Drive Thru Displays Failures McDonalds, Samsung Typically the kiosk association deals with transactional technologies but peripheral technology like drive-thru menu boards fall into the unattended self-order market. Even digital signage which is broadcasting actionable information to consumers and customers is relevant. Failures of technology are often the best teachers of how to do it right (and what to… Read More »
In the Wild – New McDonald’s in Thornton Colorado Editors Note 12/17/2024: We have seen the “counterless” McDonalds but their latest “test” is ultra-small stores that have no inside dining, or drive thru and seem to be geared for pickup and delivery by services. Pickup lockers outside are standard. Story on QSR Magazine. Thanks to Sixteen-Nine for tip.… Read More »
Robots for Food Delivery in Restaurants It’s a good time with NRA coming up to review some of the robot servers that are “flooding” the market now. Recently a feature on CBSnews and California restaurant (see link below) Key players in this emerging market include Appetronix Inc, Euphotic Labs, Home Tech Innovation Inc, Hyper Food Robotics Ltd, Kitchen… Read More »
Custom Configured Kiosks: Unlocking the True Potential of Self-Service Kiosks Nice article by Olea Kiosks on custom kiosks and all the details that have to be considered. Olea actually is one of the candidates for “Best Of” awards in NYC this January. Thanks to several units but specifically the Empire State Building (which Trip Advisor selected as… Read More »
We like to say interactive touchscreens have “peaked” as far as usage. The new modalities such as Voice interaction or Gesture are emerging as replacements. When was the last time you used a touchscreen at a drive-thru? How about voice? Here is our starting basis for TIG and The Industry Group. TIG Intel Insight: Voice AI in Self-Service… Read More »
Getting Users to Use Kiosks It can be a challenging equation despite taking into all the location and situational factors. People are used to standing in line. They are not uses to seeing kiosks everywhere even though these days they are showing up everywhere. Recognition. A little like going thru drive thru at McDonalds and telling them you… Read More »
Restaurant Point of Sale Presentations We went to FSTEC this year in Dallas and some of the presentations are pretty interesting. Thanks to Olea Kiosks , Pyramid Computer and Nanonation Software for making this possible. Presentations Fourth Put Profit on the Menu AI for Restaurant Operations Deputy Maximize Profitability How to Leverage Technology to Prevent Expense Creep Incentivio Revolutionizing Restaurant Marketing… Read More »
FSTEC Kiosks Trade Show See us in Dallas in #1009. You will find us near TOAST, Bite, Soundhound and Panasonic– Where Restaurants and Tech Connect — Contact – email info@kioskindustry.org or call me for more information. Contact info for attendees below. We’ll be showing the Olea self order restaurant kiosk and the Pyramid both running the Nanonation Self Order… Read More »
Press Release September 2024 APNews — WESTMINSTER, Colo., Sept. 10, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Kiosk Manufacturer Association: FSTEC in September! This month we have added Quick Quote. Over 100 participating companies and we’ll send to appropriate ones. Kiosks and more on For Sale listings + plus super discount Chinese display quotes. Seminar 9/12 for Casinos wanting to go… Read More »
MURTEC 2024 Wrap We were fortunate to get a pass from Angela Diffly to send a reporter to MURTEC and get some pictures. We participate on the RTN Framework group (and you should too). In any case here are some pictures from MURTEC. MURTEC is THE restaurant technology networking event. Waiting line to apply for participation and not… Read More »
Cali Express Flippy with Nvidia AI Updated August 31, 2025 — Flippy, the robotic kitchen assistant, and its maker Miso Robotics have both seen major advancements recently, with the latest Flippy robot launching in early 2025 and Miso Robotics partnering to scale installations and improve support for their automation products.restaurantbusinessonline+2 Flippy Robot Updates The next-generation Flippy Fry Station robot is… Read More »
Self-Order Software Solutions Come to NRA booth 6576 in Chicago and see super-economical self-order station for restaurant Acquire Digital Restaurant Software Improve quick-service restaurant efficiencies with ordering software to place orders on the go. Easily synchronize content to menu displays for a complete digital experience. Website link Self-service and digital ordering is the way of the future for quick-service restaurants. As… Read More »
