Square’s New Offering Helps Restaurants Manage Omnichannel Orders

Square, which offers payment products to all types of merchants, said its latest offering will display and organize restaurant order tickets no matter where they’re placed. The company’s new Square KDS, or Kitchen Display System software, will take care of tickets placed via a restaurant’s point-of-sale setup, a Square website or online ordering platforms like DoorDash and Postmates.

The company said in a press release that Square KDS is designed to help kitchen owners and operators more efficiently manage their work: “Ticket timers allow restaurants to stay ahead of the dinner rush, and kitchen performance reports show how long stations are taking to complete orders, resulting in faster, more accurate performance across the board.”

“Square KDS is built to help restaurants improve front- and back-of-house communication, improve ticket times and manage order flow from one central location,” said Bruce Bell, head of restaurant products at Square.

The release stated that Square is offering a “risk-free, 30-day trial” for users of Square for Restaurants Plus: “The Square for Restaurant’s Plus plan starts at $60 per location, per month, with the option to add an unlimited number of KDS devices at no extra charge.”

The company said it has responded to the COVID-19 crisis by allowing restaurants to deal with their orders “however it makes the most sense for their business — whether that’s via curbside pickup, local delivery, on-demand delivery or self-serve ordering through QR codes.”

Square unveiled its QR code-based ordering setup this fall for restaurants using Square Online. The feature lets customers place orders through their mobile devices, steering clear of unnecessary physical contact with staff. Square Online sellers in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Australia can now use the self-serve-ordering feature, the company said at the time.

As for its business, Square has been on a roll. The company’s total third-quarter net revenues of $3 billion were up from $1.9 billion last year — and significantly better than the $2 billion the Street had expected.

“We continue to believe that our seller and cash app ecosystems are well-positioned to benefit” from consumers’ switch to omnichannel commerce, contactless payments and digital wallets, the company added.