Self-order kiosk for restaurants: how to choose

A kiosk, to avoid the queue at the counter

A self-order kiosk turns the wait at the counter into a journey the customer runs themselves: they build their order, pay, and walk away with a number to collect it. It avoids the queue at busy times, without replacing the work done in the kitchen or on the floor. This guide covers the points to check before choosing a self-order kiosk for a restaurant, and shows how ZP selfCheckout, the ZP Suite kiosk, answers each of them.

Who a self-order kiosk is for

A self-order kiosk fits several formats of food service. At a fast-food outlet, it absorbs orders during the rush, while the team focuses on preparation. In a self-service restaurant or a cafeteria, the customer builds their tray or menu and pays directly at the kiosk. At an event, it rings up a large number of orders in a short time, with several kiosks spread across the points of sale. These are different businesses, but the same need: letting the customer build their order on their own, with no queue behind someone still deciding.

Screen size and format

How readable the menu is matters as much as how fast the order goes through. In food service, a 32-inch kiosk in portrait format is often installed, to show off categories and prices without the customer having to scroll the screen in every direction. This is an indicative benchmark: the right size depends on your premises, the number of kiosks installed and the length of your menu, and it's your reseller who adjusts this choice on site. ZP selfCheckout runs on Windows touchscreen kiosks, in this format as in others.

The menu, options and suggestions

The customer needs to be able to browse the menu and build an order with its options, without having to go back a step each time. On ZP selfCheckout, menus are built on screen with their options, and suggestions are offered at the right point in the order. The menu shown stays the one from ZP POS: a dish added, removed or repriced at the till shows up on the kiosk straight away, with no re-entry anywhere else.

Payment

At the kiosk, the customer pays by card on the built-in payment terminal, compatible with Paytec, Wallee / PostFinance, Worldline or Nexi terminals. For cash, two solutions exist: a Cashmatic or Cima cash recycler, which gives change, or an honesty box, for the exact amount, when the business prefers this simpler solution. Gift vouchers and prepaid cards are accepted too. For loyalty, the customer scans their card and chooses their reward straight on the screen.

Getting the order to the kitchen

Once confirmed, an order needs to reach the kitchen without delay. It can print as a production ticket on the kitchen printer, or show up directly on a ZP kDisplay screen. An order number appears on the kiosk screen and prints on the customer's receipt; if the kitchen works with kCallScreen, that number is called up on screen once the order is ready. If the business uses pagers, the customer enters the number of the one they were given directly on the kiosk, instead of waiting for a displayed number.

Loyalty and gift vouchers

A loyalty card or a gift voucher shouldn't be left out just because there's no one staffing the counter. On ZP selfCheckout, the customer scans their loyalty card the way they would scan an item in their order, then chooses their reward straight on the screen. Gift vouchers and prepaid cards are settled the same way, at the point of payment, with no detour via the counter.

The link to the till

An isolated kiosk, with its own catalogue, always ends up drifting out of step with the till. ZP selfCheckout turns a Windows touchscreen kiosk, or the counter till itself, into a self-service terminal of ZP POS: the same catalogue, the same prices, the same sales journal, VAT included. VAT follows the consumption mode, eating in or taking away; the VAT on eat-in or takeaway guide sets out this rule in full. On ZP POS, a price changed at the counter is up to date on the kiosk a moment later, with no double entry.

The check-list before choosing your kiosk

1. The food-service format you're aiming at: fast-food, self-service, cafeteria or events.
2. The screen size and orientation, matched to your menu and your premises.
3. The menu, its options and its suggestions, carried over from the till's catalogue.
4. The payment methods accepted: card, cash recycler or honesty box, gift vouchers.
5. Getting the order to the kitchen: production ticket, kitchen screen, calling number or pager.
6. The link to the till, for a shared catalogue and a shared sales journal.

Go through this list with your authorised reseller: they will advise you on the kiosk model, how many you need and where to place them. Licence prices, in CHF excl. VAT and paid once, are listed on the Pricing page. If you run a shop rather than a restaurant, the self-checkout in a grocery store guide covers the same choice for a shop.