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 »
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 »
Integration, Partners and What Restaurants Need to Know If there is one question I get over and over from restaurant operators, integrators, and kiosk manufacturers, it is surprisingly simple: “Can it work with Toast POS?” Five years ago the discussion was mostly about replacing cash registers. Today the conversation is about connecting an entire self-service ecosystem—POS, payment processing,… 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 »
Summary of Key Points for New Drive Thru by Square 1. End-to-End Drive-Thru Integration Square for Drive-Thru is a purpose-built solution that connects order capture, kitchen operations (KDS), and customer handoff into one workflow. It is designed specifically to help Quick-Service Restaurants (QSRs) manage their highest-volume sales channel. 2. Strategic Partnerships The hardware and digital signage components were… Read More »
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 »
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 »
Upgrading Legacy Kiosks to Edge AI Don’t Rip and Replace: Adding 26 TOPS of AI to Legacy Kiosks for Under $200 The most expensive phrase in the self-service industry is “end of life.” AI accelerators for your PCs — This is a look at Hailo upgrade to PC. We also compare to the Giada alternative and cover Coral… 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 »
In 2026, compliance is no longer a legal review process—it is a system architecture decision. Organizations deploying kiosks, self-checkout, or unattended retail must now design for accessibility, AI-driven loss prevention, and zero-trust security from day one. This checklist is not theoretical. It reflects what regulators, auditors, and operations teams will actually enforce in production environments. The 2026 compliance… Read More »
Making It Easy For Customers To Pay “The less customers feel the payment, the more they spend.” One of our principles of ROI is keep TTT (Time to Transaction) at the top of priority metrics. Customers dwelling over payment stage are not good. Frictionless payments are no longer just a convenience feature—they are a primary driver of consumer… Read More »
Using McDonald’s Self-Order Kiosk for Interview? McDonald’s “First Job Confessional” is a reality TV‑inspired, social‑first campaign that turns order kiosks into confessional booths where people share first‑job stories in exchange for McDonald’s gift cards, both on-site and online. Noted on Marketing Dive Why this matters: McDonald’s is quietly showing how a familiar self‑order kiosk can double as a… Read More »
Posiflex and Lenovo Competition We saw this today – Euroshop 2026: Lenovo Unveils ThinkEdge Gen 2 for Retail: Lenovo’s global leadership team debuted ruggedized edge AI PCs in Düsseldorf, signaling a major move toward bringing real-time intelligence directly to the shop floor. Invidis The Lenovo ThinkEdge Gen 2 portfolio, specifically the SE30n Gen 2 and SE60n Gen 2… Read More »
Recent developments in self‑service technology for major restaurant chains Here’s our SST summary (January 25, 2026) focused on meaningful recent developments in self‑service technology for major restaurant chains (kiosks, conversational/voice AI, drive‑thru AI, robotics/automation, computer‑vision, and app/mobile ordering): Key Recent Developments AI & Drive‑Thru Ordering McDonald’s continues expanding AI applications in 2026, integrating AI across operations—improving drive‑thru accuracy and exploring… Read More »
Insight: NCR Isn’t Leaving Hardware — It’s Leaving the Factory When NCR Voyix announced it was transitioning its self-checkout and POS hardware operations to Ennoconn (aka Hon Hai), some industry observers rushed to frame the move as “NCR exiting hardware.” That’s the wrong conclusion. What NCR is really doing is exiting manufacturing ownership — a very different thing… Read More »
From Decline to Discipline: Why Steak ’n Shake Turned to Automation For decades, Steak ’n Shake built its reputation on made-to-order burgers, table service, and late-night diners. But by the late 2010s, that model was under severe pressure. Rising labor costs, inconsistent service, shrinking margins, and declining traffic forced leadership to rethink the fundamentals of how orders were… Read More »
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 »
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 »
And The Winners Are LG’s new self-order kiosk offers easy access for all and smart chat features — What stands out about LG’s newest kiosk is how it puts access first. Instead of treating ease of use as something added later, the system uses voice-driven AI so people can speak their choices – browsing options, selecting items, finishing… Read More »
