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Key Takeaways
- According to Technomic, an independent food service research and consultancy firm, the average order at kiosks is 8% higher in quick-service restaurants.
- Experts have several theories on why checks tend to be larger on the machines, including that they feature enticing images and don't judge people for indulging.
- Some customers claim they feel more pressured at a kiosk than at a register when others are waiting behind.
You can save time ordering at a kiosk. It could also result in a higher bill.
In recent years, chains from Panera to Shake Shack introduced the machines. Many have cited that the machines boost sales. According 2024 surveys by Technomic, an food service research and consultancy firm, the tabs at quick-service outlets are about 8% bigger and at fast casual restaurants, they’re 15% larger when customers order from a kiosk as opposed to an employee.
Experts have several theories about why we spend a lot more money in the glow of a kiosk. Restaurant executives say that sales associates might not upsell every diner when there are dozens of people in line at their registers. But machines will always upsell. Kiosks are also adorned with mouth-watering photos, which make diners feel like they won’t be judged when they indulge.
"We now have kiosks in all of our Shacks, and it's been an amazing contributor to our business," Shake Shack CEO Robert Lynch said in December, according to a transcript provided by AlphaSense. “It’s definitely delivering a check benefit."
Katie Fogerty (CFO) stated last spring that Shake Shack’s (SHAK’s) baseline expectation was that the technology would increase sales by a single-digit high percentage. Jack in the Box and Sweetgreen, two salad makers, both praised the kiosks for their ability to boost sales by at least 10%. They also discussed plans to expand their use within the last year.
Kiosks can improve sales and gather valuable consumer data, but the machines perform worse in restaurants with lines, according to Lu Lu, an associate professor at Temple University's School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management. She said customers are more pressed to hurry up at a kiosk than at a register when other people are waiting behind them. This is because they don’t want to be blamed for a delay.
Lu said, “They tend not to spend as much time browsing menu options and they end up ordering less.”
Robert Byrne said that the kiosks could also be credited for attracting consumers, who are more likely than not to order more, whether at a counter or through a machine. This includes high-income clients and large groups who are more likely than not to split extras such as sides and deserts.
Some restaurants turn to the technology because they believe it can lessen employees’ load—a move that’s especially helpful in tight labor markets, Lu said. However, restaurant executives have reported mixed outcomes on the impact of technology on staffing.
Patrice Leys stated that FGNY, the company that owns Five Guys, has employees stationed nearby kiosks who greet customers and guide them through the technology. Leys, CEO of FGNY, said that average sales have increased by 15% since the technology was introduced. However, he is deploying it gradually across his 55 New York restaurants.
Leys explained that Five Guys is known to have a “very family-like feel.”
Jason Wang, the CEO of Xi’an Fancy Food in New York City said that kiosks allow employees to focus on the dishes. The dishes are a showcase for the cuisine from north-central China. Wang believes that people are more aware of financial implications when they hear or speak a sum out loud.
Wang said, “If you just click buttons, it feels less realistic.”
