Latest news with #Square
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Uncle Sharkii Taps Square to Power Tech-Driven Franchise Growth Across 23 Locations and Counting
Fast-scaling poke and boba chain brings Square's intuitive restaurant tools to its tech-powered Hawaiian food franchise HOUSTON, July 22, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Uncle Sharkii Poke Bar, a leading fast-casual poke and boba franchise rooted in Hawaiian tradition, has partnered with Square to power operations and accelerate franchise expansion across the U.S. Offering customizable poke bowls, boba milk teas, and more, Uncle Sharkii is scaling quickly in malls and high-traffic retail hubs. By adopting Square's all-in-one restaurant platform, the brand is creating a digital-first franchise model that simplifies operations, empowers franchisees, and enhances the customer experience across every touchpoint. Square also gives Uncle Sharkii's growing network of franchisees powerful tools to run smarter, more connected businesses – from a single unit to multiple locations. "Our mission is to offer access to healthy, affordable food for all, and Square gives us the flexibility to grow without complexity," said Raymond Reyes, COO of Uncle Sharkii. "As our franchise network continues to expand into new markets, investing in scalable, user-friendly technology has become a key part of our development strategy. Our prior solution had a lot of gaps that Square has seamlessly helped us fill, making operations easier and delivering stronger ROI for the business. This strategic shift reflects our ongoing commitment to enhancing the experience for both customers and franchisees, across all locations." Uncle Sharkii chose to partner with Square for its intuitive design, comprehensive platform, and robust analytics. Square technology supports both in-store and online channels, delivering a more connected and conversion-ready experience. With Square for Franchises, Uncle Sharkii franchisees get a complete and connected commerce solution to manage sales, inventory, customer engagement, and more across locations – all in a single platform. The platform supports multiple ordering channels – from in-store ordering on Square Register and Square Kiosk, to mobile pickup – creating a seamless experience for customers while giving operators real-time insights into performance and growth. Uncle Sharkii also uses Square Loyalty to create personalized rewards and ensure return customers. "Our partnership with Uncle Sharkii exemplifies how Square's powerful, yet intuitive tools can transform franchise operations and fuel rapid expansion," said Nick Molnar, Global Head of Sales and Marketing at Block, which includes Square and Cash App. "With an integrated platform that brings together everything from payments and operations to loyalty and multi-location management – all working seamlessly as one – we're enabling Uncle Sharkii's franchisees to focus on delivering exceptional Hawaiian-inspired cuisine and scaling their business with confidence." With this rollout, Uncle Sharkii is transforming how it manages its growing franchise network – franchisees are able to streamline their day-to-day operations, while the corporate team now has real-time visibility into performance across all locations. Most importantly, improved order accuracy and centralized menu management elevates the customer experience, allowing staff to focus on what matters most: serving up the flavorful and affordable poke bowls and boba teas that define the Uncle Sharkii brand. "We're building a next-gen quick-service franchise model, and Square helps us stay ahead," said Fen Reyes, CEO and Co-Founder of Uncle Sharkii. "Together, we're delivering a tech-savvy, culture-rich brand that's ready for scale." Learn more about Uncle Sharkii Poke Bar and franchising opportunities, visit or To learn more about Square's technology for food and beverage businesses, visit About Square Square makes commerce and financial services easy and accessible with its integrated ecosystem of commerce solutions. Square offers purpose-built software to run complex restaurant, retail, and professional services operations, versatile e-commerce tools, embedded financial services and banking products, buy now, pay later functionality through Afterpay, staff management and payroll capabilities, and much more – all of which work together to save sellers time and effort. Millions of sellers across the globe trust Square to power their business and help them thrive in the economy. For more information, visit About Uncle Sharkii Poke Bar® Uncle Sharkii Poke Bar® ( is a healthy Hawaiian fast-food franchise featuring its Signature Hawaiian™ Poke Bowls, Boba Milk Teas, & Dole Soft Serve®. The brand was founded in 2018 during an overseas family gathering when the founders' daughter, Melody, was gifted a plush shark by an uncle she never met before. The bond was instantaneous and sealed by celebration over boba milk tea, fried snacks, and ice cream. The founders coined the name Uncle Sharkii and adhere to an authentic focus on 'Ohana "family" culture with the mission of offering a streamlined healthy menu for the family on the go — Poke Bowls Made Simple™. Uncle Sharkii stands firm as one of the only national poke brands to be curated by a local born and raised founder who grew up eating, breathing, and living all the paradisiacal essence that Hawai'i represents. Poke originated from Hawai'i as a snack for fishermen. Currently Uncle Sharkii has open locations in the heart of Hawaii, California, Utah, and Texas, with signed locations in Arizona and Nevada. The brand touts itself as one of the fastest growing quick service restaurants serving Hawaiian poke today. With low startup costs, quicker return on investment, comprehensive training, a simple menu, and a sense of community, Uncle Sharkii aims to revolutionize the Hawaiian poke industry from inspiration to reality. The company is actively expanding throughout the United States and internationally. Interested individuals can learn more about franchise opportunities at Follow Uncle Sharkii Poke Bar® on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and TikTok. View source version on Contacts press@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
UPI
a day ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
'Shape Island' stop-motion series renewed for Season 2
Apple TV+ announced a second season of "Shape Island" on Monday. Photo courtesy of Apple TV+ July 21 (UPI) -- Apple TV+ announced Monday that the kids stop-motion series Shape Island is returning for a sophomore season. Season 2 arrives on the streamer Aug 29. Shape Island takes its inspiration from the picture books created by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen -- who are also the show's creators and executive producers. "Join serious Square, intrepid Circle and tricky Triangle as they dig up some fun, search for answers and build on their friendship -- all while learning how to navigate each other's differences. Shape Island shows kids that friendship can take many shapes," an official synopsis reads. The voice cast includes Yvette Nicole Brown, Harvey Guillen, Scott Adsit and Gideon Adlon.
