Uploaded October 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
In this video, we dive into using Square's Catalog API to build a dynamic and sleek order-ahead app for restaurants. Whether you're creating an app for a burger joint or any food and beverage business, understanding how to structure and query a seller’s catalog is crucial.
We walk through the key Catalog object types—ITEMs, IMAGEs, CATEGORYs, and MODIFIERs—and show you how to organize and retrieve the necessary data to display menu items, customizations, and prices.
Watch as we break down common API calls, from querying menu categories to fetching modifier details for item customization. Perfect for developers who are new to Square's APIs or those looking to fine-tune their app with better menu structuring.
Chapters:
0:00 - Intro: Why the Catalog API is key for food and beverage apps
0:47 - Understanding how a restaurant menu is structured
2:06 - Querying menu items using the Search Catalog Objects endpoint
3:17 - Retrieving price data from item variations
4:05 - Fetching modifier data for customizations
5:10 - Conclusion: Tips for working with Square's seller dashboard and API explorer
🔗 Links:
Catalog API docs: developer.squareup.com/docs/catalog-api/what-it-does
In this video, we dive into using Square's Catalog API to build a dynamic and sleek order-ahead app for restaurants. Whether you're creating an app for a burger joint or any food and beverage business, understanding how to structure and query a seller’s catalog is crucial.
We walk through the key Catalog object types—ITEMs, IMAGEs, CATEGORYs, and MODIFIERs—and show you how to organize and retrieve the necessary data to display menu items, customizations, and prices.
Watch as we break down common API calls, from querying menu categories to fetching modifier details for item customization. Perfect for developers who are new to Square's APIs or those looking to fine-tune their app with better menu structuring.
Chapters:
0:00 - Intro: Why the Catalog API is key for food and beverage apps
0:47 - Understanding how a restaurant menu is structured
2:06 - Querying menu items using the Search Catalog Objects endpoint
3:17 - Retrieving price data from item variations
4:05 - Fetching modifier data for customizations
5:10 - Conclusion: Tips for working with Square's seller dashboard and API explorer
🔗 Links:
Catalog API docs: developer.squareup.com/docs/catalog-api/what-it-does








![Main Stage | SimpleTix
Learn how Square seller Aron Kansal used Square to run and grow his business, SimpleTix, during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a global leader in online ticket sales and event registration, Aron found new ways to survive, thrive, and help other business owners succeed during these challenging times.
[TRANSCRIPT]
Aron: If I could go back in time before the COVID pandemic and give myself advice, I would say, “Hold on tight and buckle your seatbelt, because theres a lot of changes coming.”
[SFX: Laughing]
I am Aron Kansal, the founder of SimpleTix.com. Were based in Asheville, North Carolina.
SimpleTix is a global leader for online ticketing and event registration.
Historically, the SimpleTix customers were performing art theaters and ballet schools.
During COVID e-commerce accelerated:
Contactless. No money, no credit cards. Just buy your tickets online and go straight in.
And SimpleTix accelerated with that.
We work with museums, drive-in theaters, botanical gardens, basketball games.
We could set up how many spaces they had that were empty between seats.
Before the pandemic we never would have thought of that.
The Buffalo Zoo is one of our favorite clients.
They love the timed entry because the venue limits how many people are actually physically in the zoo at a certain time slot.
Square really is an omnichannel product.
If there was a little pumpkin farm, they could go to Square and start selling tickets online within minutes.
Im a developer by trade. My relationship with the Square team is usually to find the best solutions, what features are coming out in the future.
You get to network with other developers and find out how they overcome different issues.
You definitely want a partner thats thinking forward and on the cutting edge.
Square has helped us grow from the start.
Their marketplace has given us the opportunity to be visible to their customers.
Now that more people are getting vaccinated, were really excited at SimpleTix to see more growth. Were excited to see summer 2021. Main Stage | SimpleTix](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/X5wrXHc4uqI/mqdefault.jpg)

