Restaurant kiosks: how self-service is transforming the modern restaurant

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.

Three quick benefits of Kiosks

1. Reduce labour costs

The beauty of kiosks is that they allow operators to outsource order taking to their customers. With the industry facing unprecedented costs of labour, kiosks can help alleviate external pressures. With customers self-ordering, operators can cut back on staffing costs by reducing the number of staff they have on shift during quieter periods.

2. Increase ATV

61% of customers spend more when placing orders through kiosks compared to ordering at the till. A good kiosk experience lets customers explore the whole menu, providing enticing images, thorough meal details and a full range of optional extras. Kiosks never forget to upsell with sides, meal deals and targeted promotions through loyalty programmes.

3. Increase throughput

Kiosks can cut queues by up to 50% and reduce the risk of losing customers to the back of the queue during peak hours. In a traditional set-up, taking orders often becomes an operational bottleneck, limiting takings during peak hours. Kiosks increase order-taking capacity exponentially, reducing wait times, attracting more customers and allowing operators to take more orders than through an EPOS.

Reduce labour costs

With labour costing more than ever, thanks to increases in the minimum and national wages, the savings self-order kiosks can bring to your operation will become crucial.

By redeploying staff to back-of-house operations or customer support roles, you’ll increase throughput, speed up meal preparation and create a better customer experience.

Plus, with customers self-ordering, operators can cut back on staffing costs by reducing the number of staff they have on shift during quieter periods.

Self-service doesn’t have to be about cutting staff. Think of it as reimagining your labour model: freeing up team members from more mundane tasks and training them to take on more dynamic responsibilities.

For example, McDonald’s made the decision to redeploy some of their team to deliver food ordered at the kiosks to a customer’s table, leading to a better experience for customers and team members.

As Bridie Fox, Operations Director at I am Doner highlights: “During service, we can focus more on customer service and supporting the kitchen team. Out of service, we can keep on top of cleanliness and compliance and it has cut our close-down from two hours to just one.”

Increase average transaction value

No one can upsell more effectively than a Kiosk. It’s one of the most important advantages of a Self-Service Kiosk, with Vita Mojo customers seeing ATV increase by as much as 40% thanks to smart menu recommendations.

Kiosks can encourage higher spend at every point of the order journey, without being intrusive for the customer. From meal deals and upgrades, through to smart basket recommendations at check out, Kiosks help to maximise the value out of every order.

Customers have more freedom to browse the menu and tend to feel more relaxed, which naturally lends itself to upsells.

And with the customer in control of inputting their order, there is also less danger of time-strapped cashiers mishearing or misinterpreting an order, reducing overall margin for error.

Increase throughput

People queuing round the corner to buy your food might feel good, but the reality is it’s probably costing you sales.

81% of customers find restaurant queues frustrating, with 61% admitting they’d leave and go elsewhere if they had to wait more than 10 minutes.

In the traditional quick-service set-up, taking orders often becomes an operational bottleneck, limiting takings during peak hours.

Self-service kiosks increase order-taking capacity exponentially, reducing wait times, attracting more customers and allowing operators to take more orders than through a POS.

Smart use of kiosks can cut queues by 50% and reduce the risk of losing customers to the back of the queue during peak hours.

Better customer experience

And it’s easier to encourage higher spend across kiosks too, without being intrusive. Yes, it is possible to grow ATV and increase upsells alongside better customer experience.

63% of customers say they actually find it easier to browse menus on a kiosk rather than queue and order in the traditional way. A massive 95% of Gen Z consumers prefer to use them.

Digital ordering channels, such as kiosks can be fully customised and branded. Customers love this. They want clean and stylish user interfaces that will engage and delight them whether they are on or off your premises.

Case study: Tossed and the power of self-service kiosks

Fully customisable, made-to-order and masters of digital adoption, Tossed made the move to become fully digital in 2016, making kiosks their main in-store ordering method.

Tossed’s digital transformation has meant that it can now take and fulfil a higher volume of orders. Kiosks enable front-of-house staff to focus on food preparation, with increased speed and quality, and hosts can provide more meaningful interactions with guests.

Customers now also have time to browse the menu without feeling rushed by a long queue behind them or a staff member behind the till. The platform’s high level of customisations and smart upsell features have meant that customers are able to completely tailor their meal to their personal taste in just a few clicks.

All Tossed orders – whether from Click & Collect, Kiosks, or third-party delivery channels – feed straight through to the kitchen in one single system, creating a calm and organised environment for staff to operate in.

Vita Mojo’s integrated digital ordering means that customers see the same menu and the same powerful branding no matter how they order. Tossed can see their guests’ favourite orders, offer personalised discounts and keep them coming back.

And with every menu managed in the same system, the team don’t have to dedicate hours to making small changes multiple times, freeing them up to spend that time more valuably.

The results:

• 31% increase in Click & Collect ATV
• 66% of orders with customisations
• 21% increase in Kiosk ATV