Square for Restaurants, set up for how bars and pubs actually run

Square describes its restaurant POS as "a business technology solution built for single- and multi-location full-service restaurants, quick-service restaurants, fast-casual restaurants, bars, breweries, and multi-concept restaurants." Preauthorized tabs replace holding cards behind the bar, and dark mode suits low light. Roots Payments, an independent Square Reseller, sets it up and supports it for bars and pubs.
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Payment solutions for bars & pubs

How each solution supports bars & pubs

See what each option adds to the way your business takes and tracks payments.

Square for Restaurants

For bars & pubs: Organize bar tabs, cover charges and private events with menu modifiers, kitchen routing and front-of-house checks in one restaurant workflow. Square describes its restaurant POS as "a business technology solution built for single- and multi-location full-service restaurants, quick-service restaurants, fast-casual restaurants, bars, breweries, and multi-concept restaurants." Preauthorized tabs replace holding cards behind the bar, and dark mode suits low light. Roots Payments, an independent Square Reseller, sets it up and supports it for bars and pubs.
  • Recommend the Square plan and device mix that fits your service style
  • Build menus, modifiers, taxes, service charges and tip settings before opening day
  • Configure floor plans, printer and KDS routing, and team permissions

Square Hardware Setup

For bars & pubs: Choose and configure Square checkout equipment for bar tabs, cover charges and private events, including counter, mobile and staff workflows. Square describes Square Register as a way to "run your entire business right out of the box with a fully integrated, two-screen solution," and Square Handheld as "the powerful, feature-packed POS that fits in your pocket." A Register at the well plus Handhelds on the floor covers most bars. Roots Payments, an independent Square Reseller, sets it up and supports it for bars and pubs.
  • Recommend a device mix for your layout; you purchase directly from Square
  • Plan network, power and mounting before install day
  • Configure devices, printer profiles and device codes
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Square KDS

For bars & pubs: Route bar tabs, cover charges and private events to kitchen displays so preparation teams can follow tickets and order status. Square describes Square KDS as "an efficient kitchen display system you can rely on. Organize and fulfill orders from anywhere, in one affordable solution." Drink orders from the floor route to the right bar station through a kitchen display. Roots Payments, an independent Square Reseller, sets it up and supports it for bars and pubs.
  • Map your line (stations, expo, bar) and route each item category
  • Mount and network KDS devices and test ticket flow before service
  • Tune timers, colors and bump behavior with your kitchen lead
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Square Staff

For bars & pubs: Set roles, permissions and schedules for bartenders, door staff and managers, with a clearer view of staffing across shifts. Square says its staff tools let you "set availability, add shifts, manage time-off requests, and publish schedules for your entire team." Tip pooling and auto-gratuity for large parties keep bartenders and barbacks paid fairly. Roots Payments, an independent Square Reseller, sets it up and supports it for bars and pubs.
  • Set up roles, permissions and pay rates
  • Configure tip pooling rules and cash-tip declarations
  • Build your first schedules and train managers on the Team app
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Square Payroll

For bars & pubs: Organize payroll for bartenders, door staff and managers, using staff and time records to prepare pay runs. Square says Square Payroll lets you "pay employees from your dashboard, import timecards and tips, and process payroll faster." Card and declared cash tips import into payroll. Roots Payments, an independent Square Reseller, sets it up and supports it for bars and pubs.
  • Set up pay rates, jobs and tip eligibility for every role
  • Configure tip importing and cash-tip declaration
  • Run a parallel test pay run before your first live payroll
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Square Inventory

For bars & pubs: Track branded merchandise and packaged beverages with item-level stock records and replenishment workflows. Square describes inventory tracking as a way to "track stock, costs, and product availability." Item counts and cost reports show which drinks earn their shelf space. Roots Payments, an independent Square Reseller, sets it up and supports it for bars and pubs.
  • Decide which items to track by count and which to track by ingredient
  • Load unit costs and vendors, and set reorder points
  • Set up auto 86 so sold-out items disappear from every channel
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Square Marketing

For bars & pubs: Build opt-in campaigns for bar tabs, cover charges and private events, from new offerings to reminders for returning customers. Square says you can "send unlimited one-time and automatic email campaigns with prebuilt, customizable campaigns" and send one-time and automatic text message campaigns. Texts and emails promote trivia, live music and new taps. Roots Payments, an independent Square Reseller, sets it up and supports it for bars and pubs.
  • Segment your customer list and set up the core automated campaigns
  • Write campaign copy and offers for your seasonal calendar
  • Set up consent capture for text marketing at checkout
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Cash Discount Program

For bars & pubs: Design a clearly presented cash-price program for bar tabs, cover charges and private events, with checkout wording and receipts aligned. A cash discount program posts the card price as the regular price and gives customers who pay cash a discount, which helps offset processing costs. A disclosed cash discount program can offset processing costs on high-volume rounds.
  • Review your state's rules and card-network requirements with you
  • Reprice menus so the posted price is the card price
  • Program terminals and receipts and install signage
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Credit Card Surcharging

For bars & pubs: Plan credit-card surcharge disclosures for bar tabs, cover charges and private events, keeping eligible card payments distinct at checkout. Surcharging adds a disclosed fee to credit card payments to offset acceptance costs. Card-network rules limit it to credit cards and cap it at 3% or your cost of acceptance, whichever is lower. Where permitted, a capped, disclosed credit card surcharge offsets acceptance costs.
  • Check your state's surcharge rules before anything goes live
  • Handle acquirer notification and card-brand requirements
  • Program debit detection and receipt line items
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Instant Payouts

For bars & pubs: Plan faster disbursements to event DJs and hospitality contractors, matching each transfer to approved earnings or completed work. Tip payouts send staff their card tips at the end of a shift by debit card or bank transfer instead of cash from the drawer, provided through our licensed banking and money-transmission partners. Roots Payments is not a bank or money transmitter. Card tips can go to bartenders at shift end without cash from the drawer, through our licensed partners.
  • Design the tip-out schedule with your payroll provider
  • Onboard staff through our partners' verification
  • Connect tip data from your POS
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Square for Restaurants questions

Questions bar owners ask us before switching.
Square restaurant tools cover menus, orders and checkout. Roots configures the service workflow around your menu, staff and ordering channels.
Yes. We review your prep stations and ticket flow, then configure the selected kitchen display or printing workflow and train staff.
Bring your menu, modifiers, service model and kitchen stations. Roots uses these details to plan the workflow for bars & pubs and prepare a clear setup scope.
See Square’s official pages for current software, hardware and processing prices. Request a quote for your Roots setup or custom project. Consultations and payment reviews are free.

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Talk to a bar payments specialistAll bars & pubs solutions