The Staff Canteen Live 2026: Square networking event at Burro

Today (Monday, June 29), The Staff Canteen partnered with Square for a bespoke networking event at Burro.

The event was designed to bring together operators, front of house professionals and senior hospitality leaders for a focused lunch built around conversation, connection and the evolving needs of modern restaurant businesses.

Held at Burro, which was recently added to the Michelin Guide, the lunch provided an opportunity for guests to connect with Square in a relaxed, hospitality-led environment, away from the pressures of service.

Burro, located in Covent Garden, is the first solo restaurant from Conor Gadd, chef and co-owner of Trullo. The restaurant has quickly gained attention for its produce-led Italian cooking, warm hospitality and confident, unfussy approach to the classics.

• Read more: Fifteen years of Trullo: How London’s favourite neighbourhood restaurant built a lasting legacy

Guests arrived for canapés and drinks before a Square introduction, followed by a seated lunch showcasing Burro’s generous Italian style.

The guests

Today 15 operators, front of house professionals and senior hospitality leaders joined us for the event. They were:

Leon Zadeh, founder and director, Saint Espresso
Apostolos Kostouros, general manager, Imad's Syrian Kitchen
Yasmin Kocharli, head of marketing, Bocconcino
Stewart Down, co-founder, Black Bear Burger
Amy Tuson, managing director, Homeslice Pizza
Eran Tibi, chef founder, Kapara
Viet Nguyen, head of sales and marketing, Riding House Café
Macauley Burns, operations manager, Homeslice Pizza
Matt Ward, operations director, Yummy Pub Collection
Sophie Lee, head of marketing, Bala Baya
Manu Bhatt, founder, Little and Large Pub Company
Richard Brown, head of hospitality, Little and Large Pub Company
Michal Kobierski, operations director, Cubitt House
Michalis Ntais, managing director, Imad's Syrian Kitchen
Eroshan Meewella, founder, Kolamba

Reflecting on the event, Eran Tibi, chef founder of Kapara, said: “It was wonderful. Great people, great vibe, I met people who I am a big admirer of.

“To sit with them at the same table is humbling.

“I shared my experience with other similar companies and got good insight into how to take the next steps.”

The partner

Today’s event was delivered in partnership with Square.

Square provides point-of-sale and payment technology for hospitality businesses, helping operators manage payments, orders, tables, menus, staff and reporting across front of house, back of house and online sales.

For restaurants, cafés, pubs and hospitality groups, Square’s tools are designed to connect service, operations and business performance, from taking payments and managing bills to supporting kitchen workflows and customer engagement.

The bespoke format gave Square the opportunity to engage directly with operators and hospitality leaders from across restaurants, cafés, pubs and hospitality groups, creating space for conversations around service, payments, operations and business growth.

Juliana Rizzi, field account executive at Square UK, said: “It was absolutely fantastic.

“It was filled with the most incredible people in hospitality, who know what they are talking about.

“It was great to hear their thoughts, pick their brains and hear about what they're doing at the moment.”

Asked if there were any good connections she could follow up on post-event, Juliana said: “Absolutely.

“In fact, I think almost everyone at the table who wasn't using Square, I have now booked a meeting in with.

“It was a really good event.”

The menu

Canapés
Courgette fritti
Crostini of Venetian chicken livers
Ferrari, ‘Perlé’ Brut 2019, Trentino

Antipasti
Panzanella
Mozzarella with smashed peas, parmesan and mint
Saveroni, Bianco 2024, Veneto

Mains
Fettuccine with duck and porcini ragu
Strozzapreti all'amatriciana
Pici with rocket and basil pesto
Saveroni, Rosso 2024, Veneto

Dolci
Tiramisu doughnuts