Glory Invests in Acrelec Excerpt from TechEU 01/31/2020 By Annie Musgrove, January 31st, 2020. the global leader in customer experience technology for “quick service” restaurants and retailers, has announced plans for a $223 million investment by Glory Global Solutions. The funding is subject to review by Acrelec’s employee representatives and certain competition authorities. Acrelec has developed kiosks, drive-through and self-checkouts… Read More »
The Ingenico Newsletter #4 – TETRA, Android Solutions & Palm vein. Link on LinkedIn Welcome to the fourth edition of The Ingenico Newsletter. 2023 has been a busy year for Ingenico, today, we’ll have a look at what happened in the last months. We’ll talk about TETRA, Android Solutions and Palm vein. Make yourself comfortable to enjoy your… Read More »
Taco Bell’s Voice AI Drive-Thru: What Guests Really Want Post on HT Hospitality Technology — We haven’t seen any of these in Colorado yet. We get a lots of road noise, low-quality speaker, a low-quality microphone, and a non-native English speaker. What’s happening Taco Bell is expanding its Voice AI drive-thru rollout via Omilia, now in 890+ U.S.… Read More »
If The Shoe Fits, then buy it! How easy is it to find the shoe size 12 (46 EU) or larger? The answer is “It Depends” About the Writer: Christoph Nussbaumer is the CEO of REINGroup based in Austria. Alpine Kiosk boasts a diverse array of designs, each is highly adaptive and radiating elegance and sophistication. Alpine Kiosk… Read More »
A look at kiosks, digital signage, lockers and other self-service trends Kiosks, Digital Signage & Unattended Retail Metrics by the Kiosk Association — (TIG and the kiosk association compiles this data for the benefit of is members and supporters. The KMA does not sell the report but provides it on an inform and educate basis.) Self-service technology has… Read More »
POLYTOUCH Flex 21.5 Product Spotlight Our space-saving kiosk is a revolutionary solution designed to optimize limited space while providing a seamless self-service experience. It maximizes floor space, integrates easily without sacrificing seating capacity, and offers a user-friendly interface for effortless browsing, customization, and payment. The POLYTOUCH FLEX21.5 offers an array of different models, including the slimmed down FLEX21.5… Read More »
Robotic Restaurant Flippy Article by Nancy Luna on CaliExpress — she had done a couple of nice articles (here is minimum wage) Notes One employee to prepare food Nice to see Datacap technology in place. PopID uses that. We have several articles on PopID Interesting use of different height kiosks though the wheelchair height kiosk looks inaccessible via… Read More »
Mobile Computer by Elo The M51 rugged mobile computer delivers a 6″ FHD scratch-resistant touch display, Android 14 OS, powerful Qualcomm 6490 octa-core processor, integrated NFC and optional 2D barcode scanner. Available in WiFi and cellular models – both offer IP68, front and rear cameras and warm-swappable batteries. Cool Video — John Lamb • Chief Marketing Officer at… Read More »
Restaurant Self Order & POS Adopted at Glacial Rate We enjoy hearing all point of views. ReformingRetail consistently berates retail and restaurants for ignoring solutions as long as they can. Latest article by Jordan Thaeler on adoption rates. Interesting to hear the historical talk and we’ll add some too. According to restaurant kiosk vendors, only 10% of QSR… Read More »
New Europe Kiosk Partnership Overview – Irish-headquartered Ordú, a provider of advanced online ordering systems for the food service industry, today announces a new €1.5 million investment with global kiosk manufacturer Lazenby Group. Over the next three years, this collaboration is forecasted to generate €9 million in additional revenues for Ordú. It will facilitate the expansion of Ordú’s… Read More »
Kiosk Industry November 2024 Self Service November 2024 Westminster, CO – November 15, 2024 Come see us in Orlando next week for IAAPA 2024 #5727. 1100 exhibitors and 40,000 attendees. Did we mention free passes? We have those too. See landing page for Code. PRnewswire Here is APNews. Our booth at IAAPA features a strong lineup of partners,… Read More »
