Exploring the Impact of Self-Ordering Kiosks on the Food & Beverage Industry in 2024

The food and beverage industry is always looking for ways to boost efficiency, reduce overall costs, and introduce new ways to attract customers. That is why the inclusion of table management systems, online reservation software, integrated loyalty programs, etc., is on the rise.

Self-ordering kiosks are another popular tool in 2024 that promises to play a crucial role in the food and hospitality industries. Read on as we define self-ordering kiosks, their immediate impact on the restaurant industry, and how you can easily integrate them into your food business with OrderEm.

What are Self Ordering Kiosks?

Self-ordering kiosks are not a completely revolutionary concept, especially for the food and beverage industry. Generally, a self-ordering kiosk consists of an automated machine with a console that can be used to make orders without the help of a server. These machines are often connected to an online third-party cloud service and work on a subscription model based on the restaurant.
 
These kiosks have existed in multiple forms: drive-through restaurants, beverage dispensers, and snack vending machines, to name a few. However, during the pandemic years, many restaurants started using such kiosks to minimize person-to-person contact and reduce the risk of infection.
 
Fast forward to present times, and many such establishments have continued with self-ordering kiosks. Incidentally, modern customers prefer these automated ordering systems to the traditional ordering procedure, leading to a sudden rise in self-ordering kiosk services.

Benefits of Self-Ordering Kiosks

Let us look at some of the most pronounced benefits of self-ordering kiosks in the food and beverage industry in 2024.

Reduced Waiting Periods

A common problem with popular restaurants and diners is the long queues and waiting times associated with them. Imagine going out for a meal at your favorite eatery and waiting hours before the server can attend to you. Undoubtedly, the eating experience and your appetite will be completely ruined.
 
With self-ordering kiosks, you can simply head over to the console, select your favorite food items, pay using UPI or credit or debit cards, and that is it. A completely streamlined experience where you skip the long queues, waiter interaction, and payment delays. It is advantageous to both the customer and the restaurant.

Better Order Accuracy

Order-related mistakes are common in the servicing sector, with 90% of Americans reporting receiving the wrong food orders from a restaurant or grocery store. This problem is a double-edged sword in the restaurant industry since both the restaurant and the customers are affected by it.
 
The customers have to deal with an unpleasant eating experience, whereas the restaurant often takes back the order and replaces it, which leads to direct losses. With self-ordering kiosks, this problem can be highly rectified.
 
For starters, self-ordering kiosks are operated by the customer, which gives them complete control over the food order. Secondly, these kiosks eliminate the need for server-customer interaction, which can cause miscommunication, leading to mistaken food orders.

Cost Savings

In the long run, self-ordering kiosks are a cost-effective operation for the restaurant industry. The digital console can be expensive, but restaurant owners must remember that it is a one-time capital investment. These kiosks are often run on third-party software and operated via a subscription model like OrderEm.
 
However, these self-ordering kiosks will essentially replace multiple staff members like servers, cashiers, etc. Restaurant owners can save on the annual salaries of these staff members thanks to these kiosks. Lastly, these kiosks do not require high maintenance; a monthly tune-up of the software and hardware is enough for them to last for decades.

Improved Customer Experience

Apart from all the benefits like convenience, fast service, etc., self-ordering kiosks offer an overall personalized experience to customers. It gives customers autonomy because they can visualize the menu and choose accordingly.
 
Self-ordering kiosks have built-in convenient payment options like UPI, credit, debit card, etc. Hence, customers will not have to worry about cash transactions or dealing with a cashier; they can simply pay via the kiosk.
 
Additionally, it has been seen that after the pandemic years, customers have been demanding contactless service. More self-ordering restaurant kiosks are the primary steps toward a hundred percent contactless service experience.

Better Integration With Loyalty Programs

It is no secret that loyalty programs are one of the most crucial aspects of the modern restaurant business. In this context, it must be pointed out that self-ordering kiosks can be a great tool to monitor and collect customer data. This includes ordering habits, popular menu items, peak hours, and ordering trends.
 
This data can be used by the restaurant to not only provide optimized service but also seamlessly integrate a loyalty program. With the help of an integrated loyalty program, restaurants can reward repeat customers. Additionally, with the help of data and food industry trends, establishments can cater to potential new customers.

How OrderEm Can Help Food & Beverage Establishments By Providing Superior Self-Ordering Kiosk Services?

OrderEm is an online service providing top-line online ordering solutions to over 1500 top-line food and beverage business leaders. Recently, they launched their self-ordering kiosk service, which promises to be a game changer in the industry.
 
With OrderEm’s self-ordering kiosk services, you can put your customers in control of their own ordering experiences. This reduces wait times, improves efficiency, and helps boost revenue. Follow these steps to get started with OrderEm’s self-serve kiosk services.
 
Step 1: To start your free OrderEm trial, log in with OrderEm and set up your business account. Import your restaurant menu, working hours, and other important details.
 
Step 2: From your OrderEm homepage, head to the settings options and look for the kiosk setting. You must now enable the kiosk feature; this will automatically integrate your restaurant’s menu into our kiosk program.
 
Step 3: You can select from a range of attractive templates for your kiosk display. You can even customize the templates to better assimilate with your logo design, color, and overall aesthetic.
 
Step 4: Further, you can add different features like SMS notifications for customers or add options like sides and other products that the kiosks can be programmed to upsell.
 
Step 5: OrderEm also has a separate menu setting that can be used to pick menu-related templates. These include food images and other graphical attractions like menu orientations, text colors, button colors, menu collapsing, etc.
 
Step 6: Set up payment features like UPI, credit card chip readers, etc., that can be used by customers to easily make payments directly through the kiosk console.
 
Step 7: Customers can also separately download the OrderEm app from the PlayStore or the Clover marketplace, view your full online menu, and seamlessly place orders directly from their smartphones

Conclusion

Self-ordering kiosks are the next big thing in the food and beverage industry. They are not only helpful for the customer but also provide ample benefits to the business owners. The convenience, reduced wait times, and order accuracy are obvious highlights of such kiosks.
 
However, one must also not forget the cost savings, precious data collection, and loyalty program integration assisted by these self-ordering kiosks. Making this one of the most prudent investments in the modern restaurant business.