Self-ordering kiosks have become a fixture of the fast food industry. You see them at McDonald's, Burger King, and an increasing number of chain restaurants. As a result, many restaurant owners wonder whether kiosks are something they should consider for their own establishment.

The answer depends entirely on what kind of restaurant you run. Here's a complete overview to help you decide.

What is a restaurant ordering kiosk?

A restaurant ordering kiosk is an interactive terminal — usually a large touchscreen mounted on a stand — that lets customers browse the menu, build their order, and pay without going through a waiter or a counter.

The flow is straightforward: the customer navigates the on-screen menu, selects their items, customizes their order (extras, cooking preferences, allergens), pays by card directly at the kiosk, and receives an order number. The order is sent automatically to the kitchen.

It's a system designed for one specific purpose: handling a high volume of orders in a counter-service or takeaway environment, while reducing queue times.

How much do ordering kiosks cost?

This is usually where restaurant owners start to hesitate. An ordering kiosk is a significant investment.

The hardware (touchscreen, stand, card reader, receipt printer) typically costs between $2,000 and $6,000 per unit, depending on screen size and build quality. Most restaurants that adopt kiosks install at least two to avoid bottlenecks — which doubles the upfront cost.

On top of that, there are software fees: a monthly subscription of $50 to $150 per kiosk for the menu management and ordering software, plus installation, configuration, and maintenance costs.

All in, you're looking at $4,000 to $15,000 to equip a restaurant with two kiosks, then $100 to $300/month in recurring fees. That's a budget that makes sense for a high-volume fast food operation, but is disproportionate for a small restaurant.

What types of restaurants are kiosks suited for?

Ordering kiosks work well in a specific context: high-volume, counter-service fast food. That means fast food chains and quick-service restaurants handling hundreds of orders per day, self-service restaurants where customers order and pick up at the counter, and food courts or mall dining areas with a constant flow of customers.

In these environments, kiosks deliver real value: they absorb volume, reduce queues, and increase the average order value (studies show a 15 to 30% increase thanks to automated on-screen upselling suggestions).

Why kiosks don't suit small restaurants

For a neighborhood restaurant, a bistro, a brasserie, or any small dine-in establishment, ordering kiosks create several problems.

First, the customer experience doesn't fit. In a table-service restaurant, customers come to be welcomed, advised, and served. Asking them to queue at a screen breaks the dining experience. That's not what they expect when they sit down at a table.

Second, the physical footprint is significant. A single kiosk takes up about 10 square feet of floor space — precious real estate in a small restaurant where every square foot is optimized for seating. Two kiosks means one or two fewer tables.

Third, the cost is disproportionate to the order volume. If you're doing 50 to 100 covers per day, you'll never recoup a $5,000 to $10,000 investment in kiosks. The math simply doesn't work out.

Finally, maintenance is a real burden: screens need constant cleaning, software needs updating, hardware can fail, and card readers need replacing. It's an ongoing operational overhead that a small restaurant doesn't need.

Modern alternatives to ordering kiosks

The good news is that the problem kiosks solve — letting customers order autonomously and sending orders directly to the kitchen — can be solved differently, without the cost or the footprint.

QR code ordering

A QR code on each table is the most direct alternative to a kiosk. The concept: a QR code is placed on each table. The customer scans it with their smartphone, sees the menu, builds their order, and submits it. The order goes straight to the kitchen display system (KDS).

The advantages over a kiosk are clear: no hardware to buy (the customer's smartphone acts as the kiosk), no floor space needed, instant setup, and a dramatically lower cost. The customer orders from their seat without getting up — a far more natural experience in a dine-in restaurant.

Smartphone or tablet ordering for staff

The other approach is equipping servers with a smartphone or tablet running an ordering system. The server takes the order tableside and it's sent instantly to the kitchen via the KDS — no paper tickets, no back-and-forth trips.

This isn't autonomous ordering like a kiosk, but it solves the same underlying problem: speeding up the order flow and reducing errors.

Combining both

For many small restaurants, the ideal setup combines both approaches. During the lunch rush, QR codes let customers order without waiting for a server to be available. During normal service, the server takes orders on their phone. Either way, everything arrives in the kitchen on the same screen.

How Bistromo addresses this need

Bistromo is an ordering system built for small restaurants. It lets servers take orders on their smartphone or tablet and send them instantly to the kitchen display (KDS).

QR code ordering is coming soon, allowing your customers to browse the menu and order directly from their table. That's the same promise as an ordering kiosk — autonomous ordering sent straight to the kitchen — but without the hardware investment, without the floor space, and at a fraction of the cost.

Bistromo works alongside your existing payment terminal (Square, SumUp, Zettle, or any other card reader). The free plan covers up to 300 orders/month, and the Pro plan at $29/month is unlimited. No commitment, no dedicated hardware needed.

In summary

Ordering kiosks are an excellent tool for high-volume fast food operations. But for a small dine-in restaurant, the cost, footprint, and customer experience just don't fit.

Modern alternatives — QR code ordering and smartphone-based ordering — solve the same problem (streamlining orders, reducing errors, sending everything directly to the kitchen) in a lighter, more affordable way that's better suited to the experience of a traditional restaurant.

To learn more, check out our guide to choosing a restaurant ordering system, learn about how a kitchen display system (KDS) works, or read our complete guide to digitizing your restaurant.