Facial Recognition Turning Retail On Its Face Very nice writeup on Retail and Restaurant on facial recognition by Thibaud Denolle of ACRELEC America. You can contact Thibaud at his LinkedIn or by email. Summary of Facial Biometrics in Retail Technology Overview: Facial biometrics uses AI for identity verification via facial features. Real-World Applications: Brands like Steak n’ Shake… Read More »
McDonald’s touchscreen kiosks were feared as job killers. Instead, something surprising happened McDonald’s touchscreen kiosks are explained as having surprising and unintended results such as “labor redistribution”. This is probably the first article for this fellow on kiosks and we are surprised he didn’t touch on robotics. All in all, it is a nice article, though. For reference, McDonald’s… Read More »
Why Did They Introduce? Fewer Employees? Higher Sales? Updated Feb 2026 — new 2025 McDonalds digital revenue number + reference links + table 1. Why did McDonald’s introduce kiosks? People wonder whether kiosks are meant to replace workers or just improve speed and accuracy. The answer usually highlights customer convenience, higher order accuracy, increased upselling, and the ability… Read More »
Toast POS — Better than Legacy POS? The latest analysis by Jordan Thaeler and Reforming Retail covering Toast POS – Bottomline — We’d estimate that at $20,000 a year a merchant could buy a competitive POS for three stores for every one store on Toast. This is very enticing to Toast’s competitors. But then again, Toast’s customers can’t add… Read More »
The Industry Group is an independent hub for the self-service kiosk industry, led by Craig Allen Keefner. linkedin.com/in/kiosk You can purchase online here. Datapacks InfoComm is the latest datapack NRA 2026 Industry Database (900+ xls) Intelligence and Research We do have free online self-service company database at selfservice.io — last update June 2026 Self-Service Infrastructure June 2026 Voice… Read More »
The latest report, How Restaurants Are Using AI: 2026 Data From 125,000 U.S. Locations, provides an interesting look at where restaurant operators are actually finding value from artificial intelligence. The results may surprise some people. According to data from more than 125,000 U.S. restaurant locations using Toast IQ, the most common AI use cases are: Sales and revenue… Read More »
Accesso Goes AI Accesso will showcase its AI-powered shopping preview and latest technological innovations at IAAPA Orlando 2025, with advancements featured across its Freedom, Passport, Horizon, and LoQueue platforms. The highlight is a new conversational AI system, allowing guests to place orders for food and retail through natural chat interactions. These updates aim to create a seamless, personalized,… Read More »
Restaurant Accessibility Survey Download Restaurant Accessibility Survey — Customer loyalty is crucial for any organization, including the restaurant industry. How a restaurant treats customers with disabilities can significantly affect that loyalty and have a lasting impact on their business. Between February and March 2024, Vispero and TPGi surveyed over 600 blind and low-vision people about their experiences accessing… Read More »
Toast POS — A Closer Look We are big fans of Jordan Thaeler of Reforming Retail and his evolving take on TOAST POS. Critical thinking is in short supply these days and keen observers like Jordan are indispensable. I think he has gotten as many Cease and Desist letters as I have signed NDAs. Here are some thoughts… Read More »
Starbucks Kiosk Starbucks announced on Monday a plan to implement the coffee franchise’s first self-order kiosks in select stores across tourist-heavy areas in South Korea and Japan. The kiosks are aimed at enhancing the customer experience by reducing wait times and streamlining the ordering process. In South Korea, the kiosks will debut at the Starbucks Korea branch in… Read More »
What To Look For in 2026 Interviews Here’s a summary of the article “Restaurant Trends for 2026: Hospitality Reenters the Innovation Cycle” — with a focus on what it says about Acrelec. QSR Magazine 🌟 Big Picture: 2026 Is a Pivot Toward Innovation + Experience The article argues that 2026 will mark a turning point for restaurants: after… Read More »
Tillster’s biggest news this year is the release of its 2026 Phygital Index Report, based on a survey of more than 2,100 U.S. diners. This was released in April 2026 and is the 8th installment? Key findings: 45% of consumers changed their favorite restaurant brand in the last year. Diners increasingly value food quality, convenience, and speed over… Read More »