Reuters
a day ago
- Business
- Reuters
Block rises on S&P 500 inclusion, signaling fintech's growing clout
July 21 (Reuters) - Tech billionaire Jack Dorsey-led Block's (XYZ.N), opens new tab shares rose 7% in morning trading on Monday after the payments firm was added to the benchmark S&P 500 (.SPX), opens new tab, marking a milestone for the fintech sector. The inclusion cements Block's status as one of the most valuable and influential players in the fintech space, and shows how digital payments and financial apps have moved into the mainstream and disrupted traditional banking models in the U.S. Block -- with a market value of about $44.8 billion -- will replace Hess Corp, following its $55 billion merger with oil major Chevron (CVX.N), opens new tab. The change takes effect before trading begins on Wednesday, S&P Dow Jones Indices said. Shares of a company often rise after being added to the S&P 500 as index-tracking funds are required to add them to their portfolio, boosting demand for the stock. J.P. Morgan estimates that Block's inclusion should drive net indexer demand of 54.2 million shares of the company. "We believe XYZ (Block) deserves a higher multiple given recent momentum around product velocity and marketing efforts, and joining S&P 500 helps." Co-founded by Jack Dorsey in 2009 as Square, the company rebranded to Block in 2021 to reflect its broader focus on blockchain technology. Block sits at the intersection of traditional payments and digital assets, with products spanning from point-of-sale systems, peer-to-peer transfers and bitcoin services. "The nod to join the S&P 500 highlights Block's history of innovation, profitability, and ongoing margin improvement," Stephen Biggar, analyst at Argus Research told Reuters, adding that it also reflects the rapid growth of firms in the fintech and payment processing industries. Crypto payments have also gained momentum this year and are expected to grow further after U.S. President Donald Trump signed a law on Friday establishing a regulatory framework for dollar-pegged stablecoins, a milestone that could help make digital assets a routine way to pay and transfer money.
CNA
a day ago
- Business
- CNA
Block rises on S&P 500 inclusion, signaling fintech's growing clout
Tech billionaire Jack Dorsey-led Block's shares rose 7 per cent in morning trading on Monday after the payments firm was added to the benchmark S&P 500, marking a milestone for the fintech sector. The inclusion cements Block's status as one of the most valuable and influential players in the fintech space, and shows how digital payments and financial apps have moved into the mainstream and disrupted traditional banking models in the U.S. Block - with a market value of about $44.8 billion - will replace Hess Corp, following its $55 billion merger with oil major Chevron. The change takes effect before trading begins on Wednesday, S&P Dow Jones Indices said. Shares of a company often rise after being added to the S&P 500 as index-tracking funds are required to add them to their portfolio, boosting demand for the stock. J.P. Morgan estimates that Block's inclusion should drive net indexer demand of 54.2 million shares of the company. "We believe XYZ (Block) deserves a higher multiple given recent momentum around product velocity and marketing efforts, and joining S&P 500 helps." Co-founded by Jack Dorsey in 2009 as Square, the company rebranded to Block in 2021 to reflect its broader focus on blockchain technology. Block sits at the intersection of traditional payments and digital assets, with products spanning from point-of-sale systems, peer-to-peer transfers and bitcoin services. "The nod to join the S&P 500 highlights Block's history of innovation, profitability, and ongoing margin improvement," Stephen Biggar, analyst at Argus Research told Reuters, adding that it also reflects the rapid growth of firms in the fintech and payment processing industries. Crypto payments have also gained momentum this year and are expected to grow further after U.S. President Donald Trump signed a law on Friday establishing a regulatory framework for dollar-pegged stablecoins, a milestone that could help make digital assets a routine way to pay and transfer money.
