Ever found yourself impatiently trying to flag down a waiter for the bill in a bustling London restaurant? That shared frustration is the exact problem Garret Barnes set out to solve. Garret Barnes is a technology entrepreneur best known as the co-founder and co-CEO of Sunday, a disruptive fintech company that introduced one of the fastest QR code payment solutions for the European and global hospitality industry, aiming to reduce the bill-paying process to just 10 seconds.
- Who Exactly is Garret Barnes?
- How Did Barnes’s Company ‘Sunday’ Get Started?
- What Was Sunday’s Impact on the UK Restaurant Scene?
- What Challenges Has Garret Barnes Faced With Sunday?
- How Does Sunday’s Strategy Compare to European Competitors?
- What Can European Businesses Learn from Garret Barnes?
- Frequently Asked Questions
Who Exactly is Garret Barnes?
Garret Barnes is a seasoned entrepreneur with deep expertise in restaurant and payment technology. Before co-founding Sunday, he was an early executive at Tiller Systems, an iPad-based point-of-sale (POS) software company. His experience there was pivotal, providing him with a ground-level view of the operational challenges restaurants face daily.
In 2020, Tiller Systems was acquired by the global payments giant SumUp. This transition further solidified Barnes’s credentials in the fintech space. His unique background, combining POS technology with payment processing, positioned him perfectly to identify and tackle the final, often frustrating, step of the dining experience: paying the bill. This expertise attracted his future co-founders, Victor Lugger and Tigrane Seydoux, who were looking for a tech visionary to solve a problem they witnessed nightly in their own restaurants.
How Did Barnes’s Company ‘Sunday’ Get Started?
Sunday was born from a direct need experienced by restaurateurs Victor Lugger and Tigrane Seydoux, the founders of the highly successful Big Mamma Group. They observed that the final 15 minutes of a customer’s visit—waiting for the bill, the card machine, and processing the payment—were often the least enjoyable. They teamed up with Garret Barnes to create a technological solution.
The concept was simple yet powerful: allow diners to scan a QR code on their table, split the bill among friends, add a tip, and pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay, or a credit card, all within seconds. The company officially launched in April 2021, backed by the operational scale of the Big Mamma restaurants, which served as the perfect testing ground. The initial launch targeted major European hubs, including London, Paris, and Madrid, capitalizing on the post-pandemic surge in contactless technology adoption.
[IMAGE alt=”A smartphone screen showing the Sunday app interface for splitting a restaurant bill.” caption=”Sunday’s interface allows for smooth bill splitting and tipping directly from a smartphone.”]
What Was Sunday’s Impact on the UK Restaurant Scene?
Sunday’s arrival in the UK, particularly in London, was timed perfectly. Restaurants were reopening after lockdowns and were eager to adopt technologies that promoted efficiency and safety. The solution offered by Garret Barnes provided a clear value proposition: faster table turnover, higher tips for staff, and an improved customer experience.
Big Mamma’s popular London venues, such as Gloria in Shoreditch and Circolo Popolare in Fitzrovia, became early showcases for the technology’s effectiveness. Diners embraced the convenience, and other restaurant groups took notice. The platform’s ability to turn tables 10-15% faster was a significant draw for establishments looking to maximize revenue in a challenging economic climate. It helped normalize the use of QR codes for more than just viewing a menu, making it an integral part of the payment process across the UK hospitality sector.
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What Challenges Has Garret Barnes Faced With Sunday?
Despite its explosive start and raising over $124 million in funding, Sunday’s journey involved significant challenges. The primary issue stemmed from a strategy of hyper-growth. The company expanded rapidly into new markets, including North America, and hired aggressively. However, the direct sales model of approaching individual restaurants proved to be resource-intensive and difficult to scale sustainably.
This led to a major strategic pivot in 2022. Under Barnes’s leadership, Sunday shifted its focus from direct sales to a B2B partnership model, aiming to integrate its technology directly with major POS providers and payment processors like Lightspeed. This change, while necessary for long-term viability, resulted in significant restructuring, including layoffs that impacted around 40% of its workforce. This experience highlights a common startup dilemma: balancing rapid expansion with a sustainable business model.
[IMAGE alt=”A diagram showing a business model pivoting from direct sales to B2B partnerships.” caption=”Sunday’s strategic pivot involved shifting from a direct-to-restaurant model to integrating with POS systems.”]
