A POS system is only as powerful as what you build around it.
While Square provides a strong foundation for payments, order management, and reporting, its app ecosystem is what allows restaurants to customize operations, improve efficiency, and scale more effectively.
From inventory and labor tools to accounting and compliance solutions, Square POS apps help fill operational gaps and reduce manual work.
In this post, we’ll highlight key categories of Square integrations and the types of apps that can support restaurant growth, including how DAVO by Avalara helps automate sales tax filing, and remitting behind the scenes.
Why restaurants need Square POS apps
No single POS system can do everything. As restaurants grow, they often need additional tools to manage:
- Inventory and purchasing
- Staff scheduling and payroll
- Accounting and bookkeeping
- Online ordering and delivery
- Sales tax compliance
Square’s app marketplace allows businesses to connect these tools directly to their POS system, creating a more complete and efficient tech stack.
Instead of juggling disconnected systems, data flows between platforms, reducing duplicate work and improving accuracy.
Inventory management apps
Managing inventory manually can quickly become time-consuming and error-prone. Inventory apps that integrate with Square help restaurants:
- Track ingredient and product levels in real time
- Automate purchase orders
- Reduce waste and over-ordering
- Improve cost control
For restaurants with large or frequently changing menus, these tools provide better visibility into food costs and inventory trends. Here are a few commonly used options:
- Square Restaurant Inventory by MarketMan: This tool tracks inventory at the ingredient level and connects it directly to your sales. It also helps manage vendors and purchase orders while giving you visibility into food costs and margins.
- Thrive Inventory by Shopventory: Thrive Inventory focuses on real-time tracking across locations. It helps you monitor stock levels, set low stock alerts, and manage transfers with clear reporting.
- BevSpot: BevSpot is designed for beverage programs. It tracks inventory and costs, monitors usage, and helps manage ordering and supplier relationships.
Employee management and scheduling apps
Labor is one of the largest expenses for restaurants, making efficient staff management critical. Scheduling and workforce management apps can help:
- Build and manage employee schedules
- Track hours and attendance
- Forecast labor needs based on sales trends
- Streamline payroll processes
When connected to Square, these tools align staffing with real-time sales data, helping operators control labor costs while maintaining service quality. Popular Square apps include:
- Homebase: Homebase focuses on hourly teams and shift management. It helps you build schedules, track time, and communicate with staff in one place. Because it connects to Square, you can align schedules with expected sales.
- 7shifts: 7shifts is built specifically for restaurants. It helps you create schedules based on sales forecasts, manage labor costs, and track team performance. It’s a strong fit for restaurants that want more control over staffing.
- Deputy: Deputy supports scheduling, time tracking, and compliance. It helps you manage shifts, track hours, and stay on top of labor rules. This can be useful for businesses with more complex staffing needs.
Square also offers built-in employee management tools, which include time tracking, team permissions, and simple scheduling. These features are available through Square’s Shifts and Team Management tools and may come at an additional cost depending on the functionality you need.
Make your sales tax less taxing with DAVO.
Accounting and financial apps
Accurate financial tracking is essential for any restaurant. Accounting integrations with Square allow businesses to:
- Sync sales data automatically
- Track revenue and expenses
- Simplify bookkeeping
- Prepare for tax reporting
These apps reduce manual data entry and help ensure financial records stay accurate and up to date. Here are a few well-known accounting apps that integrate well with Square:
- QuickBooks: QuickBooks is a widely used accounting platform for small and mid-sized businesses. It syncs sales data from Square, helps track income and expenses, and supports day-to-day bookkeeping.
- Xero: Xero focuses on simple, cloud-based accounting. It helps you manage financial data, reconcile transactions, and keep records up to date without manual entry.
- FreshBooks: FreshBooks is known for its ease of use. It helps track income, manage expenses, and generate financial reports, making it a good option for smaller teams.
If you are entering data manually or reconciling transactions by hand, an integration can save time and improve accuracy. If you already work with an accountant, choose a tool they are familiar with.
Online ordering and delivery integrations
Online ordering and delivery have become a core part of how many restaurants operate. Managing those orders across multiple platforms can quickly get complicated. Apps that integrate with Square help bring those orders into one system, so your team doesn’t have to manage them separately. When connected to Square, these apps can support:
- Centralize incoming online orders
- Menu syncing across channels
- Assist with order aggregation
- Reduce the need for manual entry
These integrations help streamline operations and reduce errors. Popular online ordering and delivery integrations include:
- DoorDash: DoorDash helps restaurants reach more customers through delivery. When integrated with Square, orders can flow directly into your POS, reducing the need to re-enter them manually.