Cover photo provided by the Consumer Technology Association. CES 2026 Preview Economic uncertainty hangs across much of the globe, but technology remains on the march. AI spending will continue to rise in 2026, with 68% of CEOs increasing investment, according to Teneo, the CEO advisory firm. Next week’s CES show in Las Vegas (Jan. 6-9) will preview much… Read More »
Predictions from The Industry Group For more than two decades, self-service technology advanced in cycles—touchscreens improved, hardware got cheaper, networks got faster, and operators layered efficiency gains on top of familiar models. That era is ending. 2026 is not about incremental improvement.It is about structural shifts already underway becoming unavoidable. This pillar article outlines where those shifts converge—and… Read More »
What We Saw Going On that was Meaningful Self-service technology in restaurants has moved beyond pilots. AI drive-thru, kiosks, mobile-first ordering, and selective automation are now operational realities—especially in QSR and fast casual. Here’s a short executive brief summarizing what’s actually happening across major brands as we head into 2026. Executive Brief McDonald’s — Rolled out Order Ahead… 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 »
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 »
Where Kiosks, Digital Signage & Unattended Retail Deliver ROI We are constantly asked. “Where does self-service technology these days benefit the retailer and the customer. Self-service technology has moved far beyond simple ticketing or check-in. In 2025–2026, the strongest growth is coming from multi-modal automation ecosystems — kiosks, digital signage, vending, AI-driven POS, smart lockers, and cloud analytics.… 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 »
24-Hour Vending Machine (6 Days A Week) Noted — Chick-fil-A has launched its first food vending machine at Wellstar MCG Health Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia, located inside the hospital’s “F entrance.” This marks an innovation in Chick-fil-A’s service delivery, aiming to provide quick, convenient access to its food, particularly in a hospital setting where traditional dining options can… Read More »
Takeaway on global kiosk market — A more conservative, “real” estimate from direct industry participants—especially in the U.S.—often puts the true kiosk sector (excluding ATM, vending, and all tangential categories) at closer to $8–15 billion globally for core interactive and self-service kiosks. Below is how we define the core kiosk sector and why third-party numbers often overstate its… Read More »
Case Study of Three Example Restaurants Before and After “Elevating Restaurant Finances: The Transformative Power of Self-Ordering Kiosks,” presents a detailed study on how self-ordering kiosks can dramatically improve financial outcomes for independently owned counter-service restaurants. Editor Note — Nanonation AI offers a “suggestive selling” AI tool that recommends the best combinations based on learning from orders over… Read More »
National Restaurant Association Report 2025 The State of the Restaurant Industry 2025 report by the National Restaurant Association provides a comprehensive outlook on restaurant performance, sales forecasts, workforce developments, technology adoption, and consumer behavior patterns shaping the year ahead. Overview The report is based on surveys from operators and consumers across six key categories—family dining, casual dining, fine dining, quick… Read More »
TIG Analysis – Self-Service “Hooks”, experiments and functions the POS supports The restaurant technology landscape is undergoing a major transformation driven by the rapid evolution of point-of-sale (POS) systems. As the operational hub of modern dining, POS platforms have moved far beyond simple transaction processing to become integrated ecosystems powering every aspect of service delivery, customer engagement, and… Read More »
TIG Analysis – Self-Service “Hooks”, experiments and functions Industry Group Thin Client Retail Systems Accesso Unveils AI-Powered Shopping at IAAPA Orlando 2025 Kiosk Market Research and Data Restaurant Kiosk, AI, Vending and Digital Signage at NRA Posts 2026: 22
AI and Kiosks Article Preview – WIP We don’t usually do this but here is the preliminary outline for our upcoming article AI and Intelligent Kiosks. Comments and suggestions are welcome. craigkeefner@pm.me We have a new columnist coming on board with market research experience and input and interviews are always helpful I. Introduction – The New Intelligence Behind… 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 »
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 »