Self-Service Kiosks for Restaurants: The Complete Guide

What is a self-service kiosk for restaurants?

A self-service kiosk is a freestanding touchscreen where customers browse the menu, build their order and pay, without queuing at the counter. The order goes straight to the kitchen, same as a counter or online order.

QSRs and fast casual chains have used them for years. Independents and multi-site groups use them now too, mostly so they can take more orders at peak without putting more people behind the counter.

How a restaurant kiosk works

The customer picks items on the screen, adjusts modifiers (extra toppings, allergen swaps, which drink comes with the meal deal) and pays by card or digital wallet. The order fires to the kitchen and the kiosk prints a receipt or shows an order number.

The kitchen can't tell the difference. If the kiosk is connected to your POS system, kiosk orders and counter orders land in the same kitchen display queue. Nobody has to watch a second screen.

What do restaurant kiosks cost?

Hardware runs from about £2,000 to £5,000 per terminal. Screen size, the stand and the card reader account for most of the gap. Software is either a monthly subscription or part of a wider platform fee.

Whether it pays for itself comes down to two things.

The first is order value. People spend more at a kiosk than at the counter. The screen offers the upsell every single time, and it doesn't forget to ask because the lunch rush is on. In QSRs, kiosk orders tend to come in 15-30% higher than equivalent counter orders.

The second is the counter. A kiosk won't replace your counter staff, but it takes a chunk of the orders during a rush, so staff can get on with prep, service and the awkward requests instead of keying in orders.

Are kiosks right for your restaurant?

They're worth it if:

  • Queues build at the counter at peak
  • Your menu is complicated - lots of modifiers, meal deals, allergen options or build-your-own items
  • Counter staff are stretched at busy times
  • You want a higher average order value without putting prices up
  • You run a QSR or fast casual site where speed is everything

They're harder to justify if:

  • You do full table service and a counter kiosk doesn't fit how people order
  • Your menu is short with hardly any modifiers
  • You never really have a queue
  • Your customers would rather talk to a person

What to look for in a kiosk system

POS integration matters most. Kiosk orders have to go into the same kitchen queue as everything else. A standalone kiosk with its own printer and no POS connection gives staff another order stream to keep an eye on, which defeats the point.

The menu should be managed in one place. Change a price, add an item or edit a modifier once, and the kiosk should pick it up automatically. If someone has to update the kiosk menu separately, that's extra admin every time the menu changes.

Upsells need to be configurable. Offering a drink and fries when someone adds a burger, or a dessert at checkout, is where the extra order value comes from. You want control over what gets offered and when.

For payments, contactless card, Apple Pay and Google Pay are the minimum. Taking cash at a kiosk adds hardware and hassle, and fewer customers need it every year.

Accessibility means height-adjustable stands, readable type and decent contrast. It matters for compliance, and for anyone who isn't tall with perfect eyesight.

Loyalty is easy to overlook. If you run a loyalty programme, customers should be able to earn and redeem points at the kiosk. Otherwise the kiosk is the one place their points don't count.

Flipdish self-service kiosks

Flipdish self-service kiosks connect directly to the Flipdish POS. Kiosk orders show up in the same kitchen queue as counter orders and online orders. Change the menu in the Flipdish dashboard and it updates on the kiosk, the website and the app at the same time.

What you get:

  • An interface branded to look like your restaurant
  • Upsell prompts at checkout that you set up yourself
  • Full support for modifiers, allergens and meal deals
  • Contactless and digital wallet payments
  • Flipdish loyalty, so customers earn points on kiosk orders
  • Kitchen Display System integration showing order type and timing
  • Reports on kiosk order volume and average order value, next to all your other channels

QSRs, casual dining groups and multi-site operators across the UK and Ireland use Flipdish kiosks.

Questions to ask before you buy

  1. Does the kiosk software work with your current POS, or will you have to switch?
  2. Is the menu managed centrally or separately on each terminal?
  3. What's the hardware warranty, and what happens when a unit breaks in the middle of a lunch rush?
  4. What exactly is the monthly software fee, and what does it cover?
  5. Can you configure the upsells, or are they fixed?
  6. Can customers earn and redeem loyalty points at the kiosk?
  7. Who does the installation, and how long does it take?

To see how Flipdish kiosks fit with the rest of the Flipdish platform, go to flipdish.com.