Category Archives: A-Restaurant

Restaurant Technology

Restaurants today rely on a variety of technology solutions to enhance their operations and improve guest experiences. The majority these days are cloud-based, which comes with its positives and negatives. Here are some essential types of restaurant technology:

Touchscreen Point of Sale (POS) Terminals: Modern POS systems with intuitive interfaces allow efficient order-taking, payment processing, and tracking. Some even have guest-facing screens for a seamless experience
Self-Order Kiosks: These interactive kiosks enable guests to place orders directly, reducing wait times and streamlining the ordering process
Kitchen Display Screens: These screens display incoming orders in the kitchen, helping chefs manage preparation efficiently and ensuring timely service
Printers for Restaurant: Printers are essential for generating order tickets, receipts, and kitchen chits
Cash Drawers: Secure storage for cash transactions at the point of sale
Integrated Online Ordering Solutions: Seamless integration with online platforms for delivery and takeout orders 1.
Payroll Solutions: Streamline payroll management for restaurant staff
Scheduling Software: Efficiently manage employee schedules and shifts
Inventory Management Software: Helps track inventory levels, reduce waste, and optimize stock
Reservation Software: Facilitates table reservations and guest management
Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Tools to manage customer data, loyalty programs, and feedback
Digital Menu Design Tools: Create visually appealing digital menus for guests
Online Ordering & Delivery Platforms: Enable online ordering and delivery services

Kiosk Industry News Roundup – October 2026

October’s kiosk and self-service news connects customer-facing technology with the systems behind it: hotel AI ordering linked directly to POS, voice automation in restaurant drive-thrus, and infrastructure decisions affecting deployment economics. This roundup brings together the month’s developments in kiosks, payments, accessibility and retail technology, with practical questions for buyers and suppliers. News with insight into kiosks, self-service… Read More »

Conversational AI Kiosk Gets a Leg Up with AI Connect Bar

Conversational AI kiosk - A black rectangular soundbar speaker with rounded edges and a perforated front grille, shown at an angle on a white background. An orange, abstract shape appears above the speaker, hinting at conversational technology and AI advancements inside.

AI Kiosk and Audio in High Noise Environments High-Noise Environment Challenges It seems pretty simple. Add in conversational AI and presto… Companies like Taco Bell and others though have learned that the complete equation is required and that means audio reinforcement and noise cancellation. Speakers that cost $6 in China are not ideal or the $4 microphone. Walk… Read More »

Insight: Acrelec’s Leadership Reset Signals a New Phase for Global QSR Technology

Glory Global Goes For Scale with Acrelec This is not a leadership shuffle—it’s a business model declaration. Glory is now signaling that Acrelec will be its growth engine for unified commerce in foodservice automation. Glory’s push to integrate Acrelec and Flooid reflects a deliberate move to redefine itself from a cash automation vendor to a full-stack retail technology player… Read More »

AI Voice Order Recognition Kiosk

McDonald’s 2024 Prototype (with listeners) Kiosk Voice response promises to add new interactivity for self-service devices how do kiosks help people with speech needs? When we think of interactive kiosks, what typically comes to mind is the touch-enabled displays that are a nearly ubiquitous component of today’s self-service devices. Trained in part by the tap, pinch and swipe… Read More »

Retail Systems Roundup: Retail Technology, Grocery, Payments, Vending and AI

RetailSystems.org, a sister publication of KioskIndustry.org and part of The Industry Group (TIG), focuses on the broader automated-retail ecosystem surrounding kiosks: retail technology, vending, unattended commerce, payments, grocery technology, AI and store automation. Several recent RetailSystems reports are particularly relevant to the kiosk and self-service community. Rather than duplicate the complete articles here, we’ve pulled together the highlights… Read More »

McDonald’s Kiosk – Magnification and Reach Mode Accessibility

Extending Accessibility to Kiosks and Online From McDonald’s — Accessible to Everyone – Including Online! At McDonald’s®, we believe it’s important that all our customers feel welcome and comfortable – both in our restaurants and online. That’s why we’ve improved our digital channels and technologies to make them more accessible to everyone. We aim to ensure that everyone… Read More »