How Does Sunday’s Strategy Compare to European Competitors?
Garret Barnes and Sunday operate in a competitive European fintech landscape. The company’s initial direct-to-venue approach differed from many competitors who focused on POS integrations from the start. The pivot brought Sunday more in line with the market, but its brand recognition and user experience remain key differentiators.
| Feature | Sunday (Post-Pivot) | Dojo | Zapper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Model | POS Integration & B2B Partnerships | Integrated Card Machines & Payments | Pay-at-Table App & Vouchers |
| Key Differentiator | User experience focused on speed (10-second payment) | Physical hardware (Dojo Go) and next-day transfers | Loyalty programs and discount integration |
| Target Market | Restaurants, bars, and hospitality groups | Broad SME market including retail and services | Restaurants, parking, and retail |
| UK Presence | Strong, especially in major cities | Very strong, wide UK adoption | Established, particularly with larger chains |
What Can European Businesses Learn from Garret Barnes?
The trajectory of Garret Barnes and Sunday offers several powerful lessons for entrepreneurs and business leaders across Europe. His journey provides a practical roadmap for identifying market needs and navigating the complexities of scaling a technology company.
A 2023 report by PYMNTS found that 57% of restaurant customers prefer to pay with digital or contactless methods, a trend that validates the core problem Sunday aimed to solve.
1. Solve a Problem You Deeply Understand
Barnes and his co-founders didn’t invent a solution for a hypothetical problem. They tackled a tangible pain point they had direct experience with as both tech providers and restaurant operators. This deep understanding allowed them to design a product that genuinely resonated with both diners and establishments.
2. Be Willing to Make Hard Pivots
The most critical lesson from Barnes’s story is the courage to pivot. Recognizing that the initial hyper-growth, direct-sales model was unsustainable was difficult. Making the decision to restructure and focus on B2B partnerships, though painful in the short term, was essential for the company’s long-term health. It shows that a successful strategy isn’t static; it must adapt to market feedback.
3. Complementary Founder Skills are a Superpower
The founding team of Sunday is a textbook example of combination. Barnes brought the tech and payments expertise, while Lugger and Seydoux brought the hospitality operations and an immediate, large-scale platform for testing and deployment. This combination of skills allowed them to move quickly and build a product that was both technologically sound and operationally practical.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Garret Barnes known for?
Garret Barnes is primarily known as the co-founder and co-CEO of Sunday, a financial technology company that created a popular QR code payment system for restaurants. His expertise lies in blending payment technology with the specific operational needs of the hospitality industry to enhance the customer dining experience.
Is the Sunday app still active in the UK?
Yes, Sunday continues to operate in the UK and across Europe. Following a strategic pivot, the company now focuses on integrating its payment technology with major point-of-sale (POS) systems used by restaurants, rather than primarily selling directly to individual venues. This makes their solution accessible to a wider network of establishments.
Who are the founders of the Big Mamma restaurant group?
The Big Mamma Group, famous for its vibrant Italian restaurants like Gloria and Circolo Popolare in London, was founded by two French entrepreneurs, Victor Lugger and Tigrane Seydoux. They are also the co-founders of Sunday, alongside Garret Barnes, bringing their extensive hospitality experience to the tech venture.
What company did Garret Barnes work for before Sunday?
Before co-founding Sunday, Garret Barnes was an executive at Tiller Systems, an iPad-based point-of-sale software provider for restaurants. The company was later acquired by the global payments firm SumUp, giving Barnes significant experience in both the POS and fintech sectors that proved crucial for launching Sunday.
How much funding did Sunday raise?
Sunday successfully raised significant capital to fuel its growth. The company secured a $24 million seed round followed by a substantial $100 million Series A funding round in 2021. This investment, led by firms like Coatue, demonstrated strong investor confidence in Garret Barnes’s vision for revolutionizing restaurant payments.
The Future of Dining Tech Inspired by Garret Barnes
The story of Garret Barnes is a compelling chapter in the ongoing evolution of the European hospitality industry. His work with Sunday demonstrates a clear trend: technology’s role is no longer just about operational efficiency but about fundamentally reshaping the customer experience. By tackling a near-universal frustration, Barnes and his team proved that even the smallest moments, like paying a bill, are ripe for innovation. As you dine out, observe the technology in use and consider how entrepreneurs like Garret Barnes are working behind the scenes to make your experience smoother. You can explore more stories of business innovation .
