Once considered a novelty, self-service kiosks are now a core component of restaurant strategy — not just for global QSR giants but for fast-growing regional chains and independents, too. With rising labor costs, shifting guest expectations, and digital convenience becoming table stakes, kiosks have evolved from nice-to-have to must-have.
Guests’ appetite for kiosks and operators’ adoption kiosk-adoption rate have accelerated due to market forces and technology advancements. For example, according to HT’s 2025 Restaurant Technology Study, operators’ top strategic goals for tech investment this year include:
- Improving digital customer engagement
- Reducing operational costs
- Improving business analytics
Kiosks check all three boxes. And HT’s survey of restaurant operators shows that nearly half (47%) are either currently using kiosks or plan to add them for the first time this year.
And the tangible benefits behind the momentum are real: From AI-driven upselling to data-rich guest insights, kiosks are delivering higher check sizes, fewer errors, and smoother service.