Forbes
a day ago
- Business
- Forbes
PM's Guide To Running Meetings That Don't Make People Want To Quit
Ishaan Agarwal, Senior Product Manager at Square. Let's talk about meetings. Actually, let's talk about why everyone hates them. You know the feeling. That calendar notification pops up and your soul dies a little. Another hour of your life is about to vanish into the corporate void. The thing is, as product managers, we're often the ones sending those soul-crushing invites. We're the meeting makers. But here's the uncomfortable truth. Meetings aren't inherently evil. Bad meetings are evil. And most meetings are really, really bad. Microsoft researchers found that ineffective meetings are the number one productivity killer in modern workplaces. When people quit jobs, they don't usually cite "too many meetings" as the reason. But dig deeper into exit interviews about "lack of work-life balance" or "inability to get work done," and guess what you'll find? Meetings. Always meetings. Start With Why (No, Really) Every meeting needs a purpose. Not a vague purpose like "discuss Q4 roadmap." A real purpose. What decision needs to be made? What problem needs to be solved? If you can't articulate this in one sentence, cancel the meeting. Here's a simple test. Before scheduling, ask yourself: "What will be different after this meeting?" If the answer is "Everyone will be informed about X," send an email. If the answer is "We'll feel good about alignment," please don't. But if the answer is "We'll have decided between option A and option B," now you're talking. Product managers love to schedule "sync meetings." Stop it. Synchronous time is expensive. A one-hour meeting with six people isn't a one-hour meeting. It's six hours of human potential. Treat it that way. The Guest List Matters More Than You Think Who really needs to be there? I mean, really, not who might have feelings about not being invited or who traditionally attends these things. Who actually needs to be in the room for the decision to happen? There's this weird corporate thing where meeting invites become status symbols. So, here's what you do. You create two lists. Required attendees who need to be there for the meeting to achieve its purpose and optional attendees who might find it useful but aren't essential. Then, tell the optional folks they're truly optional. Write it in the invite: "You're optional for this one. I'll send detailed notes after." Watch what happens. Half won't show up. And the ones who do actually want to be there. Write It Down First You've heard about Amazon's memo culture. Most companies try this and fail spectacularly. They write the memo, then still have the meeting where everyone discusses what they just read. That's missing the point. Writing forces clarity. When you have to put your thoughts into complete sentences, you realize half of them don't make sense. So, write stuff down before the meeting, but not six pages. Write maybe six paragraphs: what's being decided and the context, options and trade-offs. Send it 24 hours before. Give people time to think. Run It Like You Respect People's Time Start on time. If the meeting starts at 2:00, you start talking at 2:00. Not 2:03 when Steve finally joins. The people who showed up on time? They matter. End early. Never end late. If you scheduled 30 minutes and you're done in 20, give people 10 minutes back. They'll love you for it. If you need more time than scheduled, tough. You failed at planning. Keep a parking lot. Someone starts going down a rabbit hole about technical implementation when you're trying to decide on pricing? Parking lot. Write it down, promise to address it later and move on. The Follow-Through That Everyone Forgets The meeting ends. Decisions were made. Actions were assigned. Then, nothing happens. Why? Because nobody wrote anything down. Or they wrote it down but didn't share it. Within two hours of the meeting ending, send a summary, not a transcript. Include what was decided, who's doing what and by when—three paragraphs max. Then, follow up. That action item Jim took? Check on it, but not in a micromanaging way. Ask in a "Hey, need any help?" way. Most action items die from forgetfulness, not malice. The Nuclear Option Sometimes, you end up in meeting hell—back-to-backs all day with no time to think. When this happens, you need the nuclear option. Cancel everything for a week. Send a note: "Meeting reset. If your meeting is critical, please reschedule with a clear agenda and outcome." Half the meetings won't come back. The ones that do? They come back better with a clearer purpose and a smaller group. It's like spring cleaning for your calendar. The Reality Check Meetings aren't going away. We need to align, decide and create together. But we don't need to do it badly. The next time you're about to send that meeting invite, pause. Ask yourself if this is really the best way to achieve what you're trying to achieve. If it is, make it count. Because here's the thing about being a product manager. You're not just building products. You're building culture. Every terrible meeting you run—that's the culture you're building. Every efficient, purposeful, respectful meeting—that's culture, too. Choose wisely. Your team's sanity depends on it. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