- Uber Eats: Uber Eats is another widely used delivery platform. Integration with Square helps centralize orders and keep menu items in sync across systems.
- Chowly: Chowly focuses on order aggregation. It connects multiple delivery platforms to Square so orders from different services flow into one system, helping reduce errors and streamline operations.
If most of your orders come directly through your website, Square’s built-in tools may be enough. If you rely on third-party delivery platforms, integrations can help reduce manual work and keep orders organized.
Reporting and analytics tools
Understanding your data helps you make better decisions, while Square includes built-in reporting, some restaurants need deeper insights. Advanced analytics apps can provide:
- Custom dashboards
- Detailed performance tracking
- Multi-location comparisons
- Forecasting tools
Square already includes built-in reporting tools that show sales, transactions, and trends. For many businesses, this is a useful starting point. As your needs grow, additional tools can provide more detailed insights and customization. A few reporting and analytics tools to consider include:
- Tenzo: Tenzo is designed for restaurants that want more visibility into performance. It combines POS data with other sources to help you track trends, monitor key metrics, and make data-driven decisions.
- Restaurant365: Restaurant365 provides more advanced reporting along with accounting and operational insights. It’s often used by larger or multi-location restaurants that need a more complete view of performance.
If you want a quick view of sales and trends, Square’s built-in reporting may be enough. If you need deeper insights or want to combine data from multiple systems, an analytics app can help.
Sales tax automation with DAVO
Sales tax is one of the most important, and often most overlooked, parts of restaurant operations. While Square tracks sales and tax collected, businesses are still responsible for:
- Setting aside the correct tax amount
- Automatically preparing and file return
- Initiating payments on the required schedules per jurisdiction.
That is where DAVO plays a key role within the Square app ecosystem. DAVO integrates with Square to:
- Automatically pull sales tax data from transactions
- Set aside the exact amount owed daily
- File and pay sales tax on your behalf
This removes the need for manual calculations and helps reduce the risk of missed deadlines, mismanaged cash flow, or filing errors.
Building a connected restaurant tech stack
The real value of Square POS apps comes from how they work together. By integrating the right tools, restaurants can create a connected system where:
- Orders flow seamlessly through operations
- Financial data stays accurate and up to date
- Staff scheduling aligns with demand
- Compliance tasks are handled automatically
Instead of adding complexity, the right integrations simplify daily operations and allow teams to focus on service and growth.
Choosing the right Square apps for your business
Not every restaurant needs every integration. When evaluating Square POS apps, consider:
- Your service model and operational complexity
- Where manual work is slowing you down
- Which processes are most prone to errors
- What data do you need to make better decisions
Starting with the right core tools and adding integrations over time allows your tech stack to grow with your business.
A smarter way to manage operations and compliance
Square provides a strong operational foundation, but its app ecosystem is what allows restaurants to truly optimize performance.
By combining operational tools with sales tax automation software like DAVO, restaurants can streamline both front-of-house and back-office processes.
Whether you are looking to improve efficiency, gain better insights, or simplify compliance, Square POS apps make it possible to build a system that works the way your restaurant operates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Square integrate with other apps?
Yes. Square integrates with a wide range of third-party applications that help businesses manage accounting, inventory, e-commerce, marketing, payroll, employee management, delivery, and sales tax. Businesses can browse the Square App Marketplace to find integrations that fit their operational needs.
What Square apps should a restaurant use?
The best Square apps depend on your restaurant’s needs. Many restaurants use apps for inventory management, online ordering, delivery, employee scheduling, marketing, and accounting. Restaurants looking to simplify sales tax compliance can also integrate with DAVO by Avalara to automate the filing and payment of sales tax.
How do I find apps for Square?
Businesses can discover compatible apps by visiting the Square App Marketplace from their Square Dashboard or the Square website. Apps can be browsed by category, business type, or feature, making it easier to find solutions that support specific operational needs.
How do I integrate apps with Square?
Most Square integrations can be connected through the Square App Marketplace. After selecting an app, you’ll typically sign in to your Square account, authorize the connection, and follow the app’s setup instructions. Once connected, many apps automatically sync data with Square, reducing manual work and helping keep business information up to date.
