In the current restaurant landscape, operators face rising labour costs, higher customer expectations and increasing pressure to improve efficiency. Restaurant kiosks have become one of the most effective ways for operators to improve operations, increase throughput and create better guest experiences while maintaining cost control.
This guide explores how restaurant kiosks help hospitality businesses grow, the benefits they deliver and the results restaurants across the UK are already achieving.
Download the guide below, or scroll down for a summary.
Customers are more comfortable ordering through digital channels than ever. Research shows that 63% of customers find it easier to browse menus on a kiosk than queue at a traditional till, with 95% of Gen Z customers preferring the experience. Two major forces drive this shift:
Restaurant kiosks provide both, creating a better experience for guests, the kitchen and the bottom line.
With wage increases, rising overheads and tighter margins, operating efficiently with fewer staff is becoming essential. Restaurant kiosks allow customers to place their orders themselves, reducing reliance on front-of-house labour during busy and quiet periods.
Self-service does not have to mean fewer staff on site. Many brands repurpose team members into roles that add more value, such as:
McDonald’s used kiosks to remove order taking from the critical path and redeploy staff to deliver meals directly to tables. This created a stronger overall customer journey.
This approach builds a more productive team, a smoother service and a more profitable operation.
Restaurant kiosks consistently outperform human cashiers when upselling. With a digital ordering experience:
Queues may look like a sign of popularity, but for restaurants they often represent lost revenue.
Traditional service models create a bottleneck during peak hours when order taking limits how many customers a restaurant can serve. Restaurant kiosks increase order-taking capacity immediately.
The impact includes:
Some operators have cut queue times by around half after installing kiosks, improving throughput and the overall customer experience.
Restaurant kiosks are not only faster and more cost-effective but also enhance the guest experience. With fully branded and customisable user interfaces, kiosks create a digital front of house that:
From larger visuals and detailed descriptions to nutritional data and customisation options, guests gain more choice and more confidence. Digital ordering also supports full consistency across every ordering channel, whether a customer is in store, on Click and Collect or ordering from a delivery partner.
Tossed moved to a fully digital ordering model in 2016, making kiosks the main in-store ordering method. The results include:
By managing all digital menus through one platform, the restaurant no longer needs to update individual delivery partner menus separately. This saves time, reduces admin and maintains consistent brand presentation across every digital touchpoint.
Restaurant kiosks are not a short-term fix. They represent a long-term operational shift that helps hospitality businesses:
Operators using kiosks are not only adapting to rising costs. They are using digital ordering to build stronger and more scalable businesses.
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