Square Adds Drive-Thru to the Menu to Help Quick-Service Restaurants Improve Speed and Efficiency
New end-to-end drive-thru solution is designed to help QSRs reduce wait times and improve order accuracy; platform enhancements simplify reporting and day-to-day workflows for upmarket operators
Square today unveiled Square for Drive-Thru, a fully integrated solution that brings together order capture, kitchen operations, and customer handoff into a single, streamlined workflow. Built in partnership with The Howard Company and Nanonation, Square for Drive-Thru is purpose-built to help quick-service restaurant (QSR) operators with one of their most critical sales channels – enabling them to reduce bottlenecks, minimize errors, and deliver faster service during their busiest hours.
Built on Square for Restaurants, Square for Drive-Thru connects order-taking, kitchen prep, and handoff across Square's point of sale and kitchen display systems. For guests, orders placed at the menu board instantly appear on an order confirmation screen, giving them real-time visibility into their order. For staff, KDS routing sends orders directly to the appropriate kitchen station while automatic order numbering labels each one, ensuring team members know what to prepare and helping the right order reach the right customer, which is especially critical during busy periods. And as part of Square's unified platform, Square for Drive-Thru integrates with reporting, cash flow tools, marketing, and customer engagement solutions, while open APIs allow operators to continue using their preferred third-party tools without re-working their backend – delivering a complete, flexible business system beyond just the drive-thru lane.
For QSRs, drive-thru is where speed and accuracy matter most. Slow lanes and mixed-up orders don't just frustrate a single customer – they create a ripple effect that impacts throughput, staff coordination, and the bottom line. That's why Square built Square for Drive-Thru in partnership with The Howard Company and Nanonation, trusted providers of drive-thru infrastructure and digital signage with decades of experience. Square is combining its powerful point of sale, kitchen workflows, payments, and reporting capabilities with The Howard Company and Nanonation's digital menu boards, order confirmation systems, and installation expertise to provide sellers with an end-to-end solution for high-volume drive-thru operations.
"We're a drive-thru-first concept, so bringing Square's ease-of-use and efficiency to our primary sales channel has been huge," said John-Michael Johnson, franchisee of PJ's Coffee Fort Mill. "Square for Drive-Thru is great for both our customers and staff. Customers can see their entire order on the Order Confirmation Screen, including modifiers and customizations, giving them confidence and helping our staff catch mistakes immediately. Automatic order numbering and the ability to easily search and add items make it easy for our team to move through orders quickly during peak hours, even with a large menu."
"We've always felt the best technology is invisible technology, something our team doesn't have to spend a lot of time learning or thinking about because it just works," said Jason Thoma, the director of IT for Steak Escape. "Square delivers on that, and it's been great to bring that ease-of-use and simplicity to our drive-thru, where speed and stability really matter to the guest experience."
Beyond Square for Drive-Thru, Square also introduced a number of additional features and updates to help restaurants streamline operations, including:
- Square is opening up its Reporting API to external developers, giving restaurant groups and multi-location operators the ability to programmatically access Square reporting data. Instead of pulling data from multiple endpoints or building custom workarounds, the Reporting API provides sellers with the ability to easily get Dashboard-level accuracy within their external business intelligence tools and proprietary systems.
- Combos simplify restaurants' ability to merchandise menu items and categories together – like a burger, fries, and drink – with flexible pricing and built-in customization. Operators can define combos with required item or category slots, set fixed or discounted pricing, and enable customer swaps within each slot. Additionally, built-in upsell pricing can help sellers increase the average ticket size without slowing down the order process.
- Custom Report Builder, now in beta testing, allows restaurants to create and save flexible, personalized reports across sales, items, labor, taxes, and payments directly in Square Dashboard. Operators can choose the metrics, groupings, and filters they want, eliminating the need to export multiple reports and reconcile data in separate spreadsheets.
- With an enhanced Fulfillments workflow, front-of-house and kitchen staff can more easily coordinate across pickup, delivery, and dine-in orders. For restaurants managing multiple order channels simultaneously, the ability to seamlessly collect customer information at checkout, organize orders by fulfillment type in Order Manager, and send order-ready text notifications directly from the POS helps sellers ensure every order reaches the right customer without mix-ups or delays.
- Currently in beta testing, Custom Payment Methods gives restaurants a more customizable, scalable way to quickly record and track non-Square sales from the POS. Rather than rely on the general ‘Other Payment Type' designation, operators can now create custom tender types (like third-party delivery, house accounts, non-Square gift cards, and vouchers) and arrange which tenders appear on the main payment screen to speed up checkout. Custom Payment Methods reduces the need for time-intensive manual reconciliation and enables Square to serve as a single source of truth for all transactions.
"The restaurants that are thriving right now aren't just surviving on great food — they're winning because they've worked hard to build the operational efficiency that allows them to bring stand-out hospitality to the guest experiences that matter the most, no matter how they ordered," said James Schonzeit, Head of Food and Beverage at Square. "For multi-location QSRs, drive-thru is one of those moments that needs to shine. It's where volume meets complexity, and where the right technology can be the difference between repeat customers and those who are one-and-done. With Square for Drive-Thru, we're giving operators the foundation to scale with confidence and reaffirming the fact that Square is the long-term partner multi-location QSRs can rely on as they grow."
Square for Drive-Thru is currently available through an Early Access Program, with broader availability coming this summer. To see Square for Drive-Thru in action and learn how Square powers restaurant operations across the country, visit Square's booth (#6007) at the National Restaurant Association show in Chicago from May 16 to May 19, 2026.
About Square
Square helps businesses turn transactions into connections and businesses into neighborhood favorites.
In 2009, Square started with a simple invention – the first mobile card reader, which changed how the entire financial system thinks about small businesses. Square has since grown into a global business platform helping millions of sellers of all sizes participate and thrive in their communities.
Whether independently run or a global chain, Square understands that sellers succeed when they have the freedom to focus on the experiences that keep customers coming back. From point of sale and payments to online commerce, staff management, cash flow tools, and more, Square brings together the tools sellers need to run and grow on one intelligent platform. For more information, visit squareup.com.
About The Howard Company
Founded in 1950 and headquartered in Brookfield, Wisconsin, The Howard Company is the nation's leading branding signage and technology provider for restaurants, convenience stores, banks, grocers, and other businesses — from independent operators to national chains. As a 100% employee-owned company, Howard pairs 75 years of industry experience with cutting-edge technology to help brands create memorable customer experiences from the curb to the counter. Howard's full-spectrum capabilities include drive-thru systems, digital menu boards, self-ordering kiosks, voice AI, building and architectural signage, interior décor, and point-of-purchase merchandising, all supported by in-house graphic design, commercial printing, and nationwide installation and rollout services. Learn more at howardcompany.com.
About Nanonation
Nanonation's enterprise-class software for digital signage and interactive solutions delivers exceptional customer experiences. With proven tools and technologies to enhance visitor engagement, Nanonation provides its customers with the ability to monitor, measure, and manage each visitor's interaction. The company delivers engaging digital products and custom solutions in the banking, financial services, retail, museums, hospitality, and entertainment markets. Learn more at nanonation.net.
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