Restaurant kiosk: the guide to choosing the right one

Do you cash in more than 60 tickets a day on average in your restaurant (fast food or other) and want to gain in additional revenue, time optimization and customer satisfaction? Installing one or more order terminals designed for restaurants will make all the difference.

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A terminal: for what type of restaurant?

Kiosks have become part of our daily lives. You've probably already placed an order on a kiosk. In the fast-food sector , kiosks are particularly well known: Mcdonald 's and Burger King kiosks are now part of customers' reflexes (if they don't order directly online).

👉 To find out more: How does the touch terminal work at McDonald's?

However, they are far from being reserved for large chains, since the maturity of the technology and their more accessible side than a few years ago mean that more and more restaurant managers (fast food or traditional, independent or attached to a brand) are adopting them.

These interactive kiosks allow customers to :  

• choose your menu or dishes, 
• to be offered additional options (dessert, drink, formula, side dish or snack...), 
• and then adjust it himself, thanks to the terminal'sauto-pay features.

And as we will see in the following paragraph, the advantages of this type of installation are particularly interesting.

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The benefits of a kiosk for your restaurant or retail outlet

Discover the 6 advantages of the kiosk for your restaurant : 

• Between 25% and 40% increase in average basket thanks to photos of your dishes and the systematic proposal of extras (desserts, drinks, etc.). Which also increases your sales. 
• A new sales and ordering channel to bolster your digital arsenal (online ordering, Click & Collect, delivery, on-site consumption...).
• A significant reduction in waiting lines (time divided by 2 on average).
• Increased customer loyalty: you can more easily integrate and promote your loyalty program on the kiosk.
• Satisfied users : the order terminal responds to new consumer habits.
• Your teams can concentrate on service and preparation in the kitchen, not just on taking orders. 

"My kiosks are my best salespeople: they skilfully offer extras that inflate my average ticket by €3 on average." Damien, BCHEF franchisee in Vannes

Are touchscreens killing customer relations? No, on the contrary! As the kiosk can take up to 80% of orders, your teams can concentrate on higher value-added tasks such as reception, service or order preparation, and are therefore more available to your customers.

As far as exchanges are concerned, some people will always prefer to order directly at the counter or to come and collect their order after ordering online.

While the most hurried customers instinctively turn to the kiosks when they enter your point of sale, you or your employees can take a little more time to advise others or chat as you did before. ‍

"The kiosk frees up one person to serve customers, advise them, or come and help me in the kitchen during rushes. "Nils, co-founder of What the Foc?!

👉 To find out more: How What The Foc?! scaled up its business thanks to digital technology

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How many bollards do you need?

It all depends on your business model! In the case of fast-food chains, the installation of several kiosks, including large models at the entrance or in a dedicated order-taking area, can be coupled with smaller counter-mounted kiosks. This allows for better control of flows within the outlet.

For a more traditional establishment, 1 terminal may be all you need to get started, but here again, it all depends on the number of tickets you sell per day and the space you have available!

💡 Good to know: at Innovorder, we generally find thata minimum of 80 tickets per day is ideal to start considering installing a kiosk. After that, we recommend an additional terminal for every 80 tickets. For example, if you're doing more than 160 tickets a day, we'd recommend installing 2 terminals. 

Our tips for choosing your ideal terminal 

If you're reading this article, you're probably in the process of studying the products available on the market, with a view to making the right investment choice in your terminal(s).

There are several elements to consider:

• the size and height of the bollard depending on the layout of your restaurant and the space available: to give you an idea, our customers generally alternate between large bollards on a stand and bollards to be placed on a counter.
• the fluidity of the screen : the navigation must be fast, the interface pleasant to browse (which also allows to increase additional sales in a tempting way for the consumer)
• Customization capabilities: your logo, colors and design that reflect your restaurant or store brand should be included throughout the journey;
• its ease of use: by your customers of course, but also by your employees!
• the ability to control in real time the availability of your offer (products, menus, prices...)
• the price of the terminal : investing in a control terminal is particularly cost-effective. But how much does it cost to add it to your usual equipment? The answer depends on the service provider, so don't hesitate to contact an Innovorder advisor to find out more! 

"During rushes, I can limit the choices on my kiosks to get certain sandwiches out quickly." Faizal, founder of Chicken Village

👉 Find out more: How Chicken Village serves 200 customers an hour without error

Integrate your terminal into a complete ecosystem 

This is THE crucial point that many food entrepreneurs neglect when starting out. For those who are already equipped, however, the stakes are much clearer.

And yes... when a customer places an order on an interactive kiosk, the ideal solution is for the order to be automatically transmitted to the kitchen on KDS and taken into account on your cash register for overall restaurant management. By integrating your kiosk into a global solution, you boost your performance and productivity. 

"I save time because all the orders from the kiosks are sent directly to the production screens in the kitchen." Peggy, BCHEF franchisee in Perpignan

Compatibility between your store's digital tools makes all the difference in terms of customer experience and management... And what about franchises, where each outlet is part of a more global network!

👉 Find out more: Why an omnichannel digital solution is essential to the success of your fast-food business

As you can see, the terminal meets 3 challenges: 

• streamline order taking,
• increase the average basket by 25 to 40%,
• and capture up to 5% more customers.

Would you like to find out more about our kiosk solutions?