Square has initiated a collaboration with Sysco, a leading food service distributor, to enhance restaurants’ technological offerings. Announced on December 18, this partnership integrates Square into the Sysco Restaurant Solutions program, where its suite of technologies will be actively promoted, co-marketed, and distributed to Sysco’s clientele.
This strategic alliance enables Square and Sysco to deliver advanced technology solutions to various restaurants. Alongside this partnership, Square has also unveiled new features specifically for restaurant operations, which are set to be fully operational early next year.
Key Takeaways
- Strategic Partnership for Enhanced Efficiency: Square and Sysco have joined forces to improve operational efficiency and cash flow for restaurants globally, providing restaurateurs with increased access to advanced technology solutions.
- Innovative Features for Restaurant Operations: Square has introduced key features like Bar Tabs, Instant Payouts, and House Accounts to address common challenges, including cash flow issues, customer management, and operational efficiency.
- Sysco’s Role in Expanding Square’s Reach: Through Sysco’s Restaurant Solutions program, Square’s suite of technology will be promoted and sold, expanding access to tools designed to streamline operations and support restaurant growth.
- Flexible and Adaptive Technology Adoption: Square for Restaurants sellers can leverage Release Manager to implement new features at a customized pace, ensuring seamless integration without disrupting daily operations.
Square and Sysco Partner to Transform Restaurant Operations with Advanced Technology Solutions
Square, a leading payment solutions provider and business management tool, has announced a strategic partnership with Sysco, a global foodservice distributor, to enhance operational efficiency and improve restaurant cash flow. This will significantly increase technological access for restaurants globally, making restaurateurs more apt to the “digital outbreak.”

Square has been at the forefront of innovation for over ten years, offering products that help food and beverage operators optimize their processes and expand their enterprises. Square is poised to extend its sophisticated, user-friendly technological solutions to a broader network of restaurants worldwide through its latest partnership with Sysco.
Sysco, renowned for its comprehensive support services for food service operators, will now promote and sell Square’s suite of technology solutions through its Sysco Restaurant Solutions program. This collaboration aims to bring Square’s intuitive and powerful tools to a broader range of restaurants worldwide, enabling them to streamline operations and discover new growth opportunities.
Neil Russell, Chief Administrative Officer at Sysco, emphasized that Sysco is dedicated to supporting its customers’ success with innovative solutions and advanced technology. He highlighted that Square’s technology suite is comprehensive and user-friendly for operators and their teams. Russell expressed confidence that these solutions will enable food and beverage enterprises to operate more efficiently, enhance productivity, and discover new growth opportunities.
In conjunction with the partnership, Square has introduced several new features tailored to address common challenges faced by restaurants and bars:
- Bar Tabs:
This feature allows establishments like bars and breweries to preauthorize bar tabs when customers pay with credit cards or digital wallets. It eliminates the need to hold physical cards, which can be cumbersome and risky as customers often forget to close their tabs, leading to operational headaches.
Eric Lurwick, General Manager at Cisco Brewers in Nantucket, discussed the challenges of managing customer credit cards at the bar, noting that typically, 20-30 patrons nightly forget to close their tabs. Eager to find a solution, Cisco Brewers partnered with Square to pilot the Bar Tabs feature at their locations. Lurwick emphasized the collaborative effort with Square, providing essential feedback to refine the product. Implementing Bar Tabs has significantly improved the experience for Cisco employees and their customers.
- Instant Payouts:
Addressing a critical pain point in cash flow, Instant Payouts enable restaurants using Square Checking to receive funds instantly from orders made through third-party delivery platforms like Uber Eats or DoorDash without additional fees. This feature is crucial for restaurants as it provides immediate access to revenue, thereby helping with liquidity and enabling quicker inventory restocking and staff payments.
Typically, restaurants could wait up to 11 days to receive funds from third-party platforms, but Instant Payouts makes the money available in their accounts immediately after order processing. Instant Payouts is now accessible for Square for Restaurants Plus and Premium merchants who use DoorDash or UberEats through Square, and plans are in place to expand this feature to include additional third-party providers in 2025.
- House Accounts:
Square has introduced the ability for sellers to set up House Accounts for regular or institutional clients. This feature allows for flexible invoicing schedules and encourages stronger customer relationships by providing a more personalized service. It’s designed to make transactions smoother by allowing trusted clients to pay on a schedule that suits both parties, thereby easing operational pressures.
Square for Restaurants sellers can utilize Square’s Release Manager, allowing them to adopt new features at a pace that suits their business needs. This flexibility ensures operators can adequately prepare their staff for upcoming changes, maintain smooth operations, and introduce new functionalities without disrupting service.
Ming-Tai Huh, the Head of Food and Beverage at Square, highlighted that their sellers face a dynamic and complex restaurant environment daily. He emphasized Square’s commitment to understanding and addressing its sellers’ challenges and needs by developing solutions that simplify operations. Huh stressed the importance of offering advantages to businesses, such as time savings or faster access to revenue without additional fees, as crucial support to help them thrive.
About Square

