Original article by Elliot Maras published on KioskMarketplace May 2019
The self-service drumbeat rattled Chicago’s McCormick Place last week as attendees swarmed exhibits promising faster customer service. This year’s National Restaurant Show showcased even more interactive kiosks (39 exhibitors) than last year’s record-breaking 36 exhibitors. Less than a third of this year’s companies (11 exhibitors) were repeats from last year, indicating the market continues to attract new interest.
Kiosk hardware and software manufacturers have heeded the call from restaurants looking to automate the customer order to deliver a more satisfying guest experience, boost sales and make more efficient use of store labor. And while established kiosk providers were once again well represented on the trade show floor, restaurant POS software companies have also entered the fray in a big way.
Once again, many of the kiosks on display integrate with other front-of-the-house and back-of-the-house touchpoints, such as online ordering, mobile ordering, loyalty rewards, customer messaging, order delivery, ingredient and nutrient content, kitchen display systems, inventory management, labor management and more. Foodservice operators have clearly recognized interactive kiosks as one part of a customer experience ecosystem rather than an isolated guest interface.
And while self-order kiosks dominated the presentations, artificial intelligence is allowing additional capabilities such as allergen lookup and guest location.
Highlights of KI Sponsors
Pyramid Computer GmbH
Pyramid Computer GmbH presented its Pyramid Location System that saves guests from having to wait in line after placing their order. The customer can order and pay at the self-order kiosk, which dispenses a puck. The customer then places the puck on the bar and chooses a seat while their order is prepared. The system will recognize their location when their order is ready, allowing a server to serve the customer accurately at their table. The system was presented in the Intel booth.
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| Larry Kron of Pyramid Computer GmbH demonstrates the Pyramid Location System kiosk at the Intel booth. |
Zivelo LLC
Zivelo LLC presented a prototype of its X2 Slim kiosk which offers a larger screen size compared to pole-mounted tablets without taking up too much counter width. There is also an X2 Extended model that takes up the same amount of counter width but has a deeper component door to allow for additional components such as a printer.
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| Mike Moon presents a prototype of the X2 Slim kiosk. |
Frank Mayer and Associates Inc.
Frank Mayer and Associates Inc. demonstrated a self-order kiosk the company designed for a food truck using KioWare POS software. The software works on Windows and Android, and features browser lockdown. The customizable and EMV-compliant kiosk was demonstrated in the ADUSA Inc.booth.
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| David Anzia of Frank Mayer and Associates Inc. presents a food truck self-order kiosk in the ADUSA booth. |
Appetize Technologies Inc.
Appetize presented its Interact kiosk which is part of a comprehensive POS, inventory and analytics package. The company’s kiosk line includes an Android-based solution, 15- and 20-inch landscape touchscreen options, countertop and freestanding models, and support for barcode scanners, printers and payment devices.
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| Jeff Brown presents the Appetize Interact kiosk. |
Highlighted companies included:
- Acrelec Americas
- Apex Supply Chain Technologies Inc.
- Appetize Technologies Inc.
- Apptizer
- Autonetics Universe
- Birdcall
- Bite Kiosk
- Buzzy Booth
- Eflyn
- ETouchmenu
- Fingermark Ltd.
- Frank Mayer and Associates Inc.
- Howard Technology Solutions
- Mastercard/Zivelo
- Pyramid Computer GmbH
- Zivelo LLC
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