tip + tipped-employee math is non-trivial

Square handles tip declaration at clock-out, pool/share rules, and Form 8027 reporting (where applicable). Square Payroll integrates the splits into paychecks.

The Square Stack

The exact Square products that fit your business

SugarPay deploys, configures, and supports each of these — billed through Square, activated and trained by us.

  • Square for Restaurants — QSR Mode

    Fast-tap modifiers, favorites, one-tap rebuy, comps, voids, manager overrides, and a layout designed for the counter, not the table.

  • Square Self-Order Kiosk

    Tablet kiosks at the wall let customers order and pay themselves; menu, modifiers, and upsells are configured from the same Square back office.

  • Square KDS

    Routes orders by station, tracks ticket times, fires courses, and replaces the paper-ticket train wreck.

  • Square Online (commission-free)

    Branded direct-ordering site for pickup, delivery, and curbside. Inventory and menu sync with the POS — no separate platform, no commission to a marketplace.

  • Square Loyalty + Marketing

    Punch-card loyalty drives the repeat-visit habit QSR depends on. Marketing automates win-back and limited-time offers across email and SMS.

  • Square Banking + Loans

    Same-day payouts and Square Loan offers based on processing volume — useful capital for new equipment or a second drive-thru lane.

Recommended Hardware

Your kit, decided in five minutes

We'll size the bundle to your footprint and ticket volume. Square Hardware financing is available to spread the spend.

Front counter

Square Register Plus

Dual-screen all-in-one for the counter; customer-facing display for tip prompts, loyalty enrollment, and order confirmation.

Wall / order area

Square Self-Order Kiosk

Tablet kiosk on a stand or wall mount; same menu and price book as the counter; lifts AOV through structured upsell prompts.

Line / expo

Square KDS on iPad / Square Hub

Mounted at expo and station counts. Bumps tickets, tracks times, routes by station.

Backup

Star / Epson kitchen printer

Paper backup for stations that prefer it; routes from Square Restaurants automatically.

Switching from

Why operators move to SugarPay + Square

vs. Toast

Toast is excellent for restaurants but its pricing is opaque and contracts are typically 2–3 years. Square + SugarPay is month-to-month, transparent rack rates (or 0% with Duet), with the same QSR-grade tooling.

vs. Revel

Revel is iPad-based QSR with depth, but multi-year contracts and rep-negotiated processing are the norm. SugarPay + Square is transparent and merchant-favorable.

vs. Touchbistro

Solid for some QSR formats but ecosystem is narrower than Square (no banking, weaker loyalty/marketing).

vs. Lavu

Affordable iPad-based POS but third-party for many features (loyalty, online, payroll). Square is one ecosystem with one bill and one support number.

Detailed comparison pages and migration guides are on the way. In the meantime, tell us your current processor and we'll model the actual savings against your sales.

Vertical FAQ

The questions qsr operators ask first

Will self-order kiosks really lift AOV?

Industry data and Square's own customer studies put kiosk AOV lifts at 15–25% versus counter ordering, mostly from structured upsell prompts customers don't get distracted from. We help you tune the menu and prompt order at onboarding.

Can the same menu run on POS, kiosk, and online?

Yes — one menu, one inventory, one price book across counter, kiosk, online, and KDS. Modifications propagate everywhere.

What about drive-thru?

Square supports a drive-thru workflow with order routing to dedicated KDS displays. For multi-lane drive-thru with sophisticated voice ordering, third-party integrations sit on top of Square.

How long does switchover take for a single-location QSR?

Most are live in 7–14 days end-to-end: menu build, hardware ship, staff training, soft launch, full cutover. Multi-unit phases by location.

Will Dual Pricing scare off customers at $9 combos?

Duet is a cash discount, not a surcharge — your menu price IS the card price; cash customers see an automatic discount. Compliant signage, on-screen disclosure, and receipt language are configured at onboarding.

Quote me my counter.

Tell us your transaction count, AOV, and current POS — we'll quote Standard rates or Duet within one business day.

Get my quote