As you might have guessed from the name, a self-ordering kiosk gives guests the power to order and pay by themselves – kind of like a sophisticated vending machine, but for meals.

These systems usually consist of a touchscreen (often a tablet) equipped with an easy-to-use digital interface. This screen will display the restaurant’s menu and guide customers through the ordering process – from building their meal, to payment, and pickup. As the customer builds their order, the kiosk can also display prompts with different promotions or menu modifiers that guests might have not known about otherwise.