How Square helped The De Beauvoir Deli strengthen community connections

Nestled in the heart of De Beauvoir, one of East London’s most beloved neighbourhoods, The De Beauvoir Deli has been serving coffee and carefully curated produce for more than 17 years. Founded by local resident Harry Davies, the business has grown into a beloved community institution, employing nearly 40 people.

The deli uses Square, the all-in-one POS system for payments, point of sale and funding. With Square helping to modernise retail operations, manage inventory and unlock new opportunities, Harry is able to focus on building the next chapter of the business.

Rooted in the neighbourhood

When Harry opened the deli 17 years ago, the local retail landscape looked very different.

“Believe it or not, there wasn’t anywhere to get a decent coffee or a loaf of sourdough. It’s hard to imagine now, but De Beauvoir was an up-and-coming neighbourhood” says Harry, who felt it was exactly the right time to build a retail destination that reflected the community. Now, the deli has a queue every weekend and the high street has a life of its own.

That’s why Square helps keep operations running seamlessly. It does the busy work behind the scenes, so Harry and his team can keep their focus on what matters; building customer relationships. Products like the handheld terminal are the perfect example of this. It allows the team to assist customers anywhere, access product information instantly and deliver a more personalised shopping experience; with all the insights and data they need right in their pocket.

Modernising with Square

As the owner, Harry spends much of his time focused on strategy, operations, and finding new ways to improve the business. Having technology that can evolve alongside the company has become increasingly important – and that’s where Square comes in.

When choosing a point-of-sale system, Harry says one of the biggest determinants was seeing it used by his favourite businesses.

Today, Square powers the deli’s retail operations while giving Harry access to more advanced tools than the systems he’d previously used.

“It’s a lot more advanced and modern compared to what we were using before, and it feels like Square is very responsive to changing shopper behaviour.”

To further benefit businesses, Square released a new AI tool this year, designed to help businesses stay one step ahead of customer needs. The free tool provides real-time sales insights on performance and combines your data with relevant local information such as weather, events and neighbourhood trends, to help inform staffing, inventory and promotions.

For The De Beauvoir Deli, Square’s AI tool helps identify peaks in sales, helping them stay stocked and ready for busy periods, for example, “What is our bestselling sandwich when the weather is warm?” or “What are our most popular brunch items during bank holidays?”.