Industry People Moves: Oracle, Elo and More

Recent leadership changes at Elo, Mood Media, SignalFlare AI, Connectpoint and Canopee Tech are worth noting. The more useful question is what they mean for customers, integrators and the self-service market. Our take: these moves are primarily about execution—selling, deploying and supporting technology at scale. None, by itself, establishes a major change in product direction. But several deserve… Read More »

Digital Signage Update – Fall 2026

Lots of digital signage content the last 30 days. We are big fans of interactive digital screens and not so much of strictly digital signage (though we track media players on thinclient.org) Europe has written the rulebook for interactive self-service and the U.S. has not, while signage vendors are walking into interactive territory without noticing they just crossed… Read More »

McDonald’s Wants to Sell Ads at the Drive-Thru. Will Anybody Pay Attention?

McDonald’s is getting into the advertising business in a more visible way. At its September Investor Day, McDonald’s said it had moved into market testing of its McDonald’s Media Network across 450 company-owned U.S. restaurants. The company’s ambitions are considerably larger. McDonald’s CMO Morgan Flatley talked about building the Media Network into a $1 billion business across the… Read More »

Selfservice.io Market Intelligence

We are organizing our data over on selfservice.io Market Intelligence SelfService.io Market Intelligence: A Working Research Desk for the Self-Service Industry The self-service business moves too quickly for static market reports alone. SelfService.io Market Intelligence is designed as a living research desk: a practical collection of financial comparisons, company intelligence, market-segment analysis, trade-show data, and timely news curated… Read More »

Cousins Subs Digital Menu Boards — Competing in a Tough Sandwich Market

Cousins Subs is one of those regional restaurant brands that has stayed relevant by having a clear identity. Wisconsin-based, founded in 1972, and known for deli-fresh and grilled subs on bread baked daily, it operates more than 90 locations across Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana. Excerpt from case study — The player migration took just 9 days and was completed… Read More »

Clover POS AI Assist for Self Ordering Kiosk

Self Ordering Kiosk AI Assist Update September 2026 — updated post — Ordering Kiosk Square Integration Restaurant kiosk economics are increasingly about more than the screen, the hardware, or even the POS integration. Operators need to separate three cost categories: Recurring software and per-device fees Card-processing fees Any additional per-order, transaction, or percentage-of-sale platform charges Nanonation is positioning… Read More »

Ordering Kiosk Square Integration

Nanonation Introduces Square-Integrated Orderpoint Kiosk Platform Nanonation is promoting its Orderpoint ordering-kiosk platform as a Square-integrated option for restaurants and other foodservice operators looking to deploy self-service ordering without per-transaction platform fees. The notable point here is the business model: Orderpoint is being positioned as a Square-integrated kiosk platform with no added transaction fee, alongside a broader menu-board,… Read More »

Restaurant Kiosks – latest fiserve Clover and Square kiosk

A woman in a green dress uses a Clover kiosk to order food in a colorful, modern restaurant. The touchscreen displays menu options and her total price.

Restaurant Kiosks News Nice PR by fiserv. We noticed it on PYMNTS which does great job. Excerpt Clover Kiosk is crafted with intuitive usability to help restaurants increase order size, streamline workflow and operations, and improve the overall customer experience. With a 24” touch screen and 8” payment terminal plus a built-in printer, diners can browse menus at… Read More »

Press Release – The Industry Group (TIG) and Kiosk Association Advance Accessibility with U.S. Access Board

WESTMINSTER, Colo., Sept. 22, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE — APnews) — The Industry Group (TIG) and the Kiosk Manufacturer Association (KMA) today highlighted recent work on accessibility, artificial intelligence, payments and self-service technology. The TIG/KMA Accessibility Committee met with the U.S. Access Board on Sept. 15 to discuss how accessibility must evolve as customer transactions increasingly span kiosks, touchscreens, payment… Read More »

TIG Fall 2026 Pricing — Membership, Trade Shows, Targeted Email and TIGER 2027

Fall is when a lot of 2027 planning gets real. Budgets start getting allocated. NRF planning begins. Companies decide which associations, trade shows, research programs and marketing channels they are actually going to support. We have updated our Fall 2026 pricing at TIG — The Industry Group and the Kiosk Manufacturer Association to make those choices fairly straightforward.… Read More »

