Restaurant 101: Start, Grow, Expand

How The Epicurean Trader Manages Multiple Locations and Revenue Streams

Nov 18, 2025 — 3 min read

The Epicurean Trader is a multi-location specialty food-and-beverage retailer in San Francisco. The business trusts Square and third-party tools to help it operate and keep customers satisfied. Read its success story.

Starting Your Business

How to Start a Coffee Shop: A Guide to Success (2025)

by Paige Newberry

Aug 20, 2025 — 18 min read

Dreaming of opening your own coffee shop? This guide walks you through every step — from crafting a unique concept and securing funding to designing your menu, choosing the perfect location, and marketing your café for long-term success.

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Starting Your Business

How To Start a Food Truck Business in 2025

by Square

Aug 14, 2025 — 12 min read

The U.S. food truck industry is booming, with revenues expected to hit $2.8 billion in 2025 and nearly 80,000 trucks already serving up high-quality, affordable eats. If you've ever dreamed of turning your culinary passion into a thriving business on wheels, this comprehensive guide breaks down exactly how to start a food truck — step by step.

Starting Your Business

How to Write a Restaurant Business Plan

by Meredith Galante

Jul 24, 2025 — 14 min read

Thinking of opening a restaurant? This comprehensive guide breaks down how to craft a winning business plan that turns your culinary vision into a thriving, investor-ready venture, with expert insights from seasoned restaurateur Tim Felkner.

Starting Your Business

How to Open a Restaurant: 11 Essential Steps

by Square

Jul 23, 2025 — 10 min read

Ready to turn your culinary dream into a bustling neighborhood favorite? This step-by-step guide walks you through concept, funding, licenses, menu, staffing and marketing — everything you need to know to start a successful restaurant.

Starting Your Business

What You Need to Know About Creating a Hybrid QSR/FSR Restaurant

by Chidinma Nnamani

Jul 30, 2024 — 5 min read

Restaurants aren’t dropping quick-service features that customers have come to love. Instead, restaurant owners are exploring a hybrid QSR and FSR concept.

Starting Your Business

Opening a Restaurant? Follow These Steps to Get Your Business License

by Elizabeth Lefebvre

May 14, 2024 — 3 min read

Obtaining a business license is a key component to opening a restaurant depending on your location. Follow these tips to get one and make your new opening a success.

Operating Your Business

No. 3 Digging In: Rethinking the Restaurant Business Model to Boost Profitability

by Ming-Tai Huh

Apr 24, 2024 — 4 min read

Restaurant owners are expanding their businesses more than ever. Here's how to tackle your plans for growth successfully.

Starting Your Business

How to Stage a Restaurant Soft Opening

by Mary Hohn

Mar 22, 2024 — 4 min read

Thinking about a test-run before the grand opening of your new restaurant? Here are a few things you should know.

Managing Your Finances

Want to Add a Coffee Shop to Your Business? Here Are the Total Costs

by Eric Rosenberg

Mar 11, 2024 — 6 min read

Coffee shop combos are a popular multihyphenate business model. Knowing the total cost of starting one, including start up costs and ongoing expenses, can help you launch successfully.

Operating Your Business

Taziki's Mediterranean Café — Fueling Efficiency for This Scaling Fast-Casual Franchise

by Natalie Zunker

Feb 16, 2024 — 4 min read

As Taziki's Mediterranean Café grew into a franchise model, they needed a way to build customer loyalty and manage several locations with ease.

Starting Your Business

Scaling L’industrie Pizzeria, New York’s Favorite Slice, From Brooklyn to the West Village

by Natalie Zunker

Feb 16, 2024 — 4 min read

Since opening in 2017, this neighborhood slice shop has created a loyal community by focusing on making the best pizza. Now, they've taken their talents to a new neighborhood, expanding their footprint with help from Square.

Operating Your Business

Charting Ggiata’s Growth From Single Cloud Kitchen to Multi-Location Brick-and-Mortar Deli

by Natalie Zunker

Feb 06, 2024 — 4 min read

Opening a new location can feel overwhelming. But with the right team dynamic and technology in place, scaling is seamless. Learn how Ggiata built-up their LA presence with Square restaurant technology.

Starting Your Business

How to Make a Restaurant Menu

by Natalie Zunker

Sep 29, 2023 — 5 min read

Menu-making is an art. Your menu doesn’t just show what your restaurant offers, it reflects the look and feel of your business. It also can have an impact on the sales you bring in. Get started making your restaurant menu with these free templates.

Choc·O·Pain — How Choc·O·Pain Grew to 5 Locations With Square

by Square

Jun 07, 2023 — 2 min read

Choc·O·Pain is a bakery and cafe in Hoboken, New Jersey that has grown to 5 locations and 3.6 million in annual revenue with Square.

Operating Your Business

Masala Wok and Tikka Shack — How Masala Wok and Tikka Shack Expanded to 14 Locations With Square

by Square

Nov 15, 2022 — 2 min read

Founders Pramod Prodduturi and Bhoopal Reddy have used Square to expand their fast-casual restaurants to 14 locations.

Building, Registering, and Opening an F&B Business

Starting Your Business

Tipped — SN.01/EP.02 Building, Registering, and Opening an F&B Business

by Kaitlin Keefer

May 26, 2022 — 9 min

In this episode, JoJo Soprano, COO of Parry Restaurant Group shares insights on all of the financial and legal considerations a new restaurant business owner needs to undertake when opening a restaurant.

The Essential Restaurant Equipment Checklist

Starting Your Business

The Essential Restaurant Equipment Checklist

by Square

Apr 11, 2022 — 3 min read

Creating a list of equipment that meets the requirements of your restaurant’s menu ensures everything will be in place ahead of the big opening day.

Commercial Kitchen Equipment List for Quick-Service Restaurants

Starting Your Business

Commercial Kitchen Equipment List for Quick-Service Restaurants

by Austin Tedesco

Apr 11, 2022 — 4 min read

Here's everything you'll need for setting up your QSR commercial kitchen and fast food restaurant.

Starting Your Business

How Much Does it Cost to Open a Restaurant?

by Square

Sep 23, 2021 — 5 min read

Restaurant startup costs are top of mind for new owners. How much does it really cost to open a restaurant?

Starting Your Business

How to Open a Bar

by Square

Jan 01, 2021 — 5 min read

Whether you are a master mixologist or an enthusiastic entrepreneur, you may have questions about how to open a bar. This guide explains the essentials.

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