Block, Inc., formerly known as Square, Inc., is a distinguished financial technology company celebrated for its cutting-edge point-of-sale (POS) systems, primarily serving small businesses. Founded in 2009 by Jack Dorsey and Jim McKelvey, Block has become an essential part of the U.S. market by providing tools that help merchants accept card payments, manage operations, track sales, and access financial services such as loans. In December 2021, the company rebranded to Block, Inc., broadening its focus to encompass a wider array of financial products and services and enhancing its commitment to empowering individuals and businesses with more cohesive financial solutions.
Block’s POS system simplifies operations for both online and brick-and-mortar sellers, aiding various business processes from payment processing to inventory management. The company’s expanding portfolio also includes the popular Cash App, which facilitates peer-to-peer payment transactions, and TIDAL, a music streaming service, which showcases Block’s strategy to diversify its offerings. Block continues to be a leader in fintech innovation, delivering comprehensive solutions that support the economic activities of millions around the world.
About Sysco

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Based in Houston, Texas, Sysco Corporation is the world’s leading food service distributor and the largest broad-line food distributor globally. The company, founded to cater to various food service venues, including restaurants, hospitals, schools, and hotels, offers a vast array of products ranging from food items to kitchen equipment and tabletop items. Sysco’s extensive distribution network is designed to efficiently meet the needs of its diverse global clientele, ensuring timely delivery and service across multiple sectors.
Sysco’s operations are extensive and well-organized, with broadline operations distributing a complete range of food and numerous non-food products to various customer segments. The company also addresses specialized needs through its Sysco Specialty Companies and boasts a significant international footprint, serving customers in over 90 countries. This broad reach highlights Sysco’s critical role in the food service industry, providing essential supply chain services that sustain food service operations worldwide.
Conclusion
The partnership between Square and Sysco marks a significant step forward in equipping restaurants with tools to enhance efficiency and address everyday operational challenges. By integrating Square’s advanced technology suite into Sysco’s Restaurant Solutions program, the collaboration opens new opportunities for restaurants to adopt modern solutions that simplify cash flow management, streamline customer transactions, and foster stronger client relationships.
Square’s introduction of features such as Bar Tabs, Instant Payouts, and House Accounts directly tackles long-standing industry pain points. Bar Tabs provides a seamless way to manage pre-authorized payments, reducing the risk of lost or forgotten customer cards. Instant Payouts offer restaurants immediate access to revenue from third-party delivery services, alleviating cash flow delays and supporting quicker inventory and payroll management. House Accounts further strengthen business relationships through tailored invoicing options that suit both parties.
This partnership underscores a shared commitment to empowering foodservice operators with accessible, user-friendly technology. Sysco’s expansive distribution network ensures that these innovations will reach a broad audience, helping restaurants thrive in an increasingly digital and dynamic environment. Square and Sysco are paving the way for a more efficient, tech-enabled restaurant industry.