Restaurant Loyalty — Predictive Ordering Coming of Age

Your Kiosk Order Is More Than an Order — It May Be Training a Customer Model A recent Gizmodo headline got our attention: “Your McDonald’s File is Probably Bigger Than Your FBI File.” That is intentionally provocative and sensational. But the story behind it is considerably more interesting for the self-service industry. Gizmodo was reporting on a WIRED… Read More »

Wendy’s and Pilot Deploy 156 Kiosks in 78 Locations – EV Charging

Pilot Adds 156 Self-Order Kiosks Across Wendy’s Locations Pilot Company, North America’s largest travel center operator, is modernizing food ordering across its network by deploying self-order kiosks and adopting the digital platforms already used by its quick-service restaurant partners, as reported by Chain Store Age’s Dan Berthiaume. Down towards the end of his story Dan brings up the… Read More »

Nobody Wrote a Standard for the AI in Your Drive-Thru.

Europe Wrote Most of One Conversational AI, voice ordering, multilingual kiosks and the drive-thru lane sit almost entirely outside U.S. accessibility law. They do not sit outside European law. Here is what to specify. The Industry Group | Summer 2026 | kioskindustry.org This is the companion to our piece on the shelved Access Board kiosk rule, The ADA… Read More »

Custom Kiosk Enclosure Design – Branding

Why Custom Kiosk Enclosure Design Matters Understanding kiosk enclosure design — The difference between a kiosk that thrives and one that fails often comes down to design. Expert kiosk designers don’t just design kiosks that work—they design kiosks that delight, inspire confidence, and deliver results. It takes years of trial and error to understand the nuances of kiosk design. … Read More »

TIG Restaurant 20 Index: A 68-Point Divide Between Casual Dining & Fast-Casual Tech Favorites

Industry statistics* show location counts and tech rollouts, but stock performance reveals where investors are putting real capital. The newly launched TIG Restaurant 20 Equity Index (R20)—an equal-weighted basket of 20 major publicly traded restaurant brands relevant to self-service, digital ordering, and labor automation—reveals a stark market divide: Casual / Full Service (5 stocks): +38.0% YoY (Led by… Read More »

Press Release — Kiosk and POS Market Report

PRNewswire — APnews ‘TIGER 2026’ Released with RetailNOW 2026 Event Image caption: Kiosk and POS Market Report ‘TIGER 2026′ Released with RetailNOW 2026 Event By NEWS SOURCE: The Industry Group Published 9:27 AM MDT, July 20, 2026 – The report sizes the global self-service kiosk market at 39.4 billion dollars in 2024, growing to 82.1 billion dollars by 2031 –… Read More »

Self-Ordering Kiosk LG Announcement – Hands Free too

Accessibility From The Start – Designed, Configured and Tested This is the first kiosk designed from the ground up for accessibility. TFA is known for its work with Southwest Airlines and their check-in units. This is the first AI-assist for conversational AI voice kiosk we have seen. Not surprised to see Soundhound in the mix. Starting at $2667. … Read More »

The Self-Service Retrofit Masterclass

The $50,000 Question Why scrap a $4,000 stainless steel enclosure because a $400 PC or a $200 card reader is obsolete? The Compliance Hammer: HHS 504 and EAA 2025/2026. The Hardware Reality: Transitioning from “Passive Terminals” to “Edge AI Hubs.” Retrofit or Replace Toolkit — discount for NRA Section 1: The “Brain” Swap Legacy PC Assessment: Identifying the… Read More »

Edge AI Company Profile for Giada

Giada Edge AI Media Player — Giada (Shenzhen JIEHE Technology) designs embedded computing platforms that power kiosks, digital signage, and edge AI systems. Giada is not the kiosk. It is not the software. Giada is the pragmatic edge compute layer for high-volume, display-driven self-service deployments. Where Giada Fits Modern self-service systems follow a consistent architecture: User Interface — kiosk, display, HMI… Read More »

2026 Hall Of Fame Inductees

Recognizing Industry Pioneers and Innovators The Kiosk Industry Group Hall of Fame recognizes individuals whose long-term contributions have materially shaped the self-service, kiosk, accessibility, automation, and interactive technology industries. It exists to document and honor sustained impact over time, not short-term success or product cycles. Announcements 2026 Hall Of Fame Inductees Best of 2025 Kiosk Industry Group Awards… Read More »

Request Information

Request for Information Thanks for visiting and we are happy to help. Typically we distribute your request to all of the members and they will respond to you. Craig can respond personally if you prefer. craigkeefner@pm.me craig.keefner@gmail.com You can text Craig at 720-324-1837 Top Ten Self-Service Products Our Members Provide Kiosk Enclosures – indoor, outdoor, standard, custom Kiosk… Read More »

Crypto Kiosks Acceptance in Self-Service

A man in a suit stands indoors next to a kiosk featuring digital signage advertising Beef Tallow Fries at a Steak n Shake booth. The backdrop displays milkshake dispensers and black-and-white checkered flooring.

Crypto Kiosk acceptance in self service: How fast is it moving? One key takeaway from Bitcoin 2025 in Las Vegas last week was promising signs of retail acceptance of cryptocurrency as a method of payment, a development that bodes well for crypto acceptance in self-service kiosks. The growth of crypto payment acceptance jibes with the ongoing expansion of… Read More »

Market Research Restaurant Report for McDonalds and Other – Worldwide

Market Data Research for McDonald’s and Other Restaurants Report on restaurant market research and kiosks worldwide by Dataos (RBR). Much better than the usual internet scrapes for the Indian datamarts like Research & Markets. They actually contacted us and we provided input on McDonald’s and Burger King. Wendy’s too. Other research conpanies do not canvas people so kudos… Read More »

McDonald’s Kiosk – ACRELEC World Leader

McDonald’s Kiosk Provider ACRELEC We are happy to welcome Thibaud and ACRELEC as a gold sponsor of the Association. Best known for its deep involvement with McDonald’s, ACRELEC has many customers worldwide. US headquarters are in Chicago Some interesting facts are ACRELEC has over 30,000 software licenses (many at McDonald’s I hazard the guess). Interesting too is the… Read More »

Restaurant Kiosks – 5 Technology Trends at NRA 2018

A cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato, wrapped in branded paper, rests on the counter of a turquoise food truck. Amidst the light-colored blur of the background, its a mouthwatering reminder of how NRA Technology Trends influence even the simplest of culinary delights.

Restaurant Kiosk Technology Trends Spotted at The NRA Show 2018 With another successful year at the National Restaurant Association Show under our belts (our 13th!), we gathered the most talked about technology trends from the show to share – just in case you missed it… 1. Third-party delivery replacement Restaurant operators have come across many issues with… Read More »

Acrelec Rebrands

Acrelec Unveils Rebrand as Company Continues Market Expansion March 27, 2025 — From CityBiz — It’s been clear for awhile that Acrelec is the leader in restaurant kiosks, and a lot more. Editors Note: The Acrelec logo communicates a sense of modernity, innovation, and technological sophistication. The stylized “A” design resembles a sleek, curved shape, suggesting dynamism and… Read More »

McDonald’s Type Kiosk – Integrated Cash and Coin

Three people are waiting in line at a McDonalds kiosk. The man at the front is interacting with the screen as he decides whether to use coins or integrated cash. The colorful tiled floor and vibrant wall art create a lively atmosphere, with a high chair placed to the side.

Cash and Coin Self-Order Kiosk We are impressed with the new cash and coin self-order kiosk from Acrelec and Glory. Good note and coin capacity and reasonably fast. From LinkedIn We are delighted to share with you the first installation in Spain of the new C27 kiosk developed by ACRELEC and GLORY. Located in Jollibee, Calle Arenal (Madrid),… Read More »

National Restaurant Preview – Press Release

Promotional image for the National Restaurant Association Show, May 17-20, 2025, at McCormick Place, Chicago, IL. Features a bright orange background, people interacting with kiosks on a screen, and the text Step Into The Future of Foodservice.

National Restaurant Association Show 2025 and Kiosk Association Visit Booth 8030 for Kiosks and Digital Signage at National Restaurant Association Show — As seen on APnews and also PRnewswire WESTMINSTER, Colo., April 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Come see Kiosk Manufacturer Association (KMA) in booth 8030 (NRA site). Self-order kiosks and smart food vending will be highlighted, implementing interactive and static digital signage… Read More »